Monthly Archives: July 2005
Music, Technology and Recommendation Systems
I stumbled across a great post by Derek Slater. He basically sums up a lot of things I have been thinking about for the last few years, and he does so in an articulate fashion. In particular, I agree with his statement that recommendation systems (whether driven by collaborative community filtering, or other means) are essential to drive people down the long tail. I think this is already an interesting field (see my post on Savage Beast) and will only continue to be more so in the coming years.
Lucas Gonze has a great response to this post that is definitely worth a read as well.
BBC accused of “undermining the value of music”
A few people have been commenting on the response to the BBC’s decision to make all nine of Beethoven’s Symphonies available for free download. This is another huge PR gaffe for the record companies, and a missed opportunity to boot.
It has not been sufficiently demonstrated to me that the downloading of classical music from the BBC would have a negative impact on the overall sales of classical music. I think what we are seeing from the record companies is a knee jerk reaction to the market entrance of a perceived competitor. If the record companies treated the free BBC service as a government-sponsored attempt to increase the popularity of classical music (a genre that has been hovering at around 3% of total record sales for the last 10 years) , they might find themselves actually benefiting.
My advice? Instead of bemoaning the fact that the BBC service “undermines the value of music”, launch a new campaign along the lines of “If you like the Beethoven you downloaded from the BBC, you might like to buy our product X”. One thing is certain, whining and clinging to old business models will not win you support, new customers, or revenue. Sheesh!
Some good band blogs
I love the new Sigur Ros tour diary. This is how bands should use technology to reach out to their audience. My favorite part is their turn-the-table approach of the band interviewing a fan. They do lose points for not having an RSS feed though.
The Mike Doughty site is an even better example. It probably won’t work for every artist, but when Mike Doughty writes about how stoked he is to be on Letterman, it’s positively contagious. It closes the boundary between performer and fan and it makes me care. Caring is good.
CBC radio 3 podcast still in top spot
I have been listening to the CBC radio 3 podcasts a lot recently, and I just need to say how cool I think this is. The fact that they are podcasting great Canadian indie bands, and the fact that it’s been consistently in the number 1 spot for the last little while makes me feel dangerously optimistic for the future. This is getting huge exposure for some hard working, talented, but little known artists. What could be better! Musicians take note: To get yourself added to this podcast, go to the New Music Canada website (you are a member already, aren’t you?) and agree to the new “podcasting waiver”.
It’s amazing to see how fast podcasting is being adopted. It seems like the transition from lunatic fringe, to early adopters, to mainstream is moving pretty fast on this one.
Goodbye lowest common denominator, hello niche markets
Chris Anderson has an interesting post over at the long tail, taking a look at how music sales on Rhapsody have changed in the last year. The result is not surprising. The long tail is expanding.
Chris’ case study of Rhapsody and Wal Mart is of particular interest to me (see my latest project at Bryght.com) but I’m curious about the success of other niche markets in different sectors. I imagine that a study involving books, Amazon.com and Barnes And Noble would reveal similar results, but being the data junky that I am, I would love to see the numbers. I also wonder if this is the beginning of a seismic cultural shift or simply a small blip as consumer choice expands. I would bet money on the former, for the reason that infinite shelf space is pretty big deal when it comes to consumer choice. Even a small change in the ‘rich-get-richer’ positive feedback loop of top-10 culture would have large financial repercussions.
I’m really interested to see how the market growth of the long tail affects creative pursuits. Using music again as an example, I’m excited to see what my favorite artists will produce in the coming years, as they are freed from the constraints of producing a top 10 hit. Goodbye lowest common denominator, hello niche markets!
How to get your songs on the iTunes Music Store
So you think iTunes is a pretty good idea. Your Mom and all her friends would gladly pay a buck a pop to boost your rockstar ego, but as an independent artist, how do you get your music on the iTunes music store?
There are several options available to the independent artist. To start with, go to Apple’s own sign up form. After you have carefully filled in the appropriate details, waited for 2 months for a reply, and finally given up all hope of receiving any kind of acknowledgment, mosey on over to CD Baby.
CD Baby is a great service, run by musicians for musicians. Simply sign up to be a member (this involves filling out a form, mailing them a CD and paying $35 fee) and CD Baby will distribute your music online for you. In addition to iTunes, CD Baby will also get your music onto other ‘legitimate’ music services like Rhapsody, Napster, MSN Music, MP3tunes, AOL’s MusicNet, Yahoo MusicMatch, and more. The price for this service is a 9% commission on whatever each service gives back to CD Baby, which is reasonable. For more details on CD Baby digital distribution service, go here: http://www.cdbaby.net/dd
For some further food for thought, keep in mind that iTunes takes a whopping $0.35 for every $0.99 tune sold, and the other music services are similar. Digital distribution of music has often been trumpeted as “empowering musicians”, but at times, it seems like the money is just flowing in a different direction with musicians still cut off! The website DownhillBattle.org and their iTunes rip off site do a good job portraying the dark side of major lables and the digital distribution of music.
But don’t let this scare you! For an independent artist, using a fantastic service like CD Baby is a great way of making your music available to the masses, with a minimal investment of time and money on your part.
Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio with Cory Weeds, June 29th 2005
Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio with Cory Weeds, June 29th 2005 @ The Center
Dr. Lonnie Smith can destroy on the Hammond B3. He makes playing the organ look as easy (and as natural) as talking. Like an extension of his body, Dr. Lonnie Smith has complete control over this complex instrument. But one question continuously circled in my mind. What exactly is this man a Doctor of? Does some university grant doctorate degrees in Hammond B3 studies? Is he a medical doctor? Would you let this man operate on you? Joking aside, this was a great set of funky, groove based jazz. Of special note was the sax work of local musician/impresario Cory Weeds. It was great to see Cory, (of crash) tear it up with this band. Go Cory!