By Chris Castle -- "An excellent presentation by Robert Levine (author of the excellent book, Free Ride) on the failure of the promise of the Internet and what is to be done..."
By The Trichordist -- "Please enjoy this short and insightful 5 minute video with Jaron Lanier talking about the failure of Web 2.0 and how it has not created a new middle class of creative professionals, as promised or predicted. His book, "You Are Not A Gadget" is essential reading..."
"Here's an interesting video from Charlie McDonnel, who's done 156 YouTube videos so far that each have a million or so views. His charlieissocoollike YouTube channel has about 1.5 million subscribers and the total views are over 234 million. He's obviously doing something right..."
"The industry debunked 'DIY' years ago, yet the concept remains a romanticized, religious idea for many artists and companies. More and more, that's proving to be an expensive belief, especially when it overloads, distracts, and demoralizes artists who need to be focused on their art first-and-foremost..."
By Frank Woodworth -- "So the big day is fast approaching. You are leaving the ivory tower of college in a few weeks and are about to enter the work force. Most likely the only thought on your mind is how to get a job...Your goal...should not be to find a job, but rather to develop a career...Think of your career development in four levels..."
"The U.K.'s High Court has ruled that five ISPs in the region must block file-sharing site The Pirate Bay for copyright violations. Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2, and Virgin Media must block the website within the next few weeks, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Britain's music industry trade group..."
By Michael Brandvold -- "I have written many articles about what you should do online to promote your music. This time I am writing about what you should NOT do to promote your band or music..."
By Bobby Owsinski -- "Musicians and artists will begin to see success in a different way as making a living replaces stardom as the big score. To some degree that was always true. Most musicians are only too happy making a living by playing music, but thanks to the excesses of Music 2.5, far too many felt that stardom was easily within their reach. This has changed as a new realism comes to pass..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "The content glut keeps getting worse, not better, and this is now a very serious challenge for artists of all levels. Because even musicians that make incredible music are finding themselves drowned, undiscovered, and frustrated by statistics like these..."
"As many of you know Cyber PR is a hybrid of Internet Marketing, Social Media and PR. I am an avid Internet Marketing student and I gather the nuggets I learn from my studies for musicians. For many years, I’ve attended internet marketing retreats and seminars; a favorite of mine was a two-day intensive course run by the incredible marketer, Ali Brown. The course was a whirlwind, and the core principles I learned were both basic and critically important..."
By Adam Gold -- "Are you an aspiring musician or songwriter? Then let's face facts, you're chances of making it aren't very good. But they never really were...There aren't enough tastemakers and gatekeepers out there to pluck you from obscurity and fast track you to riches and rock stardom. It's not so bad, though..."
By James Hill -- "If you believe in the marketing power of the CD and you want to exhaust its marketing potential, here are the things you should include in your packaging to enhance its marketing power..."
By Kelland Drumgoole -- "As we all increasingly download our music rather than browsing through the shelves of our local record shop, album artwork is less important. Or is it?..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Please, just hear me out on this one. Yes, the integrations look great, the songs just play. And this is perfect for music sites, music blogs, and publications like Digital Music News. But when it comes to artist pages, Spotify Play Buttons are mostly good for Spotify, not you, the artist. And after wading through months of intense debates involving Spotify's artist compensation (or lack thereof), this one doesn't seem that complicated..."
By Simon Tam -- "Every group will go through some kind of major disagreement that could possibly dismantle the band. Huge levels of success won't solve those issues; in fact, they tend to sharpen those differences even if you are bound by family (just look at the Kings of Leon or Oasis). So how do you handle those problems or minimize the damage? Here are some tips to reduce the heat of the situation in your band..."
By William Ruiz -- "At the Copyright Alliance, we regularly receive questions from artists and creators regarding copyright issues. Because there are numerous resources available to help answer those questions, we have created a Frequently Asked Questions guide incorporating resources from the U.S. Copyright Office, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, and also from the Alliance's membership to help navigate the many copyright issues people may encounter on a day-to-day basis..."
By Zack Hemsey -- "Debates about illegal file-sharing have been going on for quite some time now, and while there are many interesting perspectives on the issue, the one thing that continues to surprise me is that very few people seem to actually understand what the central matter being debated is..."
By Devlin Hartline -- "Apparently, Google thinks it should be above the law. It hasn't explicitly said so, of course, but that's my takeaway from its protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act this past January. Specifically, Google thinks that it should be allowed to list rogue sites in its search results without any court having the power to order it to stop. Google's position strikes me as self-contradictory..."
By Sandra Aistars -- "There are 11 million artists and creators living and working across the U.S. They expand our horizons, help us understand ourselves and our communities, and entertain and enrich our lives. They also fuel local economies as taxpayers, small businesses and innovators..."
By Chris Whitten -- "I'm an independent, self-employed musician...Yes, it's largely a labour of love, with some degree of personal satisfaction, and if you're one of the lucky ones, some financial reward. To co-opt the slogan of the recent Occupy movement, we are the 99%. The 99% of professional musicians who have more in common with ordinary workers than the rock stars portrayed by the media, frittering away their millions like 24-hour party people..."
"This is almost getting boring to report each year - but here we are again. Twelve years after sales peaked the music CD format is stubbornly refusing to die. You can shutter the dedicated record shops, hide the CDs behind fondleslabs and video games in the megastores, offer the public instant access to cheaper legal alternatives - but still people go on buying CDs..."
By BreakingNews.ie -- "Slash thinks music has "lost its magic." The former Guns N' Roses guitarist thinks the modern popularity for purchasing albums through downloads lead to the listener missing out because they don't get a complete package that includes the visuals of artwork..."It's convenient, but you lose the magic of it."..."
"By knowing what separates indie artists that succeed from artists that fail, you can avoid the pitfalls that can keep your career from moving forward!..."
"He plays as a salaried member of multiple bands, and also derives significant income from solo performances. He writes, sells CDs, does session work, occassionally teaches, and seems like he's on the road non-stop. And he also doesn't have health insurance..."
By wePRmo Ted -- "The way things are set up now with Facebook and Twitter, very few artists have fans. Artists have plenty of "likes" and "followers," but they don't have the artist-fan relationship that's needed to be as big as the acts of previous generations. Fans buy albums, concert tickets and t-shirts. Fans tell their friends about artists. The person who "liked" a Facebook page, who are they in relation to the artist? Are they really a fan?..."
By Greg Sandoval -- "Last July, Comcast, Cablevision, Verizon, Time Warner Cable and other bandwidth providers announced that they had agreed to adopt policies designed to discourage customers from illegally downloading music, movies and software...Cary Sherman, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, said most of the participating ISPs are on track to begin implementing the program by July 12..."
By Richard Busch -- "(John Perry Barlow, Co-Founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF))...believes that because a digital file of a song or movie can easily be copied and distributed over the Internet for free, rights holders shouldn't be compensated when millions of users choose torrent sites and other peer-to-peer (P2P) networks instead of paying for the song or movie..."
By Andy Parker -- "Music websites and magazines receive ridiculous amounts of emails from bands looking to get journalists to write about their band! Therefore, if you are unable to afford big money bribes, then you need to follow these simple guidelines for contacting music websites to improve your chances of being featured..."
By Mark Knight -- "Without doubt, the biggest challenge any new band or artist faces is getting their music heard. So it's important you give yourself the very best chance of cutting through. Sadly, just having great music is not enough. Bands frequently spend months writing and recording new material and then rush it out before considering the importance of presentation or brand..."
By Bruce Warila -- "There's a portion of the population that doesn't respect, doesn't believe in, or that simply desires to abolish copyrights altogether; they have their non-rivalrous resource argument to bring to the debate; now here's something to toss back at them..."
"This week, several news outlets reported that Apple's iOS devices and Google's Android devices contained loopholes in their design that permitted applications to access and copy personal photos and videos stored on the devices. On both Google and Apple devices, users that give apps permission to access location information (Apple) or even just the internet (Google) unwittingly make their personal photos vulnerable to being copied, and in some cases posted on the web. And what happens from there is anyone's best guess – according to one app developer quoted in the New York Times, "Once the data is off of the iOS device, Apple has virtually no ability to monitor or limit its use."
By Sean Comer -- "With no record contract and all the freedom they could want, one-time Napster-slayers Metallica are kicking around album distribution concepts they've never considered..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "OK Go is one of the most successful bands in YouTube history. Yet despite more than a hundred million plays, YouTube plays are hardly generating any substantive revenue for the group. "I can speak to an artist who gets a lot of traffic, which is OK Go," manager Jamie Kitman told a SF MusicTech Summit audience last week. "And I would say that 'trickle' is the operative word, in terms of revenue we receive from places like YouTube and VEVO."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Jim McDermott spent nearly seventeen years at major labels like Polygram, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment, starting with Warner/Elektra/Atlantic Distribution in 1987. Here, McDermott describes a radically different approach to retailing, one that may completely surprise you. And, make you wonder whether the current approach towards digital retailers really makes sense..."
"This has become a running list from the Future of Music Coalition (FOMC), which now counts 42 different, discrete revenue streams that artists can exploit. Take a look; add your own..."
By Blabbermouth.net -- "In a recent interview with Metal Storm, guitarist Nige Rockett of British thrashers ONSLAUGHT was asked if he — as an artist — thinks that potentially harsh action, such as the controversial anti-piracy bills SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act), should be taken to reduce online piracy..."
By Andrew Keen -- "Bob Weir talked to me about why information doesn't really want to be free and how even musicians need to make a living. Most of all, though, Weir talked to me about the decline of quality standards in the digital music industry. MP3 music, he explained, is an "assault on our nervous system." While even CDs sound dreadful, he insisted..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "We can't speak for murky accounting, but this is the line-by-line breakdown presented by Warner Music Group on Thursday, specifically for the calendar fourth quarter of 2011. These are worldwide figures, with total quartely revenues remaining largely level at $779 million."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "In a talk at SF MusicTech Summit, Cracker and Camper van Beethoven founder David Lowery argued that near-zero investment and greediness from companies like Apple are making artists worse off than ever before, not better. The well-articulated argument, dubbed "Meet the New Boss, Worse Than the Old Boss," was also outlined on Facebook ahead of the talk. Here it is, in Lowery's words..."
By Matt Pincus -- "Many people read with excitement the news that the online video service Vevo earned $150-million dollars in revenue in 2011. Any healthy new source of music earnings is welcome in an industry in need of positive news...What has gotten far less attention is the fact that independent publishers and the many songwriters we represent, have not received any money from Vevo. Ever. That's right. Vevo: $150 Million. Independent publishers and songwriters: Zero..."
By Cary H. Sherman -- "The digital tsunami that swept over the Capitol last month, forcing Congress to set aside legislation to combat the online piracy of American music, movies, books and other creative works, raised questions about how the democratic process functions in the digital age...But at the 11th hour, a flood of e-mails and phone calls to Congress stopped the legislation in its tracks. Was this the result of democracy, or demagoguery?...The hyperbolic mistruths, presented on the home pages of some of the world's most popular Web sites, amounted to an abuse of trust and a misuse of power..."
"Though we like to cover new and interesting music marketing ideas and services on Hyepbot, focusing on the tried and true is key to long-term success in music. Such methods include encouraging the press to open your press kit, creating low cost band merch that can be used as promotional items and getting people to review your music. Here are some creative ideas for traditional marketing plus bonus coverage regarding Twitter brand pages and Tumblr content discovery plans..."
By Charles Gordon -- "If somebody is selling something and you want it, you pay for it. But if someone offered us a pirated version of the all-star game video for nothing over the Internet, a lot more of us would take that. And, of course, that also applies to music, books and movies. A disturbing number of us feel that we are entitled to free, music, books and movies over the Internet..."
By Helienne Lindvall -- "For all the cynicism about money-grabbing majors, labels still offer artists the security they need to produce their best work..."
By Muztec -- "In the case of Google and Bing, someone is getting paid royally: Google and Bing who both put sponsored links next to the results and on the websites themselves. You wouldn't want to know the number of illegal sites that have Google's adsense on them... millions..."
The last half of 2011 was intense for a lot of us. The financial news across the world remained bleak, Occupy Wall Street was all over the news as the 99% spoke up to be heard. The music business continued to take hits with Spotify's arrival and news of more layoffs at record labels and management companies as we all scratched our heads to blog about positive things and good outcomes.
By Sandra Aistars -- "The Wall Street Journal opinion page featured an oped by economist Stan Liebowitz. In it he refutes the oft-cited claim that some how piracy promotes sales and stresses that maintaining the status quo would continue to put content industries at risk while enabling for-profit pirates..."
No More Bullshit. The Top 10 Lamest Excuses For Stealing Artists' Music. Lamest arguments in favor of illegal file sharing from the past week. I'm not making this shit up. These are real arguments people presented. And argued vehemently.
The following guest post comes from Sam Rosenthal, owner of Brooklyn-based Projeckt Records. "The takedown of MegaUpload is a small victory for creative artists. An early step toward reasserting our rights to control our creative work and to deny criminals from exploiting our art for their profit..."
By William F. Aicher -- My book, Starving the Artist: How the Internet Culture of 'Free' Threatens to Exterminate the Creative Class and What Can Be Done to Save It is, from this point forward, free FOREVER as a PDF download. Yes, it sounds ironic - but if you read the book you'll understand the point here. I wrote Starving the Artist. It is mine. I alone have the right to determine how much it should cost..."
By Ben Watt -- "Is recorded music really worth peanuts? Is this the same for any creative work that can be digitally copied? Should anyone be allowed to pass it around and make any money they can from it without asking permission? Who benefits? Is Google music's brave liberator or its partial parasite in all of this?.."
By Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses' founding bassist) -- "Sitting in my usual chair, watching my usual a.m. updates on CNN's Headline News, Wednesday morning, I, like every other American tuned in to at least one form of media, was inundated with verbiage about anti-piracy legislation known as PIPA and SOPA..."
By Clyde Smith -- "Leveraging the power of the cover song is a topic that fascinates me so I was particularly pleased to encounter Walk off the Earth's cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know." It's a great example of a cover song and music video whose creative approach manages to evade the novelty label while helping build their reputation for unique covers..."
By Robin Davey -- "With 2011 sales polls being compiled and analyzed, the results are that Rock music is fast losing favor with the record buying public and Rap music is continuing its reign as the popular music format..."
"There's now even more proof that for early-stage artists, the money is probably not in recordings. That is, unless there's serious financial or label backing involved..."
By Kathy Wolfe -- "Kathy Wolfe, Founder and CEO of Wolfe Video and Wolfe Releasing - the oldest and largest exclusive distributor of LGBT films in the world - has a piece on the Huffington Post today. In it she writes that while the Internet is essential to her business and the independent filmmakers she represents... the reality is that in today's online marketplace, digital theft compromises not only their bottom line but also their freedom of speech..."
By Robyn Tippins -- "Social media is no longer the uncharted territory it once was, but it is still not impossible to catch the eyes of the masses and become an overnight sensation on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or Google+. We asked and culled your responses from Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and presented them back to you with Storify..."
"As you look to the future you may be getting in the mode to set goals for your career. I am always surprised when musicians I work for at Cyber PR®, are frantically trying to reach more and more potential fans without really focusing on the fans that they already have. These fans don’t need to be found, because they are already your fans..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Universal Music Group is now stumping for SOPA support ahead of important votes on the highly-controversial bill. This industry mass-mailing was sent by Universal Music Group Distribution CEO Jim Urie last night..."
By Iain Thomson -- 'Get real,' says Vint Cerf. "Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself," he writes. "There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right...it must be among the things we as humans need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives...It is a mistake to place any particular technology in this exalted category, since over time we will end up valuing the wrong things..."
By Luke Ebbin -- "According to industry sources, 95% of all music downloaded in 2010 was unlicensed and illegal, so the potential of any significant royalties is tenuous at best. Statistics like this hardly provide incentive for the producer to give his time and efforts to this unproven act since there is little potential for back end payment. This doesn't bode well for artist development, which ultimately affects the quality of music flowing into the marketplace..."
"Popup Pirates: This is an interview with San Francisco indie film maker Ellen Seidler on her film And Then Came Lola, DMCA Hell, Google Adsense Sales to Pirates and more..."
"Indie artists are making money in all sorts of ways, often by combining a variety of small revenue streams and one-off deals into significant income. Here are 15 revenue streams or opportunities from my Hypebot posts of 2011. Like media appearances, no one will make you rich (or famous), but together they offer a range of options..."
By Michael Wolf -- "What is driving this movement towards the artist-entrepreneur that will give it huge momentum in 2012? Here are a few underlying trends..."
"Here at ASCAP, we do more than just collect and distribute songwriter royalties - we also actively assist our members in advancing their music careers. Whether it's through our many workshops and awards, industry showcases, or the conversations we have with our members on a daily basis, we're invested in your success. Here are 10 career-boosting articles we posted this year..."
TechLife -- "Minister for Research and Innovation Sean Sherlock has said government has plans to tackle ambiguities in copyright law to make ISPs more accountable for traffic on their networks. The move marks an important step in protecting rights holders and modernizing Irish copyright law..."
By John Hopewell -- "After years of delay, Spain is finally enforcing a long-mooted anti-piracy law. The first move by any Spanish government to crack down on piracy, the new law authorizes Spanish courts to order Internet service providers to shutter or block file-sharing sites that facilitate unauthorized movie and music downloads for profit..."
By Chris Castle -- "A case study in American comic Louis C.K.who decided to produce and distribute his latest concert himself, going direct to fans and cutting out the middlemen..."
By Sherrill Fulghum -- "Currently most of the music purchased in the United States comes from digital downloads. The Daily Swarm has released some startling statistics on just what it takes for a musician to make a living in the music business..."
By Erik Philbrook -- "Longtime Rolling Stone contributor Robert Levine tackles head-on the subject of digital piracy and how tech giants such as Apple and Google are booming while the creators of content keep getting hurt. He argues forcefully for stronger copyright protection and offers ways to reach that goal..."
By Mike Zapler -- "In a blistering statement Wednesday, House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) accused a cast of star tech execs criticizing his Stop Online Piracy Act of not understanding the bill — and he singled out Google's opposition to the measure as "self-serving." "Companies like Google have made billions by working with and promoting foreign rogue websites so they have a vested interest in preventing Congress from stopping rogue websites," Smith said..."
By Mike Zapler -- "In a blistering statement Wednesday, House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) accused a cast of star tech execs criticizing his Stop Online Piracy Act of not understanding the bill — and he singled out Google's opposition to the measure as "self-serving." "Companies like Google have made billions by working with and promoting foreign rogue websites so they have a vested interest in preventing Congress from stopping rogue websites," Smith said..."
"Yesterday a friend of mine called me with a question. His band had been contacted (via ReverbNation) by a company who claimed that they were a publishing and licensing firm in Los Angeles. Oooooh Los Angeles. The company told him that they saw his profile, liked one of his songs, and thought they could get their song placed in Television and Film, but of course there was a price, three hundred dollars to be exact ($300!!!). For this price the company would spend the next year getting the band’s music out there. rrrrrrright..."
By Ellen Seidler -- "What I know is that online piracy is flourishing. What I know is that the internet has become a topsy-turvy world where criminals are celebrated as heroes, and their victims demonized. What I know is that I'm tired—tired of listening to the red herrings and hyperbole ricocheting around the web in opposition to (overdue) legislative efforts to do something about it. Here's what I know..."
By Dave Cool -- "Here's the scenario: You're out and about watching another indie artist perform and you think your styles would blend well together. After the show you approach him and ask if he wants to collab. He says sure, and you make a plan to meet a couple days later. What you do from here will make a world of difference in the long run. Here are some tips to help navigate the collaboration process:..."
"Forget about SOPA for a moment: what about going straight to the people downloading files illegally, buying counterfeit DVDs, or otherwise infringing intellectual property? Well, that's exactly the strategy behind a recently-announced government campaign designed to reverse attitudes towards piracy. The hearts-and-minds initiative was announced at the White House on Wednesday by US Attorney General Eric Holder, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (or 'Czar') Victoria Espinel, and other enforcement officials..."
ASCAP -- "A dizzying array of foreign-based websites have built their businesses around taking and selling U.S. copyrighted works without any compensation to creators and artists, while others endanger American lives with counterfeit goods. The overarching goal of PROTECT IP and STOP Acts is to cut off the flow of money from the U.S. to foreign rogue sites and to protect American jobs, consumers and economic growth. For songwriters, composers and artists, this legislation will have a profound impact..."
By Peter Voskamp -- The film industry came back swinging on Wednesday, calling recent claims by tech companies including Google that online piracy legislation will destroy the internet "nonsense," while also labelling those assertions as an effort to "gin people up."
By Sandra Aistars -- "The American Consumer Institute today announced the results of a survey illustrating that a vast majority of American consumers support stronger protection against websites trafficking pirated and counterfeit goods. ... Apparently, when scare tactics are removed from the discussion, the U.S. public largely supports the goals of legislation targeting foreign rogue websites marketing unlicensed, unregulated and unsafe products to American consumers..."
By Bruce Houghton -- "Court documents released in the lawsuit filed by Universal Music Group against Grooveshark include emails that appear to show that company executives set out to build as big an audience as possible while not paying for music. Their strategy appears intended to establish a stronger negotiating position with record labels while avoiding millions in payments to artists, labels and publishers..."
By Andrew Orlowski -- "... a few years ago, the pop fashion was to believe that "free" was the "future of business". (But) There's no such thing as a free lunch in business - and despite what internet utopians wish for, the web is no exception..."
By Sandra Aistars -- Top Administration officials today announced a new public education campaign created in partnership with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) about intellectual property theft and its victims. Attorney General Eric Holder said, "As our country continues to recover from once-in-a-generation economic challenges, the need to safeguard intellectual property rights – and to protect Americans from intellectual property crimes – has never been more urgent."
By Clyde Smith -- "Artspire, a web community that provides such services to artists as fiscal sponsorship and a platform for soliciting donations, recently released The Profitable Artist: A Handbook for All Artists in the Performing, Literary, and Visual Arts. The Profitable Artist is a more solid offering than most of the business of art type books I've checked out in the past with a take on such topics as the SWOT analysis and negotiations that should be particularly useful for DIY musicians that want to develop as indie artists..."
By Bob Dormon -- "Digital audio began life with high ideals and worthy engineering feats, with its extended dynamic range came the promise of noise-free recording. This is a story of how it first charmed and then choked the industry it was designed to enhance..."
By Minh D. Chau -- "Let's say you've got some great music. You're an up-and-coming independent. It doesn't matter who you are - the songwriter, the producer, the artist, the manager, or the indie label owner. You've generated some pretty good buzz for that music. And, you happen to have $5000 to spend. What should you spend it on? What would really help advance your career? A. Spend it on advertising? B. Spend it going on tour? C. Hire a publicist? D. Hire a lawyer? E. Hire a college radio promoter? ... And the correct answer is..."
By Jeffrey Rosen -- "According to the worldview embodied by Google and Facebook and many of the best minds in the legal academy and public-interest community, the culture business is collapsing because the old-style media executives who run Hollywood, cable television, the record companies and newspapers have failed to adjust to the expectations of a demanding new generation of media consumers who want free movies and books and music and news wherever and whenever they're online. "The real conflict online," [Robert Levine writes in his book, Free Ride], "is between the media companies that fund much of the entertainment we read, see and hear and the technology firms that want to distribute their content — legally or otherwise." By delivering content they don't pay for, or selling content far below the price it cost to create, Levine says, information and entertainment distributors like YouTube and The Huffington Post become "parasites" on the media companies that invest substantially in journalists, musicians and actors; the distributors drive down prices in a way that sucks the economic lifeblood out of those who create and finance the best achievements of our culture..."
ASCAP -- "The PROTECT IP Act (S. 968) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (HR 3261 or "STOP Act"), which are currently moving through the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, are designed to protect U.S. rights holders and consumers against commercial, largely foreign websites that steal U.S. intellectual property. Both bills have broad, bipartisan support, and thus it is anticipated they will be combined, passed by both Houses, and become law. Let's begin by establishing the reasons for this Congressional effort to better enforce intellectual property protection..."
By Shaun Letang -- "In any industry you go into, there are always two types of people: People that take action, and people that don't. In fact, let's not limit that to industries people are in. In LIFE, there are two types of people… The people who take action are the people who usually end up getting further. They are brave enough to make things happen, and even if they don't work out as planned, they can always give it another go. So why am I talking about taking action? Simple, because this is exactly what a lot of musicians fail to do!..."
By Dwight Silverman -- "Conventional geek wisdom says that, when it comes to music, digital downloads are where it's at and CDs are a forgotten relic of the past. But according to some new numbers from Gartner, the geeks are very, very wrong – and will remain so for some time to come..."
Fingertips Music -- ""Music is made to be shared": that's what Spotify is pushing, that's what Facebook is pushing, that's what all the buzz and activity around the music/social media nexus is about. ... Music is made to be shared? No, it isn't..."
By Scott Cleland -- "Google's open philosophical contempt for most property rights online has led Google to accumulate substantial piracy liabilities over the last decade. This helps explain why Google is the ringleader of the opposition to the pending anti-piracy legislation (Senate: PROTECT IP & House: SOPA), which is very likely to become law in 2012. Google recently threatened to leave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of its strong support for anti-piracy legislation. Greeting introduction of the Senate PROTECT IP Act, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said: "if there is a law… that's passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President and we disagree with it, then we would still fight it.""
By Steve Grossman -- "Yes, I mean it: most of you are planning to fail and here's why starting with the biggest, and most common problem: You want to SUCCEED!..."
"Comedian Dave Chappelle was famous for his wicked timing, uncanny humor and delivery of numerous jokes and skits during his three year run with a hot tv show. One infamous skit was the “When Keeping It Real Goes All Wrong!†segment. In these classics portrayals, some ignorant person was always seen as “Keepin’ It Real†and “Aint nobody gonna chump me,†boasting to only loose it all in the end. Well, the rap industry is no different..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Can you clamp down on piracy, without clamping down on free speech and internet freedoms? In a recent letter sent to Representative Howard Berman (D-California), Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton offered her strong support, while underscoring that "internet freedoms" and "intellectual property protections" were "mutually consistent.""
By Paul Resnikoff -- "There's now more data to support Coldplay's anti-Spotify strategy. According to first-week, US-specific stats just published by Nielsen Soundscan, Coldplay shifted a cool 447,000 units of Mylo Xyloto during its first week. That's easily enough for the number one, and complements a similarly-robust British figure..."
By Bruce Houghton -- "On the Culture Bully blog, Chris DeLine takes whack at almost every indie band, label and publicist that ever tried to get the attention of a music journalist. "How to Fail at Promoting Music Online" is both a chronicle of bad behavior and a roadmap to more successful pitches. Here is a summary of Deline's beefs ..."
By Bob Baker -- "In the same way that there is an art and craft to songwriting, there is also a craft to writing and using language in general and these word-related skills can play a big part in how effectively you communicate with fans - especially online. In this article I'm going to quickly address something called "point of view" and why it's so important — namely, when to use the First Person, Second Person, or Third Person perspective when talking about and describing your music..."
By Chris Gallant -- "It takes more than a swipe of your debit card to send that million-dollar hit to the masses. After all of the recording sessions, promotional expenses, and pit stops on tour, the only break you get to look forward to is that guitar malfunction. An oft-applied method of relieving some financial hardship in this industry is to acquire an endorsement deal..."
By Greg Sandoval -- "Coldplay, one of the world's biggest music acts, has declined to offer songs from the company's new album "Mylo Xyloto," to streaming services such as Spotify, Rdio and Rhapsody, multiple sources told CNET..."
By Terry Hart -- "Yesterday, a dozen Democrat and Republican House members introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act. The bill, H.R. 3261, targets rogue sites that infringe on US intellectual property rights. ... Today I want to "walk through" the bill so that readers and creators know exactly what is in it and what to expect if it passes..."
By Sandra Aistars -- "Several members of the Copyright Alliance voiced their support for new legislation - H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act. (formerly referred to as the Protect IP Act) - introduced in the House of Representatives Wednesday. Here is a sample of statements made by supporters of creator's rights..."
By Chris "Seth" Jackson -- "After having a poorly attended show, it's easy to point the fingers at everyone else. The bottom line: the turn-out is entirely your responsibility..."
By Michael Jones -- "Myspace may be the most high-profile failure to turnaround a major Internet media property. Now, ex-CEO Michael Jones reveals what went wrong -- and why..."
By Kim Crijns -- "Future of Copyright interviewed Robert Levine, author of the book ""Free Ride: How the Internet Is Destroying the Culture Business and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back". According to Robert Levine, a large group of consumers have grown accustomed to enjoying creative content through the internet, without paying any form of compensation to the creators of these movies, books and music. Large companies like Google and YouTube profit considerably from this free culture movement. However, they do not contribute to it either, Levine argues..."
By Marq-Paul LaRose -- "If the live show is THE most important thing for a band, then I think there are certain aspects, certain 'Standards of Excellence' that a band MUST achieve before stepping outside the rehearsal room..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "The paint is still drying on 'Facebook Music,' but we're already seeing a number of serious problems. That includes a cobbled-together and disjointed group of partners, 'over-sharing' bugs, and a rather slapped-together Spotify integration. But there's a far more serious concern: according to one early finding, musicians aren't gaining new fans from all the shared listening..."
"Music is a big part of GeekDad and when I recently had the opportunity to interview famed producer and musician Alan Parsons, I jumped at the chance. In particular, I was curious about how someone who had established a certain notoriety for being a music obsessive (reflected in his award-winning work on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, The Beatles’ Abbey Road and his own Alan Parsons Project, among other credits) felt about a number of growing trends in the industry, particularly the ease of access to simplified recording tools on iPads and whether engineering holds the same importance as it once did when so much of the music we listen to today consists of lossy digital tracks played through cheap earbuds..."
By Tom Hess -- "Do you have a difficult time deciding what guitar exercises to practice despite sifting through countless guitar practice materials daily? .... Do you want to find out once and for all which guitar exercises to focus your practice time on in order to achieve your musical goals? ... If this sounds like you, then I want to show you how to determine what you need to practice on guitar to improve your musical skills in the fastest way possible..."
"I talk to musicians all day who call looking to hire a publicist, and I’ve noticed that many artists don’t really understand what publicity is. The following list will clarify the concept of publicity for you..."
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody -- "iTunes, the largest music retailer, has redefined the listening experience and has largely become the way that music is consumed. What's less clear is how much the music industry — which is continuing to decline — has benefited. Even today, consensus is mixed..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "It seems like a simple question. But these are the email exchanges we had with Rdio to find out, "what do you actually pay artists, labels, and rights holders?..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "It's one simple question. But getting Grooveshark to answer it was a complicated affair - and ultimately, one that produced a very complicated answer..."
By Clyde Smith -- ""Pay What You Want" for CDs may not be a theme many in the music industry want to hear. But according to Atlum Schema, aka Andy Mort, pay what you want for CDs at live shows can work if you connect with your fans..."
By Dave Cool -- "Do I really need a website for my music? With Facebook, Twitter, and all the musician-specific social networks out there, you might think that your own .COM is obsolete. But there are 3 very important reasons to drive fans to your website instead..."
By A2IM -- "Have you seen your music available for free on websites you haven't licensed? Have you ever tried to get your music taken down from those websites and found that they are based in Russia or China or some other country outside of the U.S.? Do you know that currently, U.S. law provides no realistic method for labels and artists to get their music taken down from such infringing websites? If this is a problem for your business A2IM urges you to write your elected representatives in Washington D.C. to ask them to help get PROTECT IP (S.986 in the Senate) passed..."
By Rick Newman -- "Just a couple of years ago, writer Chris Anderson asserted that free was the new price of everything. But now, it's looking like time to say farewell to free. Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, argued that plunging production costs—combined with the transformative power of digital technology and the Internet—made many things so cheap that companies could afford to give them away. Then the recession hit..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Hate: the internet is full of it. Technology is amplifying it. And if you grow large enough, you'll get plenty of it. But how do you effectively deal with it as an artist, without letting it interfere with your creativity and fan connectivity?..."
By Dave Cool -- "Take it from someone who was fielding dozens of booking emails/calls every week for 4 years, polite persistence can indeed pay off..."
By Minh Chau -- "I'll keep this short and sweet. It's a daunting task to "get people to like" your music after you've made it. And without the right mindframe, you'll quit before you really start to make some great strides..."
By Stephen Chapman -- "The days of file-sharing services like Napster and Kazaa are long-gone while torrents reign supreme, but there's a completely different method of piracy that has been running steadily for years and turning a sizable profit all the while: file-hosting and link-sharing Web sites. The combination of these two types of sites is like a one-two punch resulting in a knockout. They are both essential for one another to function in such a profitable manner, and man, oh, man, do they ever make a lot of money doing what they do. ... These are the modern day profiteers of piracy who make a quick and easy buck off of the losses of (creators and) content owners..."
By Rob Dix -- "Music merchandise has always been important to bands, both as a source of revenue and to help raise awareness of your 'brand'. Fans love buying merch too - the music we like is closely tied in with our identity, and wearing a band's t-shirt is a way of showing off that identity to others. Now, merch is more important than ever as a way of making money. For many independent artists, the music itself is almost a 'loss leader' - given away to promote live shows and merchandise..."
By Gautham Nagesh -- "We want people to shoot for the stars. We want people to be innovative. We want people to make America a great place for the latest cutting-edge idea or advance, and the only way you do that is have a system that protects people's intellectual property investments," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton said, noting that such protections are a constitutional right. ... "Anyone who thinks this is about small-time crime on the corner of Fourth and Main is sadly mistaken," Morton said, noting ICE and DOJ have never been more active on the issue than at present. "Intellectual property violations have become big-time international crime. We've got to focus and do something about it..."
"In the last few days, chatter has grown in the indie community about pulling releases from the new (to the U.S.) music subscription service Spotify. The complaints largely stem from minuscule royalty checks at lower rates than majors receive. Spotify has responded to the complaints but that only seems to add fuel to the fire. What is the real issue?..."
By Scott Perry -- "Last week at SF Music Tech Summit, Ethan Kaplan said something very telling yet true: "The worst thing you can do to keep fans actively engaged... is to actually release the album..."
By Bruce Houghton -- "...how many times have you hit send, only to find that you messed something up or left something out that's going to make you look sloppy and/or severely lower your response rate. Here via Pure 360 is a simple checklist to use before you hit send on your next email blast..."
By Amber Wade -- "...Thanks to changing technology and a growing awareness of opportunities in the business, more and more students are opting to pursue degrees in the music industry. Still, many students forego an education-and the mountains of student loans associated with it-to dive head-first into the music industry and learn as they go. This all begs the question: Which is more important, education or experience?..."
By Apryl Peredo -- "As one who works in the music industry, I would never tell a musician that either choice: sign to label, or remain DIY, is the right or wrong one. ... I do try to educate musicians on the pros and cons of each side, encourage them to see signing to a label as a "tool," not an ultimate "goal," and then ask what they want to pursue."
By Matthew Humphries - "With the advent of digital music... they have an abundance of distribution channels they can turn to and distribute music independently through these services. Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, and Deezer are some of the most well-known out there. Releasing music and being profitable has become a lot easier, right? Wrong..."
Recently - over the weekend I was in a studio session with a new good friend of mine out in Los Angeles. Amongst the creative energy and good vibes circling the room we began to talk about the arms and legs of the music industry, the business side but more specifically - Personal Management. She expressed her feelings on certain details that are currently happening in her career with those who are interested (Managers, Publishers) while the "pros" were great they did not seem to out-weigh the "cons". While advising her (like I do all my clients) that the most important relationship to establish first as a young artist, songwriter or producer should not be in a Manager, but in an Entertainment Lawyer. For what specific reason? They should be obvious, no? The contracts! Entertainment lawyers are essentially what I like to call "Deal Makers". You heard of the saying "right place, right time", think of it in those terms, a good attorney will aid in the process of securing you any / every deal under the sun that you are pursuing (if your music holds weight). After a solid discussion regarding the intentions of the interested "managers" not only could you see a sense of relief as her initial gut feeling was confirmed, but a sense of self confidence that possibly these potential managers weren't exactly for her..."
"Kosha-dillz Rapper Kosha Dillz shares some wisdom on self-promotion when you on a limited budget. It's a nice mix of specific suggestions and general principles for any DIY promoter..."
By Bruce Houghton -- "Running a music venue is hard work. Let's get that little truth out of the way upfront. So, here are a few things to be on the lookout for when it comes time to collect payment at the end of the night:..."
By Nick Mango -- Vinyl enthusiast Nick Mango recently shared some insights on releasing albums on vinyl including issues with preorders, the relationship between vinyl and digital releases and increasing the collectability of test presses. Given the fact that vinyl has returned as a specialty item, it's definitely worth considering putting out such a release if you've built a strong enough following that both fans and collectors would be interested..."
By Eliot Van Buskirk -- "Meet Max Weisel, the 19-year-old wunderkind who began experimenting with iPhone app development in his mid-teens. On the strength of his Soundrop app, Björk tapped Weisel to build three song apps for her awesomely ambitious Biophilia project, considered to be the first "app album" in the world..."
"The story of Napster, the peer-to-peer file-sharing service that disrupted the music industry, will soon be told in documentary form. The documentary will track the rise and fall of the music network launched by college student Shawn Fanning in 1999. Alex Winter, Bill from the Bill and Ted films, will direct it..."
By Dan Turner, Esq. -- "The music industry is in the midst of a radical transformation. The speed with which distribution and streaming technologies, D.I.Y. marketing platforms, and innovative publishing trends are emerging and dying off is enough to overwhelm even the most seasoned artist. And yet, there remain a few legal essentials that every artist, old or new, must not overlook if they plan to take full advantage of the opportunities present in today's music business..."
"In the next 10 to 15 years, all music is going to be free," Nathan Morris, member of stalwart R&B group Boyz II Men, told HuffPost over the phone. It's a stunning statement from a musician whose group's popularity peaked around the time of Metallica, Dr. Dre and Napster, and whose musical fortunes largely followed the demise of the industry-disrupting music-swapping free-for-all..."
Editor Charlie -- "Don Henley's opinion piece in USA Today ("Internet Theft is a Job Killer, Too") lays out the problems that Google has with Protect IP–they make way too much money off of advertising for illegal drugs, products, music, games and film. Since for every action there's a reaction, the income transfer to Google also results in a loss of jobs for American workers..."
Ultimate-Guitar.Com -- "In the first post in this series, Mobile Music App Revenue & Predictions, we talked about how apps, streaming and ringtones were earning the mobile industry more than $15 billion in 2011, according to stats published by Midem. With revenue in 2014 predicted to be more than $25 billion, we decided to take a closer look at some of the most successful mobile music apps to understand the secret of their success - and why they're making so much money..."
By Sari Delmar -- "Here are some tips for indie bands at appealing to industry people and approaching them with higher chances of success. This is coming from someone who has been on both sides of the fence for many years! Some of it might sound harsh, but trust me it will work!.."
Indie bands - "By now, most of you will have heard of Rebecca Black, and if you haven’t, you will soon. I have a unique perspective on the young star and her effect on modern music marketing, but let’s go over the back story first..."
By Matthew Stone -- "Music artists are more numerous, varied and empowered then they have ever been before. At the same time, they have to compete with their primary ‘product' being uncontrollably and freely replicable, through file-sharing. For better and for worse, being a music artist in the 21st century is a very different kettle of fish to the past..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "The IFPI estimates that a newly-signed pop act requires $1 million in capital to break. Similarly, an already-established, superstar artist breaks the bank with roughly $4.65 million invested around an album and related assets. Here's the estimate from a recently-released, investment-focused IFPI report..."
By Chris Castle -- "Robert Levine has written a book that is a must read for all policy makers and indeed all professional creators. Free Ride is an excellent survey of the current state of play online but also examines the cultural underpinnings of the principle excuses (and in some cases, affirmative defenses) developed by the execuprofs like Lessig and the Berkman Center..."
By MG Siegler -- "While Google is still largely beloved by the public, sentiment seems to have turned against them amongst their peers, and even amongst many of the startups around Silicon Valley. While these tensions have been building for months — and even years, in some cases — we're seeing this on display more clearly than ever now thanks to the patent issue(s). But why? Why is Google now a villain to many in the industry?..."
By Richard MacManus -- "Icelandic musician Bjork recently released what she claims to be the world's "first app album." It's an iPad and iPhone app featuring 10 songs, each song accompanied by an interactive app. The "mother" app is called Biophilia, which is the name of the album..."
By Faza -- "We've all become so used to music being available for free on the Net, that there's an understandable reluctance to accept the fact that it cannot work that way – regardless of whether we're talking about piracy or not. Various pundits are still trying to convince us that it is a very useful strategy – despite the fact that it is both counter-intuitive and has been shown to be mostly useless over years of being tried in one form or another...."
By Julia "Jules" Sherred -- "If you are a musician, or any type of creative for that matter, you want to have your product consumed. In the digital age, an age where people can consume media for free and, as a result, an age with drastically shifting ways to produce and publish your content, sometimes finding the tools and strategies that will work for you can be difficult. ... I work with a lot of independent musicians. Most of them use some combination of new marketing tools to publish and distribute their music, plus to reach out to their supporters. ... I asked a handful of the independent musicians that I work with to tell me what new marketing tools they prefer. ... Here is what they had to say:..."
"The following is a statement from label group Century Media, which announced Tuesday that it was pulling all content from Spotify to "protect the interests of its artists." Century includes InsideOutMusic, Superballmusic and People Like You..."
By James Moore -- "Indie bands and musicians - What can we learn, if anything, from the viral marketing techniques employed by the world's biggest pop star (except Justin Bieber of course), Lady GaGa? ... While so many independent musicians are still repelling success by wasting their precious time spamming their friends and would-be fans on social networks such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and Reverbnation, Lady GaGa's marketing team focuses on a much overlooked aspect of music marketing..."
By Dave Cool -- "... it often (takes) artists years to get to the point of making a full-time living from music, usually 7-10 years. Most "overnight successes" are years in the making, and nowhere is this truer than in the music industry..."
"I love Google Maps. Like Google Search. Use Gmail. But, increasingly, I've grown nervous about the vast scope Google has over the Internet. Users have virtually no place on the world wide web, no safe haven, no single moment, from Google's reach. They are a for-profit megacorp that holds more information about me, my family, and you and your family than any government -- and they sell that information, every second of every day to the highest bidder..."
By Brian Franke -- "In this post I'd like to share some of the obstacles and common mistakes musicians make in their newsletters that contribute to why no one reads their newsletter..."
By Faza -- "Insta-fame stories - be they reality TV, viral hits or one-hit Wonders - tend to lack longevity. The more connected our world becomes and the more information passes before our eyes, the worse it gets. You may have a good memory, but it is a finite resource. With worldwide Internet phenomena jumping out at us every other week, it's no wonder that yesterday's viral star is quickly forgotten..."
By Chris Colin -- "A funny thing has quietly accompanied our era's eye-gouging proliferation of information, and by funny I mean not very funny. For every ocean of new data we generate each hour-videos, blog posts, VRBO listings, MP3s, ebooks, tweets-an attendant ocean's worth of reviewage follows. The Internet-begotten abundance of absolutely everything has given rise to a parallel universe of stars, rankings, most-recommended lists, and other valuations designed to help us sort the wheat from all the chaff we're drowning in..."
By Chris Bracco -- "Despite what some industry folks may tell you, there are still tons of music fans out there that prefer the experience that a physical music item can provide. I am one of them. Believe it or not, there are ways that artists can bring some of the physical album experience to digital music. Some of it is common sense, and some of it takes a little "out of the box" thinking, but it is indeed possible..."
By RJ Comer -- "I know what you're thinking. "Wait, isn't Eric one of those music marketing guys who is always talking about social media HELPING musicians and what not?!" Yes, that's me. I've been yapping about Facebook and Twitter and blogs all and that other crap since they first launched. And they are invaluable tools for anyone trying to market any kind of product or service ... (if you are) providing excellent content, in addition to interacting with your users in a way that makes them fall in love with you. Otherwise, social media is, well, crap..."
By Ed Christman -- "Back in 2007 (June 30, Billboard) when I asked what is an indie, I got a multitude of answers. Today, that question evokes even more complex answers because the landscape has not only changed dramatically but is still changing. ... In fact, there are so many permutations of indie/major collaborations and secret deals concerning those permutations that it's sometimes hard to tell what's still indie and what's a major..."
By Glenn Peoples -- "I was a guest on the WNYC program "Soundcheck" Tuesday to talk about Spotify and the economics of digital music. The arrival of this anticipated music service has turned out to be a good jumping off point for a conversation about the economics of digital music..."
By: Jonathan Salem Baskin -- "So what could Chief Marketing Officers learn from the music industry? A lot, it turns out. All you have to do is imagine that your brand is a band and you can pretty much teleport into the uncomfortable shoes of your counterparts at any of the major labels. They've dealt with more change over the past few years than you or I could imagine in our worst nightmares. While the parallels are imprecise and sometimes discordant, there are at least five things -- variations on a theme -- that you might want to avoid ... or rip..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "There's a reason why some artists quit Twitter - or, never start an account at all. "I realized about a year ago that I couldn't have a complete thought anymore," John Mayer told a group of students at Berklee College of Music. "And I was a tweetaholic."... '"
By Minh Chau --- "The key to creating momentum is to keep moving. The longer you keep moving without changing direction, the bigger the momentum. And, the bigger the momentum, the more unstoppable you are... All you have to do is do something. When you don't feel like it, do something. When you don't know what to do, do anything. But, don't do nothing!..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Perhaps we're so obsessed with digital disruption that we're neglecting the other, collosal macroeconomic shift. This is a Great Recession with a questionable and confusing 'recovery,' elevated and prolonged levels of unemployment, disturbing shifts towards income inequality, and huge amounts of uncertainty. And it's deeply affecting the decisions and lives of artists, particularly those just starting their careers..."
By Jakomi Mathews -- "It was put to TMV that Google and Rdio display an attitude of contempt and utter disrespect when it comes to negotiating with content owners generally. ... The irony of all this is that without content and content producers who need to and deserve to make money from their endevours, Google and more importantly Youtube would not have a business or even be in existence..."
Digital Music News -- "Artists are constantly being told to tweet. And tweet. And tweet… just to stay connected with their fans and stay relevant. But is that the best advice, especially when it comes to selling stuff (like albums)?..."
By Gene Marks -- "Whenever I bring up using social media to business people I always hear the same three questions: 1. Who has the time to do this? 2. How do I know if this is even worthwhile? 3. Oh God…did my kid really write that?..."
By Taurean Casey -- "Artists are giving away way too much free music. The belief that giving away free music will result in future sales are too far-fetched. Also with the advancement of new distribution models cutting down the dollar value on music (Cloud/Subscription models), we are entering a stage where the public is becoming too accustomed to free music. Sure illegal downloads are here and will continue to be here, but artists must not fall into the trap of allowing their fans to dance to the tune of music is a free commodity..."
By Ben Sisario -- "In a deal with the major entertainment media companies that has been years in the making, the leading Internet service providers have agreed to a uniform procedure for notifying customers about repeated instances of digital copyright infringement..."
By Dorian Lynskey -- "Twenty years ago, "sellout" was the most damning insult in rock. But the days of the hard line are gone.... "Most of us are past the point where 'selling out' is something that really matters any more..."
By John Paul Titlow -- "Just as the Web has brought us untold advances in innovation, collaboration and productivity, it has also given us things like this Tumblr blog curating animated GIFs of Tom Hanks portraying various animals, not to mention Farmville, Twitter or the 35 hours of video that are uploaded to YouTube every minute. With so many digital distractions, it's a wonder we can get anything done. For those of us for whom being productive means stringing words together, whether we're bloggers, marketing copy writers or aspiring novelists, the Internet can be a mixed blessing. Fortunately, there are a number of writing applications that attempt to block out the distractions so we can finally focus..."
"The tagline of this site is “understanding the copyright wars.†The reasons for so much debate surrounding this subject are many, but the why of the copyright wars might be boiled down like this:..."
Digital Music News -- "If you're a musician, you have an interesting issue: too many DIY, direct-to-fan options. But can this wildly overcrowded, overlapping marketplace last for long? Here are just thirty companies competing in this space..."
Digital Music News -- "If you're a musician, you have an interesting issue: too many DIY, direct-to-fan options. But can this wildly overcrowded, overlapping marketplace last for long? Here are just thirty companies competing in this space..."
By Edward James Bass -- "The first thing to consider is that – if any one of these large tech companies were to purchase a major label or even take the brave steps of setting one up themselves – it would not, either at first or likely ever, be part of their core business. The past has some interesting lessons to teach us about organisations who have run music labels alongside other businesses..."
By Don Austin -- "So much talk about the success, or lack of, making it in the new music business industry. But it really comes down to treating your musician career as a business..."
By Fred Cavazza -- "We are in mid-2011, so you must know that Facebook is the dominant social network in the world with more than 750M users. Apart very specific cases, every brand should be present in Facebook, but opening a page is not enough. By multiplying your presence inside Facebook, not only you will raise the odds to reach your targets, but you will also benefit from functionalities, which are not available to page owners..."
By Jem Bahaijoub -- ""So what do you sound like?" Almost every new artist will get asked this question at some point, and yet it is something that many artists resist thinking about. Those same artists will say things like "We do our own thing!" or "We don't sound like anyone else," or "We don't want to be categorized." However, defining your sound is not about pigeon-holing or limiting your artistic freedom. As a new artist, identifying your genre and peer musicians is an important step in defining your brand..."
Paul Resnikoff -- "... there's the whole "band as a brand" thing, an orientation that just doesn't sit right with some artists. The question is whether artist careers should involve hawking products to survive, though maybe this is a future that simply must be embraced. Especially if Digitas' numbers are right..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Outside of upfront payments (if any), what can labels and publishers expect monetarily from the iCloud? ... According to Numero Group cofounder Ken Shipley, the payout percentages look something like this..."
By Lior Levin -- "So you finally have a website for your group or band, but you have no idea how to get traffic there. This is an issue that many musicians go through because they have no real knowledge of SEO (search engine optimization)..."
Digital Music News LLC -- "Freemium has the Chris Anderson stamp of approval. But in the real world, music companies are realizing that freemium is too expensive and unsustainable, at least without serious constraints. It doesn't make economic sense, and worse, it feeds a consumer addiction to free - instead of whetting the appetite for premium. This has become obvious, and the examples of freemium exodus are now everywhere..."
By Dan Morgan -- "The purpose of this article is to cut right through to the heart of why it's so hard for musicians to benefit (in any meaningful way) from social networks. The social network provides new and exciting benefits for musicians, which is why most embrace new social networks as a way to expose their music to thousands of potential fans and music industry reps. The only trouble is..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Caren Kelleher is the manager of unsigned bands True Mad North and The Lighthouse and the Whaler. She is also the business development lead at Songkick and an HBS grad to boot. Here, she talks about some surprising lessons learned while raising $10,200 in Kickstarter cash for Lighthouse..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Who's paying for what? Here's the latest monetization intelligence for a variety of music services. These are the stats we've been able to confirm..."
By Ben Sisario -- "As the first United States intellectual property enforcement coordinator, Victoria A. Espinel reports to President Obama and Congress on copyright, trademarks and other intellectual property issues, and works with an array of federal agencies — the Justice Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others — to enforce the law. ... Ms. Espinel spoke at the World Copyright Summit in Brussels on Wednesday, where she outlined the Obama administration's policies on intellectual property and discussed copyright and privacy issues in relation to new technologies like cloud computing ... Afterward in a phone conversation, she elaborated on some of the topics from her speech and addressing questions about the progress of the global war on piracy..."
By Peter Spellman -- "We have the power to galvanize global audiences and build a network of support for the rest of our careers. Sounds pretty good, huh? It should. But remember the timeless words of Uncle Ben to Peter Parker: "With great power comes great responsibility"..."
By James Gannon -- "Last week, the United Nations Human Rights Council published a Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. ... The report spends two paragraphs commenting on ISP graduated response initiatives in countries such as France and the UK noting that the Rapporteur was "alarmed by proposals to disconnect users from Internet access if they violate intellectual property rights". These comments seem alarmist in themselves and out-of-place for two reasons..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "This is the part where you burn your Econ 101 textbook. Because in certain situations, fans will actually buy more if the price is higher. In the car business, this has been a lesson for brands like Cadillac, where experiments in lower-priced models destroyed the perception of higher-end quality. Once the prices were lifted again, status-conscious buyers returned..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Unless you have a certain level of clout, Amazon MP3 can drop your music into the discount-bin without notice - and drop your payouts in the process..."
By John Jantsch -- "It's the free for all mindset that has developed around content and tools that threatens the viability this permission based marketing that worries me. As I outline below, this practice has already created an environment that may actually be hurting the seeker of quality information more than the spreader of quality information..."
By Rich Gordon -- "If you've clicked on this and expected there to be a miraculous answer at the end that demonstrates how to balance all the factors of a hectic music career, you're in the wrong place. Also, if you think that being a musician is going to be a case of "write a few songs, get a multi-million pound record contract, easy street…", you should also stop reading..."
By Jeff Pollack -- "If you're one of those that feels that major labels are the root of all evil, you may want to skip this post altogether because this time I'm sticking up for the majors. Well, if not stick up for them, at least show that this time around they might actually have the artists' interest (as well as their own) at heart. ... We've all heard the reasons for the industry's rapid decline: paralysis, stupidity, greed, overpaid executives, lack of quality new music and loss of control of distribution. There is some truth to all of these. But ironically, this time in saying no to proposals for legitimate on-demand streaming and cloud-based subscription services, maybe the labels (and the publishers) have compelling reasons..."
By Sandra Aistars -- "Floyd Abrams, the noted First Amendment lawyer, submitted a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the recently introduced PROTECT IP Act. In his letter he shares his view that the legislation is consistent with the First Amendment, reaffirming his earlier analysis offered in February. He writes: "This legislation does not impair or overcome the constitutional right to engage in speech; it protects creators of speech, as Congress has since this Nation was founded, by combating its theft..."
By Dave Fawbert -- "The internet was supposed to be the great democratiser of music. Suddenly, anyone could make their music available to everyone, and everyone could consume it quickly and easily. The prohibitive transaction costs to get to market had gone, and it would be a free and fair market where the best music was universally championed by the masses. Except, it hasn't quite worked out like that..."
By Bruce Houghton -- "Author David Meerman Scott made a honest and realistic quote, "if you want 20,000 fans you must do 2000 different things that each generate 10 fans." This was my favorite quote from 2010 and I am going to take this on as a challenge for 2011 for an ambitious project to give you 2000 different things you can do to generate 20,000 fans..."
By Rich Gordon -- "It is truly a magical time for musicians, and one that we should definitely make the most of. With that in mind, is this the best time for independent musicians?..."
Intellectual Property Watch -- "China's violations of United States intellectual property rights costs the US tens of billions of dollars in economic activity and millions of jobs, according to a report released today from the US International Trade Commission..."
By Ira Brodsky -- "Scott Cleland's new book tells the other side of the Google story. Published by Telescope Books, Search & Destroy: Why You Can't Trust Google Inc. is the first book to critically examine Google's business practices, mission, and unprecedented power over information access and the digital economy..."
By Ariel Hyatt -- "Just back from the mighty ASCAP Expo in Los Angeles. I learned so much from the hundreds of artists I spoke to over the 3 days there and I boarded the plane with a whole new perspective on just how confronting marketing and social media is to 90% of artists --- You guys REALLY hate this stuff. ... But here's the thing: The basic rules for success are still the same. They have always been the same and those artists who understand this succeed..."
By Bruce Houghton -- Last year DIY musician Jonathan Coulton grossed about $500,000 from his music career; and because he's a mostly solo artist with low overhead, he got to keep most of it. Coutlon never expected to make this kind of money as a musician. "This is absurd," he told Planet Money. But is Jonathan Coulton's success a fluke or can other musicians replicate it?..."
"The Guitar Pic Band looks about as practical as drilling holes in your contact lenses and stringing them together so you don’t lose them. It takes possibly the simplest accessory in all musicdom and turns it into a complicated, convoluted and proprietary mess. I predict that they’ll sell a ton..."
By Michael Brandvold -- "Currently, I'm trying to start a new band, filling in with another band, and I'm running a blog on how to run a band. And guess what? I've hit media overload... Not to mention I have a day job. Refreshing my Facebook page 30 times a day doesn't help with job security. After backing off for a little bit, I've come up with a strategy to manage my time more efficiently. This post will concentrate on managing online activities since they can cut most significantly into a band's time..."
Posted by Jakomi Mathews -- "... while Amazon is cutting their price as a loss leader to drive consumer uptake, the labels are still being paid the full wholesale price. So that cannot be bad for labels. Whilst there may be some cries that this move by Amazon is devaluing recorded music in the eyes of the consumer, it is clear that it was already devalued in the last decade. Yet, Amazon's discounting may actually impact negatively on other smaller competitors in the digital music retailing space globally..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "If your recording, publishing, and touring receipts are through the roof, you can probably skip this article. Otherwise, you've gotten the memo to chase corporate America and diversify your streams. Except, most bands and managers get it wrong, and end up wasting time, losing bids, or missing serious revenue opportunities. And their pitches quickly land in the trash. So what's the problem?..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "That's according to an estimate from startup NuevoStage, which counted 15,000 North American venues that have two or more empty, unfilled slots per week. Meaning, at least 30,000 gigging opportunities go unfilled every week, with the club either closed or solely serving alcohol and snacks. Of course, there are thousands of bands that would love to play those venues - and many could fill the room. Sounds like the perfect market inefficiency - but there are reasons why..."
By Jem Bahaijoub -- "In an age of direct to fan marketing, social networking and google searches, is the traditional press release relevant today? In a word, yes. Even though the public relations industry has changed, the press release still plays an important role in the publicity process. However, the elements of a successful press release have definitely evolved. Here's an overview on how to maximize yours in our new media market..."
By Jasper Hamill -- "The frontman of a group described as Scotland's best band ever has hit out at the generation who no longer pay for music. Stuart Murdoch, the Ayrshire-born lead singer of Belle and Sebastian, said sales have dropped so low they no longer finance the recording of new material.... "Most people don't want to pay for their music, therefore don't pay for new music to be made, which is fair enough. But they can't expect to hear anything other THAN tunes recorded on a laptop in a bedroom..."
By Bruce Houghton -- "Secret Diary Of A Band: How Dreams are Made and Lost." It's the first part of a new series being published in the UK's Guardian newspaper by an anonymous musician who will write about the trauma of trying to make it in the music industry..."
By Mike McCurry -- "Rogue websites and their operators spend every minute of everyday thinking about ways to steal content from creators, producers, inventors, designers, and technologists who want to deliver their work to consumers for a fair market price. If thieves can drive that price to zero, what incentives will exist for the hard work of those who make the Internet a reality for all of us?..."
By Chris Stoneman -- "I now have no need to own every piece of music I listen to, but is owning nothing enough? Who wants to own music, and what does 'own' really mean anyway?..."
By Minh Chau -- "It all came together for me when I attended the recent ASCAP NY Sessions. The light came on. I saw a common denominator - an overarching theme in all of their stories and thoughts..."
By L. Pierce Carson -- "Getting noticed in the highly competitive music field might seem like a piece of cake in light of burgeoning social media. Louisiana singer/songwriter Marc Broussard agrees that YouTube, Facebook and other interactive Internet sites have "made it easier to get your music out there, but they've also made it more difficult to monetize. "The business side of things has become difficult ... it's become harder to earn a living..."
By Minh Chau -- "I was leaning towards releasing a single each month for one reason: consistent fan engagement. It's good to always have something new to talk about with your fans! But then, I ran into a problem..."
By William Gruger -- "For prospective musicians, however, there exists not just a smattering of sites, but an entire online industry dedicated to earning money and exposure.... However, this new type of exposure doesn't necessarily lead to fans opening their wallets and, it certainly doesn't mean it's worth it for artists to invest any amount of money into online marketing..."
By Michael Brandvold -- "Great social networks will come and go, and they are all important. You should be active on as many as possible. They are all great places to extend your website, extend your brand and presence. But everything should come back to your website..."
By Emily Gannett -- "There is, naturally, criticism of branded entertainment – it is necessarily the opposite of arms-length, unbiased reporting – but as the digital landscape has changed media integration, it has also increased consumer tolerance for brands looking for new ways to market. And if you want high quality content — whether that is music or print or video — someone needs to pay..."
By Chris Castle -- "Parasitic innovation-the science of innovative free riding-not only harms the innovators whose works are being ripped off, it also harms the economy as a whole. ... The reality is rather simple: No publicly-traded U.S. company should serve advertising to rogue sites and pay a share of that revenue to rogue site operators. Sites trafficking in goods that harm public health and steal jobs should not be included in search results by legitimate companies..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "The music industry has a notoriously high rate of failure - not just for entrepreneurs, but also for artists. In fact, both groups are pursuing dreams with helaciously bad odds. And great business ideas - just like talented artists - often fail to break through..."
By Alexandra -- "Regardless of where you stand on the issue of FREE music in exchange for promotion, I believe there is certainty regarding the damage of performing LIVE for free — or better put: giving away yourself for free..."
By Hillary Brown -- "If you're a musician or in a band that's trying to get your music out to the world, your website is a valuable marketing tool. Your website helps your fans, bloggers, and journalists find out who you are, what you sound like, and where you're playing. It's important that your website contains content for all types of visitors, from fans - current and potential - to booking agents and media outlets. Below are ten essential elements that every band's website should have..."
"Looks like the label deal is still the prize for most artists. Just recently, ReverbNation queried nearly 2,000 unsigned artists on whether they ultimately wanted to get signed, and a whopping 75.4 percent said 'yes.' The survey was a joint effort with Digital Music News..."
By William B. Baker -- "Websites that have been up and running for a while tend to have features added over time by well-intentioned marketing and technical staff. Although good businesses should encourage innovation and keeping their websites up to date, websites must avoid inviting legal problems. Here's a survey of five common website mistakes..."
By A.J. Shugar -- "The sales of CDs have plummeted hard and long during the descent into the new digital age, nearly crippling the sales to half of what they were in their heyday. The new and old generations of listeners have adapted to the legal and illegal downloading of music using iTunes or the infamous file sharing site LimeWire. Yet, I find the pros of purchasing CDs far outweigh the benefits of downloading digital music. Here's why:..."
By Ariel Hyatt -- "I got a slap in the face in Perth, Australia two weeks ago. I went there to talk about Apps, Foursquare, and advanced web marketing strategies. I had many one-on-one sessions with artists and a vast majority had a big problem: They didn't have web sites. When I say they don't have web sites, I mean they're only using MySpace and Facebook. Which is a critical mistake..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "We've been hearing about this problem for some time, and now it's getting worse. Simply stated, top-heavy superstars are having serious problems filling venues, and sometimes evenclubs..."
By Lisa Sniderman -- "Considering making an original music video? You may want to check out the 7 tips to save you time, money and added stress. I just completed my first music video after more than three years of investment where I learned these lessons directly...the hard way. I'm now working on my second video and vowed to avoid the same pitfalls by following these lessons. Perhaps you can learn from my mistakes!..."
By Christopher Davis -- "Search engine optimization (SEO) is really about one thing: making what your website is about clear to people and bots alike. There's no tricks or gimmicks, and if you can make a website or manage a wordpress installation, you can do some very simple things to make your website more search engine and people friendly..."
By Josh Smith -- "The Obama Administration is calling for greater law enforcement authority and tougher penalties, including prison in some cases, for people convicted of copyright infringement. The White House's Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Victoria Espinel, submitted 20 recommendations to Congress on Tuesday aimed at cracking down on copyright infringement on items ranging from drugs to music and military equipment..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Everyone is rooting for subscription. And it's hard to imagine anyone getting more hype and funding than Spotify. But the music industry may already be staring its killer app in the face: YouTube. "YouTube is music's killer app," declared Forrester Research analyst Mark Mulligan at Canadian Music Week in Toronto on Wednesday. But are the revenues? [Hint: for songwriters...next to zip.]..."
By Brian Hazard -- "Garbage in, garbage out" is a common saying among mastering engineers. The quality of the source material limits the quality of the final product. Most of my clients have no problem following my simple preparation instructions, but they stop there. They figure once each mix sounds as good as they can get it, they're done. In fact, there's a higher level of refinement that pays huge dividends..."
By Linton Weeks -- "You may remember the type: Laid-back in an easy chair, soaking in Rachmaninoff, Reinhardt or the Rolling Stones, enveloped by the very best, primo, top-of-the-line stereo equipment an aficionado could afford.... Listening to music used to be a plop-down, stay-still event. Now it's something people do while doing something else..."
By Vito Pilieci -- "Canadian songwriters are again targeting Internet file-sharing, this time with a proposal for consumer licences that could add as much as $10 to monthly Internet bills. It would allow holders to download as much music as they wanted without fear of legal reprisal..."
"Like many in Nashville, I've made my living in the music publishing business for many years. Recently, one of my creditors called inquiring about a missing payment, the reason for my delay and the nature of the financial difficulty..."
By Michael Brandvold -- "Love them or hate them, there is absolutely no denying the influence that KISS has had on the music industry. KISS in the course of their 36 year career have sold over 100 million albums, has over 2,500 product licenses (coffins, condoms and credit cards) ... Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley get it when it comes to business. Here are 10 Lessons I Learned from KISS at their School of Marketing..."
"There are few relationships more delicate than those between an artist and a record label. Freedoms can be compromised and creativity can be staunched. There's also that little problem of the money. No matter the issue, it seems as if labels and musicians are often coming to blows. In light of Kid Cudi's recent announcement that he would be leaving Dream On-a label he helped launch in partnership with Motown-we're looking at artists who decided they could do a better job running a label on their own..."
By Andrew Harris -- "While technology, networks and equipment have evolved significantly over the past 10 years, digital music formats are stuck in their low-quality past. Indeed, the introduction of new digital technologies has seen a deterioration in sound quality..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "That was the question posed on Thursday by NPD analyst Russ Crupnick at Digital Music Forum East in Manhattan. "Consumers are flipping us the bird," Crupnick declared while trotting through slide-after-slide of distressing data. Exhibit A? Crupnick listed a litany of concessions and pro-consumer offers from this industry over the past ten years - all of which have produced few substantive revenue returns. These include..."
By Chris Castle -- "Another year has gone by and the elephant is still in the room. An industry-wide agreement between ISPs and the creative community dealing with piracy could be a quick, market-based step toward solving the online piracy problem. That would be a welcome change to the current landscape of expensive infringement lawsuits that move at a glacial pace while creators suffer..."
By Patrick Ross -- "If the piracy of intellectual property is allowed to continue to grow... we will not hear new voices, authors in mid-career will be stalled, and our cultural conversation will become stifled." So said bestselling author Scott Turow in testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. (His written testimony is here.) ..."My concern is not to protect the interests of bestselling authors," said Mr. Turow, speaking as president of The Author's Guild. "My concerns instead are for the sake of our literary culture."
By Chris Castle -- "Eric Schmidt missed a great executive development opportunity before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee - the chance to explain how Google profits from piracy. I don't know what he was afraid of - he could always take the 5th. And after all, how can you really call yourself a Fortune 100 CEO if you've never sought the protection of the privilege against self-incrimination. Fortunately, Senator Coburn intends to subpoena the company..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "In Los Angeles this morning, Tommy Silverman kicked off New Music Seminar with this: 74% of all US-based albums sales came from CDs in 2010. "They aren't doing so bad," the RIAA board member told the crowd. "People still like them." Actually, the percentage gets even higher for certain genres. For example, Silverman noted that 84 percent of Country, 85% of Gospel, and a staggering 93% of Latin album sales came from physical discs..."
By Alex Pham -- "Roger Faxon may head a British music company, but he's no stranger to wild rides. ...Throughout the turmoil, Faxon maintained his cool, and his job. The day after Citigroup became his new boss, Faxon spoke to The Times about what's in store for the music business, and for EMI..."
By AuthorMax Willens -- "As you've no doubt realized by now, image is pretty important to your success as an artist. It affects your live show, it affects your online presence, it affects your marketing opportunities and strategy. But in the countless hours you're obviously devoting to exploring and experimenting with your image, are you thinking about what kind of image you're going to use?..."
By Sandra Aistars -- "The Obama Administration yesterday issued an Executive Order establishing two Advisory Committees on Intellectual Property Enforcement. The new committees will assist the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in implementing the Joint Strategic Plan for Intellectual Property Enforcement, and will ensure that all of the Administration Agencies and Departments affected by intellectual property infringement are represented and involved in addressing these issues. The Committees will include the heads or deputies of the Departments of Justice, State, Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative..."
By Cade Metz -- "Comment Google built a multi-billion-dollar advertising empire atop a service that does little more than copy information from other sources. And yet it chastises others when they do the copying. It's an irony that could land the company in some very hot water..."
"The designers at Josephson use their zest for minutiae, anechoic chambers and a battery of precision instruments to build microphones to tolerances measured in nanometers. They pick dust off components one particle at a time..."
By Sandra Aistars -- "The U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel released her office's first annual Report on Intellectual Property Enforcement. The document provides an update on the six categories of action items laid out in the IPEC's strategic plan, which was unveiled in June, as well as IP-related actions in 2010 by the various departments and agencies with jurisdiction. The complete report can be viewed here and Ms. Espinel offered her take on the White House blog..."
By Nate Anderson -- "Evan Stone is not the devil; indeed, the antipiracy lawyer sees himself on the side of the angels. But his crusade against the Satanic forces of BitTorrent has been, by his own admission, a pitched battle in which he is vastly outnumbered. He describes his work as "charging hell with a bucket of water..."
By Mark Mulligan -- "Of course, the history of music and all the arts throughout history have depended upon funding as much as creativity. Where would Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci have been without the Medicis? Medieval minstrels without Eleanor of Aquitaine? And, of course, look what happened when the money dried up. Mozart, one of the singularly most talented composers to have ever graced this earth, died impoverished, buried in quicklime in a paupers' mass grave..."
By Sandra Aistars -- "Adding to several recent reports that are shedding light on the cost of piracy is today's release by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) predicting that by 2015, the annual global economic impact of piracy and counterfeiting will reach $1.7 trillion and put 2.5 million jobs at risk each year. The report adds further detail to a study previously released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and comes on the heels of a report issued earlier this week by Envisional estimating that nearly 25 percent of internet traffic is due to the illegal sharing of copyrighted works..."
By Geere -- "Filesharers have created a "Digital Media Delivery Manifesto" that lists what they want digital media services to do in exchange for the end of piracy. At the Lift11 conference in Geneva, a workshop titled "Don't make me steal" tasked attendees with collaboratively coming up with a definitive answer to the following question - "I promise that I will not pirate video content if I'm offered a legal alternative that is..."
Paul Resnikoff -- "Sorry, the gig is up on free music. It isn't making bands rich, or even making ends meet, for that matter. If you need proof of this, check out this discussion thread about Spotify - it contains real numbers and testimonials about how paltry the payouts on free access are. It's not just Lady Gaga that's getting the shaft..."
By John Moe -- "US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced Wednesday that it recently shut down 10 websites, that it says were linking to other websites that hosted pirated material like pay-per-view entertainment and streaming sports coverage. But if the offense here is that they were just linking to the material, not even hosting it but just linking to it, does that open up a whole host of questions? Are links illegal? (Should Google be shut down?) [You have to listen to the audio supplies of the entire telephone conversation to get the whole story ... Note that there's a disconnect and several seconds of dead air during the conversation.]..."
By Sandra Aistars -- "The Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola has caused a bit of a stir this week with some comments he made to The 99% about whether artists should make money. ... the comment does raise a question worth discussing about art and value. What kinds of art do people value? And is there a difference between art that is "free", and art that is not..."
By Steve Lambert -- "Developed in the era of dial-up Internet and 500 MB computer hard drives, the MP3 audio format was a big leap forward for music fans back in the day. By heavily compressing an audio file -- removing 80 to 90 per cent of the data from a song ripped from a compact disc -- MP3 allowed music lovers to download a song within a now-laughable 15 or 20 minutes.... So why, with today's high-speed broadband connections and massive hard drives, are people still using MP3s..."
"Over the past few weeks, a number of artists have experienced flash-in-the-pan success like never before. Two involved talented homeless men - a singer and a gifted radio announcer - and the other a rapper hit by an ice cream truck. In each case, a nerve was touched and the individuals became overnight sensations..."
By Alexandra Osorio -- "I mean we're asking so much of artists. And when you talk to them and you talk to the teams that work with them, they do feel put upon, they do feel overwhelmed, they do feel that the expectations are so high. Because they are supposed to rise up - we have this expectation that there's this revolution going on, where they are supposed to rise up and replace what was lost..." -- Eric Garland, CEO, BigChampagne..."
By Mathew Ingram -- "Google justified its CEO swap by saying the company needed to become more flexible. But what if the search giant's biggest problem isn't a lack of flexibility, but a fundamental inability to create new lines of business? What if it's just a gargantuan one-trick pony?..."
Insights, Marketing Strategy -- "The key to getting and holding attention is having something new happen continually." So writes Nancy Duarte in her terrific book Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. What are you doing to earn attention?..."
By Eric Pfanner -- "Music's first digital decade is behind us and what do we have?" said Mark Mulligan, an analyst at Forrester Research. "Not a lot of progress." "We are at one of the most worrying stages yet for the industry," he continued. "As things stand now, digital music has failed." Music executives disagree, saying there is hope, as long as they can come to grips with piracy, which according to the industry federation accounts for the vast majority of music distributed online..."
By Iain Stevenson -- "The assertion by Richard Stallman (Letters, 20 January) that "copyright theft" is a "legal absurdity" is pernicious nonsense. Ever since the Statute of Anne in 1710 established the world's first copyright law in this country, literature, music, art and the other products of the brain expressed in concrete form have been seen as real property as much as goods and chattels. After all, money, in the form of bits of metal, paper and plastic, is equally just "abstractions" in Mr Stallman's terms. Presumably he sanctions its theft since in his terms it doesn't really exist. It is this kind of doublethink that allows copyright pirates to steal in real terms the intellectual property of authors, musicians, artists and other creative people to which they have no right. Copyright is the essential bulwark against the prostitution of culture..."
By Mario Canseco -- "In 1979, The Buggles anticipated the enormous effect that MuchMusic and MTV would have on popular music, laying the blame on video tape recorders for the death of the radio star. Three decades later, YouTube is playing a decisive role in the demise of the music video network..."
By Michael Johnson -- "The music industry has been charting the decline of classical market in the United States for at least a decade, attributing it to aging audiences, crashing CD sales and shrinking private subsidies. Music lovers beware: there are signs now of an accelerating downward trend. The root of the problem, musicians tell me, is a plague of pirated Internet downloads and a spreading anti-intellectual climate in the U.S. music world, especially among the young..."
By Eliot Van Buskirk -- "If you're looking for the best source of free music in the world, look no further than YouTube. Good for you, but for artists maybe not so much..."
By Mark Mulligan -- "In 2005, I warned that the fuse had been lit on a demographic time bomb for music product strategy, that young consumers were growing up without any concept of music as a paid-for commodity and were unlikely to ever start paying for it unless the music industry met their needs. (But, music industry) efforts zeroed in on converting thirty something CD buyers to digital downloads and winning over file-sharing Millennials (16-24 year olds), and with only modest success. The byproduct of this strategy was to leave the Digital Natives (12 to 15 year olds) un catered for, so that now a second generation of music fans is following the Millennials out of the music-buying marketplace..."
By Joe Mullin -- "Since Napster exploded into the public consciousness when it was founded 12 years ago, the world of digital piracy has been associated with a particular type of software-"peer-to-peer" download services. (Sometimes fairly, sometimes not.) Either way, 2011 is likely to be the year when P2P is finally eclipsed by "cyberlockers," a wildly popular type of site that many in the entertainment industry see as a new threat that could be even bigger than P2P. So what are cyberlockers, anyway? Why are they so popular-and so alarming to those who fight against piracy?..."
By Michael Epstein -- "Whenever I read about effective social networking for artists, I see the same few discussions concentrating primarily on examples of people who had traction prior to the use of social networks and found that they were able to continue to build their fan base using these tools..."
By Kristen Schweizer - "Hundreds of online music services licensed by record labels in recent years have done little to stem rampant illegal downloading, which is pushing down the value of recorded music. Digital piracy is still rising along with websites and forums linking to content accessible by piracy services, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said in its annual report today..."
By Kyle Bylin -- "Media critic Douglas Rushkoff believes that the hype surrounding Facebook will fade. Just as all signs are pointing up for the social network and MySpace is showing symptoms of decline, he asserts that they're going down..."
"Sony will close one of its biggest CD making factories due to the growth and popularity of digital downloads as well as other economic influences. Based in Pitman, New Jersey, the plant has been operating for 50 years and first produced vinyl records..."
By Greg Sandoval -- "The U.S. Senate judiciary committee will take another crack at arming the government with broad antipiracy powers. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the judiciary committee's chairman, said today that the government must take action against "online criminals" who harm American jobs by obtaining the nation's intellectual property without paying for it..."
By Kyle Bylin -- "In an interview with Subba-Culcha, Jim Root of Slipknot and Stone Sour got asked his opinion on the state of the music industry and the devaluation of recorded music. As someone who hasn't left the road in almost 11 years, Root has an interesting view to share..."
By Jeremy Soule -- "Advertising on NBC's Nightly News with 9 million viewers costs more than $1 million per minute. NBC makes money with these 9 million viewers. Yet, for 3 minutes and 55 seconds Leann Rimes has held 9.6 million people's interest on YouTube (video included with article.) To date, YouTube has paid $0 for this unauthorized use of this video..."
By Sam Machkovech -- "This week, Slate finally found the answer to the music industry's money woes. How the heck can anybody make money as a musician these days? Simple! Be Dave Matthews! --- (Unintentionally) author Annie Lowrey affirms a sad truth in modern music: that sustainable, small-fry touring concerns have never been more fleeting..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Monday morning, SoundExchange executive director John Simson officially announced his departure, but not without addressing that critical issue. ... "I am very concerned about the apparent disrespect shown by many in our culture to those who pursue artistic endeavors," Simson wrote to colleagues. "One recent survey showed a surprising number of Americans who believe that artists should have a second job to support themselves – as they should not expect to be paid for their art! We must educate the public and eradicate these extremely destructive beliefs..."
By Ariel Hyatt -- "It's a new year and a clear slate is in front of all of us. The turning of the calendar from 2010 to 2011 is an ideal time to set your goals. I see a marked difference between artists who set finite goals and those who do not..."
By Vinny Ribas -- "Successful businesses run based on sound, proven business practices. So should your music career. Here are some of the basic tenets that every wise business owner knows and adheres to..."
By Rick Carnes -- "After hearing The Beatles again last month I was reminded of a time when the songs mattered more and great recorded sound was the focus. I remembered what it was like when records were indeed "receptacles of value." And for a brief, luminous moment I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and enjoyed receiving some very extraordinary value..."
By Alex Pham -- SoundExchange has been writing checks like it's going out of style. Luckily for musicians, money never gets old. Charged with collecting royalities from digital music streams on Internet, satellite radio and cable television, the Wash., D.C., based non-profit group distributed $155 million to artists in 2009, up 55% from 2008 when it handed out $100 million..."
By Parmy Olson -- "Europe's most aggressive clampdown on Internet piracy is stepping up a gear. French authorities have sent around 100,000 e-mails to Internet Service Providers since early October, to be passed onto customers that have illegally downloaded films and music..."
By Benny Evangelista -- "The Internet has disrupted revenue streams for industries like music and publishing, but a new survey released today gives hope for the future - about 65 percent of American online users have paid for some form of digital content. The survey by the Pew Research Center also found that the typical Internet user paid about $10 per month for online content, including digital music, software, games and smart-phone apps. The heaviest spenders took the average to $47 per month..."
By Don Was -- "Since I started making records 30-some years ago, we've always made a point of mentioning the recording, mixing and mastering engineers along with the musicians, arrangers, songwriters and producers who contribute to the records. ... Fans got a real sense of both the collaborative nature of recorded music and of all the work and dedication behind every album. ... These days, the nation's largest retailer of music – the iTunes store – has essentially eliminated credits, liner notes and printed lyrics from their digital packaging. I'm at a loss to explain Apple's ambivalence about upholding the quality and value of the product that has fueled the success of their hardware..."
By Kevin English -- "Every time I sit down to write another music business plan I think about all of the starving artists out there who have failed to see the value in the business planning process. There are all sorts of books out there telling people not to plan. I personally don't understand that concept at all. ...planning a business is much more intricate than planning your personal life..."
By Kyle Bylin -- "You've heard it before. Keep fans on your site. Visuals are important. The first is straightforward. Don't bring fans to your site and send them to Myspace..."
By Marcus Taylor -- "You might have assumed from the title of this article that it would be about techniques of acquiring funding to pay for the overheads of running a band, or exploring where best to invest your marketing budgets. Not today I'm afraid..."
By Andrew Keen -- "Last month, the High Court in Ireland, the nation's highest court, ruled against the Irish Music Association's attempt to enforce the "three strikes and you are out" policy on illegal downloaders. Pitting record labels like EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner against UPC, one of the county's leading Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the Irish High Court determined that a European Community directive on copyright ruled against forcing the ISP to conform to the "three strikes" law. What is striking about this case is how it has divided industry groups who should be allies in the global struggle against online thievery..."
By Alex Ben Block -- "A bill aimed at combating online counterfeiting and digital theft was passed unanimously Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee and appears likely to gain approval from the full Senate. ... Sen. Patrick Leahy, D.-Vt., who introduced the bill, has been told that President Obama will sign it into law should the full Senate and House approve..."
By Kyle Bylin -- "This part two of my interview segment with Dave Cool, who is director and producer of the documentary film "What is INDIE? A look into the World of Independent Musicians." In it, he chronicles the experience of being an indie artist in the music industry and strives to define and challenge the term "indie" itself..."
By Enjoli Francis -- "They're pirating music, movies, games, software and other copyrighted works -- both on our cities' streets and online. And the consequences are devastating.."
Digital Music News -- "If you're in the music industry, chances are you suck at math. But this one just keeps adding up to zero - and the continued rise of legal streaming is at best a half-baked victory. On top of that, illegal downloading isn't really going anywhere. This isn't a clear-cut game of displacement, as many seem to think. So where's the meaningful upside?..."
By Charles Tabb -- "Illicit activities enjoy renown on college campuses. Most of these deserve no more than a wink and a nod, but illegal file sharing has received lots of attention recently after LimeWire was served the legal kiss of death: a court-ordered injunction. Students routinely defend ‘illegal' file-sharing and claim that it shouldn't be prosecuted; I disagree with the standard arguments..."
By Samantha Viner -- "The Scottish songstress Sandi Thom has come a long way since her dreams of becoming a punk rocker got her to number one in 2006. ... Thom first shot to fame with her webcasts from her flat in London, which is quite a unique way to gain media attention. ... The reason it worked, she believes, was because it was such a change from the norm. "It was something that was quite new at the time, quite revolutionary … it wouldn't work now, it's too outdated. Someone comes along and webcasts something and it's like 'who cares'..."
Digital Music News -- "Guess what? Anyone - including unsigned artists and indie labels - can upload directly into iTunes. That is, without the help of TuneCore, CD Baby, or another go-between. But after a closer look, you'll probably realize that total independence is a total hassle. So, here are the details. It's called iTunes Connect, and the process starts here. Actually this works for both music and books, and it's free. Well, sort of..."
By Spacelab Research Staff -- "Just one day after the news broke that there was a new LimeWire Pirate Edition floating around the Internet for download, comes the news that the original LimeWire is demanding the takedown of LimeWire Pirate Edition. Why? Because of they say that LimeWire is their trademark and intellectual property. That's kind of ironic since they made money off of copyright infringement..."
By Ariel Hyatt -- "Are you still not sending newsletters? A new study proves you should be... Boston based research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey has recently completed a study that all musicians should know about. Here are the important highlights..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Technology has allowed the cost of production to come down, and the cost of distribution has come down," Topspin CEO Ian Rogers relayed. "But the cost of marketing has come up, because you have empowered consumers and unlimited choice." Not only that, successful marketing is extremely time-consuming, resource-consuming, and the results highly unpredictable..."
By Mitchell Peters -- "The Nov. 2 U.S. election brought Republicans more control in states and districts across the nation, but will the shift in power have an impact on the music industry? Daryl P. Friedman, VP of advocacy and government relations at the Recording Academy, offers insight on how last night's election could affect some key music biz issues and whether the industry gained any new allies..."
"Anyone can make a record for next to nothing these days. Almost any other hobby is more expensive: photography, mountain biking, even video gaming. When a teenager singing into a webcam gets exponentially more views on YouTube than your latest “professional†video, the answer isn’t more money..."
"It is common knowledge that establishing, building upon and maintaining a fan base is one of, if not the most important goal of any emerging artist who is looking to use their music to forge a sustainable career..."
"It is critical in any business to ask yourself several questions before starting. As a performing artist (or songwriter, composer, producer…), one question you must ask yourself at some point is, “What am I selling?â€..."
By Jesse Cannon-- "This week I spent lots of time with many different musician friends. Oddly enough a discussion came up more than once was what to do about lulls in the momentum of a group. The musicians talked as if these lulls were inevitable things in a bands schedule. I was dumbfounded since my experience is that every group I have worked with that is really going somewhere has no lulls..."
By Ben Rayner -- "So this is living the dream. You're insane with sleep deprivation and barely functioning on the internal fumes surviving from the greasy truck-stop burger and fries you forced down in Prince Albert nine hours ago. You want to kill the sleeping figure, once your closest friend but now something of an adversary, slouched and snoring at superhuman volume next to you in the cramped rear end of a mid-'80s Econoline van ... Welcome to the reality of life on the road..."
By Mike Venti -- "Everything from properly targeted emails to self-penned biographies and album press releases are areas where writing well can have a direct impact on your success in the new music industry.."
By Kyle Bylin -- "It's time that we start thinking honestly about what music means to us and the future we're attempting to create for it. File-sharing is both market and moral failure. ... the best thing we can do is focus on reconnecting real people, places, and values..."
By Lucinda M. Dugger -- "I keep mulling over in my mind what the true value of music, books, and the visual arts is, and how this value – whether actual or perceived – affects the copyright debates..."
Paul Resnikoff -- "Remember artist development? The idea of growing an artist over several albums, investing gradually until a fanbase was accomplished? Well, that is now a dusty old concept at the majors, where something new - hit development - has taken its place. What is hit development?..."
By Naomi Rainey -- "Justin Timberlake has admitted that he sympathises with people who illegally download music. ... "On the other side I know songwriters who had to take up different jobs because they don't get to perform on stage, they don't have endorsement deals. They get a small piece of the small pie to begin with..."
"In a new attempt to fight the rising rate of music piracy, the French government will subsidize the cost of digital music, a Tuesday report said. The strategy was approved by the European Union and was praised for its promotion of cultural diversity. French residents who buy a card to download music from subscription-based websites will only have to pay half of a 50 euro (about $70) card, with the government paying for the remainder..."
By Kenneth Corbin -- "Protection of our innovation and protection of our creativity is an essential part of our plan for economic recovery," U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel said in a keynote address here at a policy conference hosted by the Future of Music Coalition. "Protection of intellectual property will increase exports, it will create jobs," Espinel said. "Lack of protection is a threat to our businesses, a threat to our consumers and it is an issue that unites labor and business, it unites small and large companies, it unites Democrats and Republicans..."
By Jolin Gomez -- "It starts with a dream. You listen to your favorite songs and artist, then you try to play guitar and write songs. Form a band, then you attempt local gigs. You try to cover as many songs as possible. You then try to go to studios, do some rough recording. and while the band is on the way home, you then talk to each other thinking that someday, the band will be famous. You then begin planning to give demos to every key person in the music industry. The band then dreams of having a million dollar beach house, filled with parties and chicks and finally dream of having an enormous bank account consisting of band royalties and you begin to think you will most likely succeed..."
By Randi Reed -- "Ever wonder why some talented local musicians never get that elusive record deal? Or why the careers of some signed artists or American Idols stall out just past the starting gate? It's not just "bad luck." Here are 20 common reasons why some artists never make it to the next level..."
By Jeff Brabec and Todd Brabec -- "In today's world, there are a variety of ways songwriters and artists make money in music. These include, but are not limited to: video games, on-line streaming, traditional radio play, downloads, songs in films, TV shows and commercials, webisodes, ringtones, e-greeting cards, lyrics on t-shirts and jeans, merch bundling and more. Some of these areas generate a lot of money, others very little and some are good for promotional benefit only..."
By William F. Aicher -- "There is a core group of people who will create and share their creations, regardless of any external motivation. There is also a never-ending flood of new people being added to the mix, simply by being born. But, as the individuals who create with the goal of being a professional wither and die amidst all the other noise, a demand for quality content will rise. The current phase of the Internet, especially in file trading, relies greatly on the creations of the past. The Beatles will never stop being enjoyed, but eventually a yearning for something new will rise-and if there is no motivation to create something new of quality, especially the kind of creation that only comes through the ability to focus on and be a professional creator, there will be nothing new to fill that void..."
By Helienne Lindvall -- "An artist I know recently signed to a major. The label wanted him to be active on social networking sites, to blog and so on, because apparently that's how you build a fan base these days. Within weeks, he was a nervous wreck. He spent hours sitting in front of his computer, slowly breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of each word he wrote being dissected, with no chance of revision once it had entered cyberspace, potentially spreading across Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites. ...So stressed was this musician that he's now posted to a blog saying: "This is the last time I do this." Why?..."
By Sarah Scanlon -- "So, what do you do for a living?" While this has to be one of the world's most awkward and unimaginative icebreakers, it poses a particularly daunting task for professional musicians. You can see the wheels in our heads spinning as we summon the energy and diplomatic skill needed to explain our complex and unorthodox career to someone who is most likely unfamiliar with this tiny niche of the workforce. ... I think it's one of the most important issues professional musicians face today: educating the general public to the services musicians provide and overcoming misconceptions about the nature of who we are; what we do; and exactly how much effort goes into our craft/art..."
By Bruce Houghton -- "The changes keep coming at MySpace and now they've released an official video look at thier cleaner and more robust new MySpace Music Artist Profiles..."
Digital Music News - "This started as a comment on a Digital Music News story last month, has since been reposted on a number of blogs, and is still getting re-tweeted. It was authored by Constantine Roussos of .music, whose startup is pushing to create and develop the .music domain extension. The top 16 reasons..."
By Author Jonathan Ostrow - "As album sales are becoming a less meaningful component in the overall success of an artist or band, the live performance sector, including ticket sales and merchandise sales, is becoming increasingly important. While the live show itself must be unique in order to encourage repeat customers and ultimately drive ticket sales, the merchandise table has the opportunity to drive significant revenue and first hand, artist-fan engagement. But just having a merch table is not enough, as there are essential elements that must be accounted for in order to make the effort worth while..."
By Marcus Taylor -- "As musicians, it's almost guaranteed that at some point you will have said or at least thought "I need more fans!", and while there are countless blogs, resources, and gig slots open for you to act on that, I often feel that the best way to learn why someone does something is to be that someone - or as they say "take a step into their shoes"..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "If you're serious about your career, then you want it to last for decades. Hobbyists are happy with 15 minutes of fame on YouTube, not real artists. But let's face it - if you are lucky enough to enjoy such a run, most of your marketing and online partners won't make it for the ride. The terrain is simply too flaky and unstable ... So, why such a flaky terrain?..."
By Greg Satell -- "They say that content is king, and they're right, but what kind of content? Who will produce it? Can anyone make a decent living doing it?..."
By Rob Miller -- "Since co-founding Bloodshot Records in Chicago in 1994, co-owner Rob Miller has dirtied his hands in all aspects of keeping an independent label afloat in a world beset by American Idol, illegal downloading and a collapsing economy..."
By Bruce Warila -- "This post is a fictitious letter from any random label to every artist on the roster. ... The last thing music fans need right now is another PUMP; what fans do need and want...are FILTERS they can trust..."
By Vinny Ribas -- "I know what you're thinking. If this is true, why are there so many talented but broke musicians? I propose that there are 6 primary reasons that either individually or in some combination create this situation..."
By Audrey Watters -- "Certainly "free" - and by extension "freemium" - has become one of the most popular pricing models for web companies. ... But just because a freemium model works for one company doesn't mean that it's right for all..."
By Jonathan Ostrow -- "The music is what brought these groups of people together, and the loyalty to the music acts as the glue bonding them together, but the artists themselves have no responsibility to control the group - the community acts as it's own separate entity, with its own leaders and followers..."
By Paul Resnikoff -- "Chris Anderson was once a god of digital utopianism, and a motivation for millions in squandered music startup capital. Parts of the Long Tail undoubtedly remain valid today, but reality offered a sobering slap to all the niche nirvana. The Tail just never grew fat enough for it to matter monetarily, and most artists are having trouble selling "less of more" through platforms like CD Baby and TuneCore..."
By Nick Bilton -- "Is the Web dead? Chris Anderson, Wired magazine's editor in chief, says the Web is being crippled by a world of apps and screens in a cover story titled "The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet." Mr. Anderson argues that a world of downloadable apps, which work through the Internet and arrive via gadgets like the iPhone or Xbox, are quickly cannibalizing the World Wide Web as consumers prefer buttoned-up, dedicated platforms, designed specifically for mobile screens. Is he right? Should we plaster R.I.P. signs all over the Web? Not exactly..."
By Jonathan Ostrow -- "Fan-funding (or crowdfunding) is the simple concept of empowering the fans to raise money for you- to FUND your project. Typically this is done through an incentive system, in which the artist will set a monetary goal, and has a set amount of time to reach said goal. There are then different levels of rewards that vary based on the amount a fan contributes towards the project..."
By Nate Anderson -- "Baylor University doesn't want its students using peer-to-peer networks. A BlueCoat PacketShaper locks down bandwidth to students, and all inbound ports are blocked by the campus firewall to keep "computers from acting as servers or super nodes in peer to peer networks..."
By Penelope Trunk -- "The best way to get control of your career and stability in your life is to be great at what you do. Superstars are not out of work right now. Really..."
By Dexter R. Mullins -- "College students who download music and movies from peer-to-peer file-sharing programs such as LimeWire and KaZaA will find themselves cut off when they return to campus this fall. Every college across the country must either have installed software to block illegal file-sharing or have created some other procedure for preventing it. The requirement is part of the 2008 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which took effect July 1..."
By Chris Kornelis -- "Sub Pop art director Jeff Kleinsmith talked to us earlier this week about ideas the label is kicking around about selling physical products (like concert posters and T-shirts) that come with digital downloads of albums as a new way of giving fans a physical item to go along with their digital purchase, beyond the common practice of including a download code along with vinyl sales. Today, Sub Pop's general manager, Megan Jasper, sent us a statement with more on the ideas that are swirling around the label's offices..."
By Thomas G. Nicholson, attorney -- "Music is a unifying and positive part of our world. In the past, trademark, copyright and patent laws have protected the rights of musicians and companies to profit from their musical creations. However in recent years, especially since the Vietnam War era when protest songs were such a powerful effort against the war, courts have been chipping away at the music industry and the power of individual musicians to protect and profit from their work, effort and talent..."
By Moses Avalon -- "While Google is hard at work trying to make it possible for the public to steal any creative work you can cache in a browser, they are also working hard to make sure that that same public doesn't steal from them..."
Digital Music News -- "The Long Tail sparked a rush of investment and euphoria, only to crash into reality a few years later. In 2010, is the theory of "1,000 True Fans" a similar fantasy?..."
NPR -- "Our "Hey Ladies: Being A Woman Musician Today" series continues today with NPR Music Classical Producer Tom Huizenga's interview with classical violinist Lara St. John. St. John has been accused of using physically revealing album covers to sell her music. She explains that she had full control over her representation and marketing strategies, although discussions about her body often overwhelmed discussions of her body of work. [Also see: Lara St. John: A Little Skin, Lots Of Violin.]..."
By David Chiu -- "First released in April as a DVD at independent record shops -- it's widely available now -- 'I Need That Record! (The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store' explores the factors that have impacted the indie record stores: online music distribution, big box chains like Wal-Mart and the influence of commercial radio and major labels..."
By Nick Purdy -- "Paste recently asked "Is Indie Dead?" with the answer being that it's so alive that the term lacks meaning. Yet on the business side of the music business, the concept of independence still has currency--and perhaps more meaning than ever. So to unpack how independents are navigating the constantly reinvented music business, we talked to someone who should know: American Association of Independent Music President Rich Bengloff (A2IM). Here's our conversation..."
By Cameron Mizell -- "Creating a budget for a new album means figuring out not only how much money you'll need, but also how much time it will take from your first rehearsal to release day. After releasing a number of my own albums and answering questions from many of my friends doing the same, I've been caught off guard enough times to know where the hidden expenses are, how to save money, and where my money is best spent..."
By Bruce Warila -- "Pushy self-promotion doesn't scale. If everyone is doing it, nobody is going to do it effectively; the same applies to fundraising; fans are going to tune these messages out. Perhaps it's time to consider jumping off of, or avoiding altogether, the self-promotion bandwagon..."
By Phyllis Stark -- "James Otto took to Twitter this week to protest illegal downloading of music, offering a specific example of how it affects artists and songwriters..."
Todd Dunnigan - "I've lived this feeling dozens of times, and comments I read on other music marketing blogs tell me I'm not alone. It's the feeling I get when I'm just about to hit 'send' to e-mail out another newsletter, the feeling I get when I'm working really hard on some goofy promo video instead of a song, or the feeling I have when I've stayed up all night searching internet portals through which I can promote my band..."
By George Ou -- "Slashdot posted a great discussion on intellectual property from famous composer Jason Robert Brown. The debate highlights the divide between the rights owners and the rights violators. For composers, they're struggling to communicate to the public that they have a right to make a living off of their creators. For content pirates, they go to great lengths to rationalize their own behavior. A number of rationalizations made in comments to the Jason Robert Brown's blog and the slashdot thread stuck out to me and I'll debate some of them below. The rationalizations in favor of piracy boiled down to the following concepts..."
Buzzgrinder -- "It's a losing proposition for us at this point. It's something we can't keep doing. It's a simple, unfortunate fact. In our particular case, it is totally tied to a downturn in record sales. [Also see: Ted Leo's direct comment: Regarding the Rumors of "Retirement"]..."
By Bruce Warila -- "I will argue here ... that prior to becoming popular (as in financially viable), you could choose to have no website, no Facebook fan page, no widgets, no videos, no album, no twitter, no centralized location on the Internet, and never do much of anything on the Internet that could be called self-promotion, and that your fans can and could effortlessly do everything for you now; including the recording and the distribution of your music. Moreover, I will also stipulate that all the stuff I just listed above is practically a waste of your time..."
By Devin Leonard -- "When I started covering the music industry for Fortune nearly a decade ago, I often heard people gleefully predict that the demise of the big record companies was just around the corner. ... Fast-forward to the present. The recording industry has indeed been decimated by the Internet, as Fred Goodman vividly describes in "Fortune's Fool: Edgar Bronfman Jr., Warner Music, and an Industry in Crisis," Is this a good thing?..."
By Patrick Ross -- "Welcome back to my conversation with William Aicher, author of "Starving the Artist." In yesterday's post, Mr. Aicher shared his thoughts on how his work in the online music business led him to feel artists were not getting sufficient respect online. Here's the rest of the interview. Question: You note in your book that you are not saying free is "bad." What do you mean by that?..."
By Patrick Ross -- "Recently I read a very compelling book titled "Starving the Artist." ... The thesis of the book -- that technology has advanced in ways that could be of real benefit to artists and creators, but the harms that they are suffering are not sufficiently understood or appreciated. Question: What motivated you to write the book "Starving the Artist"? Answer: "Starving the Artist" came about from a combination of ideas I'd had for some articles exploring the value of intellectual property, the free culture movement, piracy, etc. ... I've seen a lot of changes happen in the way people value the creative work of others -- and frankly, it's both depressing and frightening..."
By Voyno -- "In the few short years since Social Media has invaded our lives many artists have been steamrolled into picking up the technology, but few have been trained in how to use SM. Not that there is a huge difference between how an individual uses Twitter vs the way a band uses Twitter, but there is a difference..."
By Heather McDonald -- "I'm a lifelong believer in the power of independent music and the ability of musicians, labels and more to carve out their own paths to music industry success. You don't need a rule book, and you definitely aren't required to follow the major label model. In other words, DIY is good - that is, as long as you understand what DIY really means..."
By Jonathan Ostrow -- If every artist, band or group represents it's own brand, and must be sold as such to the public and to the music industry, then every brand needs to be packaged in a way that will effectively showcase it's strengths and marketability..."
By Jonathan Ostrow -- "Musicians are entrepreneurs whether they want to believe it or not. By writing music under a band name, pen name or even just theirown name, they have effectively created a brand that must be properly marketed if it is to thrive and flourish. But there in-lies a major problem: not all musicians know anything about marketing and they will eventually make some critical mistakes that lead to the demise of their short-lived venture..."
By Patrick Ross -- "An mindset entirely unfriendly to artists and creators has emerged in recent years that contains an argument and a conclusion: (1) Copyright doesn't work in the digital age. (2) Thus, as much as we might pretend to disapprove, infringement is a reality and the resulting forfeiture of rights by artists and creators should be accepted. A well-known law professor and author, Lawrence Lessig, gave the movement a name ' "Free Culture" ' and has provided a lot of rationalizations for infringement. ... Now a movement has begun that completely rebuts a central thesis of Professor Lessig's book Free Culture, which really kick-started this whole "free" meme..."
By Laura Ferreiro -- "Craig Lyons and other indie artists are leading the charge in the virtual online world. It's a way to earn a living, promote their music, expand their fan base and support causes they believe in..."
By Andrew Orlowski -- "Surprisingly strong public support for punishing copyright freeloaders has emerged in a new poll. It suggests that activists have a job on their hands persuading the public that infringers are the Robin Hoods of the village - they might even be the village idiots..."
"UNSIGNED VS. SIGNED: THE PROS & CONS 101 -- Here's my two cents on the eons-old debate. I chose to focus on the benefits of both worlds; after all, it's not about which one looks best on paper, it's about what one works best for you..."
