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Smartphones & Tablets Revolutionize Our Connections
June 28, 2013
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"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-- Arthur C. Clarke, author of '2001:A Space Odyssey'From The Center For Media Research newsletter dated June 21st, comes this news: "According to a recent Nielsen Cross-Platform Report, nothing is growing faster than the adoption of portable devices and the consumption of content on these devices. Smartphones and tablets have revolutionized our ability to be connected to each other and to our favorite shows at all times.
"At the same time, traditional TV remains vibrant and continues to thrive as viewers continue to engage with their sets by seeking out the entertainment and information that appeals to them, says the report. Traditional TV viewing has grown year-over-year among the total U.S. population. African-American households led this growth. These households are also increasing their consumption of mobile and digital video.
"Consumers have the freedom to move from place to place and bring content and information with them. They can walk out the door and stay connected with their smartphones, use a tablet while riding a commuter train, find the comfort of a big set at the end of a day, or hide in a quiet spot to watch TV and TV-like content on the tablet or laptop."
The report says old-fashioned TV remains dominant while streaming and mobile video use is growing but still small in comparison. Fewer people watched traditional television in the first quarter of 2013, compared to a year ago, and fewer subscribed to multi-channel services, but more time was spent watching traditional TV. The study shows that the number of people watching traditional TV was 282.949 million, down from 283.302 in the first quarter of 2012. The number of people watching time-shifted TV rose to 166.088 million from 145.553 million.
Time spent watching traditional TV increased slightly in the first quarter, to 157 hours and 32 minutes per month from 155:46 a year ago, according to the report. Time spent watching time-shifted TV rose to 13:23 from 12.09. Use of DVD and Blu Ray devices dropped to 5:56 from 6:07Dounia Turrill, Nielsen's senior VP of insight, says "... traditional TV is thriving as viewers ... go to their sets for entertainment and information that appeals... "
As the popularity of mobile devices rise, computer use is down, says the report. The number of people watching video on the Internet was 155.169 million, down from 162.523 million, while the number of people watching video on a mobile phone jumped to 45.319 million from 35.957 million. Time spent watching video on the Internet jumped to 8:20 per month, and time spent watching video on a mobile phone rose to 5:01 from 4:29.
Adults 18-24 watch 27 minutes of video on mobile phones per week; Teens 12-17 watched video for 25 minutes on their phones; Among adults 25-35, the total was 23 minutes per week
Video viewing on phones dropped to almost half that among adults 25-49, and fell even more sharply among older viewers; Adults 18- 24 watched 23 hours and 24 minutes of traditional TV
The group watching the most time-shifted TV was adults 35-49, who spent 3:42 per week on delayed programming. Those viewers also watched 34:18 in traditional TV
The study found the number of homes with broadcast only delivery in the first quarter rose to 11.173 million from 11.067 million a year ago. The number of wired cable homes fell to 57.161 million from 59.807 million, while satellite rose to 34.907 million homes from 34.567 million, and telco rose to 10.318 million. That left the total number of multi-channel homes at 102.386 million in the quarter, down from 103.264 million, according to the report.Smart phone users spent 87% of their Internet time using apps, versus 13 browsing the mobile web. iPad users spent 76% of their Internet time on apps. iPad users spent 3:41 on social networks, 1:48 on video and 0:50 on sports. Social networking was the way most people spent time on their smart phones and tablets. Smartphone uses spent 9 hours and 6 minutes on social networks, compared to 1:15 on streaming video and 1:11 on getting sports updates and results."
For more information from Nielsen, please visit here.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
RE: HOLLYWOOD IMPLODINGTwo weeks ago, I reported that George Lucas had echoed Spielberg's sentiments at an event touting the opening of a new USC School of Cinematic Arts building, saying big changes are in store, and the film industry would implode as we know it today. (You can read about the changes they see ahead for Hollywood Film Makers on The Hollywood Reporter )
Now read these four reasons why Cracked's David Christopher Bell thinks the same thing.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
PINK FLOYD TALKS ABOUT PANDORA'S INTERNET ROYALTY RIPOFF, PANDORA RESPONDSRead what Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason think about Pandora's (and others) trying to trick artists into supporting their own pay cuts in royalties. Read what they have to say
AND: The service wants acts to support Internet radio while also seeking a huge royalty cut. More
Pandora has responded to Pink Floyd's allegations. Read what they say
In the meantime, Pandora has hit two-and-a-half million in-car activations. But that's a mere drop in the ocean until car tech is more accommodating. Read more
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
BERKLEE MUSIC: 'HOW-TO CREATE ELECTRONIC MUSIC'Berklee teamed up with Beatport, the world's largest DJ and electronic music community, to create a four-part video tutorial from online instructor Loudon Stearns.
"Modulation is one of the most important terms in music, and it gets used in so many ways," says Loudon. "In this series of videos, I explore the importance of modulation within synthesis and using Native Instruments Massive and Kontakt."
"The great thing about these techniques is that they provide a starting point for an infinite number of sounds perfect for dance music (and other styles for sure)." Watch Now
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
NOW INTEL LAUNCHES A TV SERVICEIntel is developing an over-the-top TV service set to launch later this year.
Provided through a set-top box, the service "is novel, elegant, and highly desirable," with high-speed channel-changing, writes Tiernan Ray, who tested it. Though it "faces a number of hurdles, including potential obstruction by the cable and telephone industries... what I witnessed could take Intel in a thrilling new direction."----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 6
AERO ROLLS OUTControversial startup Aereo, "which has provoked media conglomerates' ire by beaming live, local over-the-air television broadcasts over the Internet," will begin operating in as many as 19 cities by Aug. 31st, writes Joan Solsman.
She does not name the cities, but does note that after its initial launch in New York, "the company expanded its service to Boston in May and Atlanta this month." - Read the whole story
And more: To the chagrin of TV networks everywhere, content co-opter Aereo is ready for a big expansion. "The company said it will open in at least 19 more cities by the end of the year," The Verge reports. If you're not familiar, "Aereo captures over-the-air TV broadcast signals, converts them into computer data, and then streams the video over the internet to subscribers -- all without paying broadcasters a dime." Read the whole story
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 7
IS GOOGLE WORTH MORE THAN APPLE?
By one rarely cited measure, Google is now worth more than Apple. Apple still has a market cap of $378 billion compared to Google's $286 billion, The Wall Street Journal's Money Beat blog reports. Yet, "Strip out Apple's $145 billion of net cash as of March, and Google's $45 billion ... This leaves an enterprise value of $233 billion for Apple, but $241 billion for Google, reflecting the underlying value of the companies' actual operations."
Read the whole story----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - THE BONUS TRACKS* The Longest Music Moments Ever
* Bruce Springsteen Dedicates 'Born to Run' to James Gandolfini
* 20 Songs You Can't Even Believe Are 20 Years Old
* Flashback: Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones Perform 'Like a Rolling Stones
* Buffalo Springfield Reunite After 42 Years
* Beatles' 'Help!': Behind the Scenes
* Elton John to Release 'The Diving Board' LP in September
* Keith Moon's Final Bow With the Who (It's a 9-minute incredible version of "Won't Get Fooled Again")
* 101 Ways to Make Money as a Musician
* Best headphones for under $25
* How to Get Free or Affordable Legal Help for Your Music Project* Laptop with a staggeringly high-res screen
* Sony Vaio Pro 13: So light. So small. So good.
* Pretty good huge TV for only $800
* Radio Digs Its Own Grave as Cultural Currents Shift - Variety
Short News Items ...
MERRY GETS NOTICED:
Best known for "singing my face off" on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," Merry Clayton has spent her career playing second fiddle with her first-rate voice. Now, with a reissue sparked by her appearance in Twenty Feet From Stardom, she is basking in belated attention. Read More
GAGA #1:
Sorry Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Rihanna, but Forbes has named Lady Gaga the most powerful musician in the world. GaGa earned $80 million between June 1st of 2012 and 2013, and could've earned over $30 million more had she been able to finish her "Born This Way Ball" tour. Forbes also factored her massive social presence – 38 million Twitter followers and 58 million Facebook fans – into the equation. In the overall celebrity Top 100, she trailed only Oprah, who made $77 million over the same span, but still has a more dominating presence based on their ranking system.
'MAD MEN' FINALE SCORES:
The Season 6 finale of AMC's "Mad Men" might not have been too kind to Don Draper, but it did just fine by AMC. Sunday night's finale was the highest-rated season finale for the series, posting a 2.1 household rating, slightly above last year's finale rating of 2.0 -- which at the time was a series record for "Mad Men" season finales.
MORE BRUCE JUICE COMING:
Bruce Springsteen, on tour in Europe, tells Rolling Stone he has "a lot of material" for the follow-up to Wrecking Ball. He and the E Street band (with guest Tom Morello) cut a few tracks on an off-day in Australia. "We've never done that in our lives," he says. Read More
AND SPEAKING OF "THE BOSS:"
Ronald Reagan told Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," but Bruce Springsteen may have helped swing the hammer. In his new book "Rocking the Wall," journalist Erik Kirschbaum makes a case for Springsteen's July 1988 concert in East Berlin serving as a catalyst for bringing down the Berlin Wall, Reuters reports. Read more
WILCO COVERS:
Wilco anchored this year's Solid Sound festival with two distinctly different shows. Friday's was an all-request, all-covers set with songs by the Beatles, Television and more. "We want to make it something you can only experience here," Jeff Tweedy told Rolling Stone. Read More
HELP IS HERE:
The Beatles' second feature film, 1965's 'Help!', makes its worldwide Blu-ray and digital release debut this week. The film features the title track, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "The Night Before," "I Need You," "You're Gonna' Lose That Girl," "Ticket To Ride" and "The Night Before." Extra Features: 'The Beatles in Help!' - a 30-minute documentary about the making of the film with Richard Lester, the cast and crew, including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of The Beatles on-set.; "A Missing Scene - a film outtake, featuring Wendy Richard; "1965 Theatrical Trailers - two original U.S. trailers and one original Spanish trailer; 1965 U.S. Radio Spots (hidden in disc menus); and more.
CHRIS BROWN IN TROUBLE AGAIN? GEE, WHAT A SURPRISE...NOT!
Chris Brown was charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving without a valid license following an accident in the San Fernando Valley on May 21st. His arraignment is set for July 15th.
ANOTHER RAPPER SENT TO PRISON FOR NOT PAYING TAXES? GEE, WHAT A SURPISE ... NOT #2:
Fat Joe was sentenced to four months in federal prison yesterday for failure to file income tax returns on more than $3.3 million in earnings. According to Reuters, the rapper was also fined $15,000.
'INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS' SOUNDTRACK:
The Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis will get a soundtrack that features songs by Bob Dylan and Dave Van Ronk, along with tunes performed by stars of the movie, including Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, as well as Marcus Mumford (Mulligan's husband) and the Punch Brothers. The 14-song collection, produced by T Bone Burnett, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, is due out September 17th on Nonesuch.
KANYE NOT AS BIG AS HIS EGO:
Though Kanye West did debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart this week, Billboard notes " 'Yeezus' sales launch is softer than industry sources had forecast. On the Friday before its release (June 14th), it had been tipped to start with perhaps 500,000. However, a week later, its sales projection had fallen to 330,000 to 340,000. It's bested by only the debuts of Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" (968,000) and Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" (339,000)."
AND AS IF WE REALLY CARE:
Producer Rick Rubin says there's a possibility of 'Yeezus 2' coming out.
STONES NEW PUB DEAL:
The Rolling Stones have signed their first new publishing deal in more than 40 years, signing with BMG the company announced. While no figure has been announced for the deal, it'll surely be lucrative for all parties with the Stones' 50th anniversary tour boosting sales of their back catalog.
MELISSA TO MARRY:
Melissa Etheridge plans to marry her girlfriend following yesterday's Supreme Court rulings that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and cleared a path for California to legalize gay marriage.
AND FOR THOSE OF WAITING FOR A YOKO ONO ALBUM:
Yoko Ono will be releasing a new album, "Take Me to the Land of Hell," on September 17th on Chimera Music. The new LP comes four years after Ono's last full-length release, "Between My Head and the Sky."
BARNES & NOBLE NIXING NOOK:
B&N will shift manufacturing of its Nook tablet lineup to third-party partners to design co-branded tablets.
Leaving Us
Bobby "Blue" Bland, the blues and soul singer of songs such as "Further on Up the Road" and "Turn on Your Love Light," died this week in Memphis. He was 83. According to Bland's son, the blues singer died of complications from an ongoing illness, The Associated Press reports.
Alan Myers, Devo's drummer during their period of greatest success, died Monday of brain cancer. He was 58. Myers' death was first reported on Facebook by his friend Ralph Carney, a jazz musician who knew him in Devo's hometown of Akron, Ohio (and the uncle of Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney).
Stage designer and architect Mark Fisher, the man responsible for stunning stage setups for the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, U2 and others over the past 25 years, died Wednesday in a London hospice. He was 66, and had been battling a long illness that wasn't identified in an announcement by Stufish, the firm he co-founded.
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Eminem Terrified As Daughter Begins Dating Man Raised On His Music
oOSTORYOoROCHESTER, MI—Hip-hop artist Marshall Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem, said he was left wholly terrified today after meeting his daughter Hailie's new boyfriend Justin Denham, an 18-year-old who was reportedly raised on the rapper's music.
Saying he could barely fathom the thought of Hailie, 17, with a man who ever enjoyed listening to, or was inspired by, his often misogynistic and violent lyrics, Eminem, 40, claimed he was disturbed from the second Denham said he was "a huge fan" of all of the rapper's seven albums.
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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