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The Yin & Yang This Week
August 22, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
"My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too."
-- Rodney DangerfieldYou know the age old adage: "Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one." (In Kanye West's case, I think he has more than one)
In any case, I read two articles this week with opposing views/thoughts about the digital music scene, and rather than take sides, I will let you, the readers, decide whose side you're on.
The first article is titled '5 Musings From A Digital Music Exec Who's Been Doing This A Long Time And Isn't Even That Old and more...' and it's by Robb McDaniels, Founder and CEO, INgrooves Music Group.
Read Robb's post, then read An Open Letter To Robb McDaniels, Founder And CEO Of InGrooves By Philip Kaplan, founder of Distrokid, for counterpoint.
Reading both will provide you with more insight than clicking on the latest link telling you how big Nicki Minaj's ass is in her new video.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
STUDY PREDICTS SLOW GROWTH FOR DIGITAL MUSICThere's not a lot of good news in a new report from Juniper Research which found that the digital music industry will experience slow growth in revenue over the next five years, from $12.3 billion this year to just $13.9 billion in 2019. Strong performance in streaming music will largely be offset by decline in revenues from legacy services such as ringtones and ringback tones, according to the report.
Read the article: Slow Growth Ahead For Digital Music, Says New Juniper Study
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
FROM MUSIC THINK TANK: 'WHAT DOES FREE STREAMING MEAN FOR MUSIC INDUSTRY?'"Music lovers everywhere can rejoice! T-Mobile announced that customers can stream music without worrying about going over their data. Users will be able to use apps like Pandora, Slacker Radio, iHeart Radio and Spotify on the latest T-Mobile phones and tablets like the Galaxy Note 3 to listen to music whenever and wherever they want. While this is obviously great for consumers, what does this do for the musicians? How are streaming services affecting the music industry? While there are some doubts that this move benefits the industry, the outlook is generally favorable."
Read the rest on MusicThinkTank.com
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
MACCA CLOSES CANDLESTICK PARK IN STYLEThe Beatles played their last live American concert at Francisco's Candlestick Park, so it was only fitting that Paul McCartney played there last week before Candlestick Park is no more.
Read about Macca's magical night ... wish I coulda been there. Read the article
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
FROM CNET: 'WHICH MUSIC STREAMER SHOULD YOU BUY?'Which has the most apps?
Which has the coolest features? Which one is the best?
The four most popular streamers each have their merits, so we'll help you decide which box is right for you. READ MORE----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 6
SOUNDCLOUD HAS NEW WAYS ARTISTS CAN MAKE MONEY ... COMMERCIALSThe "YouTube for audio" is the latest streaming-music site to tout new ways artists can commercialize.
Of course, for its 175 million monthly listeners, that means commercials. Read more
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 7
YOUTUBE ON TV JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT BETTERVentureBeat reports YouTube today rolled out a refreshed version of its app for smart TVs, set-top boxes, and game consoles. Read More
And speaking of YouTube, TechCrunch reports "Bryce Clemmer says more people are streaming music and visiting sites like YouTube to view music videos every year." Read More
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BETWEEN THE GROOVES
ITEM:
Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" closed the entire Top 40 panel this week in less than 24 hours, which is a first in Pop radio history. As an ex-promotion person, all I can say is WOW. So far Country radio has not embraced Taylor's new smash, and if you've heard it, it's quite obvious that the new song is a step away from what Country might want from Taylor. But after "We Are Never Ever Getting BackTogether," nobody should be surprised. A hit is a hit is a hit. This one is a home-run. Congrats to Taylor, Scott Borchetta, and the Big Machine staff.ITEM:
The "Boob Tube" still rules. Worldwide, TV viewing remains the single biggest media activity. On average, 2.58 hours per day are consumed globally. The U.S remains the biggest TV market, with an average of 4.33 hours a day. Those in China watch the least TV overall, at 2.2 hours. Read the whole story----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - THE BONUS TRACKS'Roger Waters: The Wall' Film to Premiere at TIFF
What You Need To Know About Music License Agreements Before Signing
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Release 'Cheek to Cheek' Album Cover, Track List & New Song
Bob Seger Breaks Eight-Year Hiatus With New Album
Before Agreeing To Soundcloud's Terms And Conditions, Read The Fine Print
The best-sounding music of 2014, so far (pictures)
Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians
LG Music Flow speaker system takes your music anywhere, even out the door
See a black hole bending light
A mini laser printer at an unbeatable price
Can Roku make smart TVs the popular norm?
For Upcoming TVs, Roku Nixes The Input Button And Slims Down the Remote To 20 Keys
Sharp phone with edgeless display is a stunner
7 Popular Restaurants With Secret Menu Items You Need to Try
Short News Items ...
DIVORCE COURT POSSIBILITIES:
Bravo star and divorce attorney Vikki Ziegler breaks down what could go right or wrong in what would be one of the biggest divorces in celebrity history. Check it out at TheWrap
NEW SEGER:
Bob Seger will release of his new LP "Ride Out" in October. The album's first single, a cover of John Hiatt's "Detroit Made," was released to radio over the weekend. No track listing has been announced, but a press release indicates it will also contain a cover of Wilco and Billy Bragg's "California Stars" and "All The Roads," an original song Seger debuted on tour in 2013.
PAY TO PLAY?
The NFL reportedly asked Katy Perry, Rihanna and Coldplay, their top choices to play the 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show, if they would be willing to pay the league in order to secure one of the biggest gigs in the world, according to The Wall Street Journal.
JACKSON BROWNE'S NEW SINGLE AN OLD ONE:
Jackson Browne wrote "The Birds of St. Marks" back in the '60s, when he was playing guitar with Nico. He's revisiting it for his first studio album in six years, inspired in part by another '60s act: "Nico loved the Byrds," Browne tells Rolling Stone. Read More
ROBIN REMEMBERED:
Billy Crystal will present a tribute to Robin Williams at Monday's Emmy Awards, executive producer Don Mischer said Tuesday. Sara Bareilles will handle the In Memoriam musical duties. Following Williams' suicide, during a show at the Greek Theatre, Bareilles dedicated her song "Hercules" to his memory and family.
A REAL GENIUS WITH ONE WHO THINKS HE IS:
As speculation about Kanye West's seventh studio album reaches a fever pitch, a new report is entering the fray that's sure to blow minds and traumatize baby boomers: Kanye and Paul McCartney are allegedly working on music together. Page Six reports that 'Ye and Macca have been working on multiple tracks in secret. Speaking anonymously to Billboard, sources have confirmed this report is true and that the former Beatle will appear on Yeezus' upcoming album, expected to drop this fall.
SHAZAM INDEED!
VentureBeat reports Sometimes its okay to build an entire company around a feature, as media ID service Shazam is demonstrating as it surpasses 100 million monthly active mobile users. Read More
WINEHOUSE STATUE:
Amy Winehouse is to be commemorated with a statue in the London neighborhood where she lived and worked. The late singer's family says the statue will be unveiled in Camden Town on Sept. 14th, her 31st birthday.
JIMI REDUX:
Jimi Hendrix's first two posthumous studio albums, 'The Cry of Love' and 'Rainbow Bridge' – which both originally came out in 1971 – will be available as newly remastered CD, LP and digital reissues next month. Audio engineer Bernie Grundman, whose mastering credits include Prince's 'Purple Rain' and Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', went back to the original analog masters for each album to get the best sound possible, and each reissue will feature the original album art and track orders. It will also be the first time that 'Rainbow Bridge' has been available as an official CD.
Leaving Us
Don Pardo, the announcer for the long-running NBC sketch comedy show 'Saturday Night Live' for all but one of its seasons, even beyond his retirement from NBC, died this week. Pardo was 96. Read more on TheWrap
Quotes of the week
"I was a loser on a TV reality show. I'm like a Kardashian."
-- Last year's'America's Got Talent' runner-up, comedian Taylor Williams."I discovered Don Henley, and that was when I started producing was with him and a group called Shiloh.... It's not like he was in the mud somewhere and I walked up, but I found his group and took them to L.A. and they lived with me for six months. Then he got a chance to go with the Eagles and he said, "I can't do it unless you give me my publishing back." I was just trying to help him so I said, "Sure, I'll give it back to you." I'm very proud of that. Producing is something that I used to be really good at but never great. I have learned since then that good producers bring in great musicians and sit back and listen, let them play and don't tell them what to do."
-- Kenny Rogers, in Rolling Stone
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Symphony Orchestra Simply Cannot Wait For Collaboration With John Mellencamp
PHILADELPHIA—Saying the live performance will be a dream come true following decades of music study, members of the Philadelphia Orchestra announced Wednesday that they simply cannot wait for their upcoming collaboration with John Mellencamp.
"I've practiced the viola 10 hours a day for the past 25 years, received an education at the New England Conservatory, and partaken in three artist residencies, so the opportunity to serve as accompaniment to members of John Mellencamp's touring band is truly a great honor," said associate principal violist Paul Chiu, adding that playing the same simple melody as the rest of the string section and the entire woodwind section during the chorus of "Hurts So Good" would be a "feather in the cap" of his distinguished classical music career. Read the rest and laugh
The Music Industry Past, Present & Future, And The Internet I answer questions on EconTalk
I did an interview about the industry and the Internet at EconTalk with host Russ Roberts. Russ is also a professor of economics at George Mason University, blogs at Cafe Hayek, and has written three novels that teach economics. He's also the co-creator of the Keynes-Hayek rap video. (And if your understanding of the economic meltdown that occurred needs to be enlightened, this video will do it)
In the interview we talk about the evolution of the music industry, the impact of the digital revolution, and I give my reasons for believing in the virtues and potential of the Internet in enhancing the music industry. I point out, as I have many times here in the newsletter, that the internet allows numerous artists to make money from their music and it can enhance revenues from live performances by expanding an artist's base. We also discuss the challenges facing record companies and I suggest that the full potential of the Internet as a distribution channel has yet to be fully exploited. There's a lot of ground covered, but based on the comments already posted of those who have tuned in, they've enjoyed it.
Read more about it by clicking here.
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Smart Marketing Consulting Services has been in business sixteen years, and consults clients in the music, entertainment, attraction, media, and technology industry on branding, marketing, online exploitation, maximizing new media, and more.
"And the beat goes on, the beat goes on ... drums keep poundin' rhythm to the brain."
"Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity." -- John Lennon
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