-
Streaming Now Becomes The TV Thing As Well
October 17, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
"There are 80 million homes that do not have HBO, and we will use all measures to go after them."
-- HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler, during his network's portion of the Time Warner Investor Day in NY.This week HBO announced in 2015 it will launch a standalone, over-the-top HBO the U.S. without people needing cable subscriptions. Big news indeed, and with Netflix raking in zillions from its streaming service, not a moment too soon.
The real question is: Why did it take HBO so long to do this? And why aren't the networks not jumping on board?
Ooops, wait a minute. I guess they are.
This from CNET: Watch out, HBO: CBS launches standalone Web TV service
The CBS digital subscription service will be called All Access and be $5.99 a month, offering the ability to stream local CBS stations live in 14 big U.S. markets plus a library of its shows.
"This is one of the strategic moves you can make when you control your own destiny," CBS's Jim Lanzone tells TheWrap
"I think it's inevitable" that the other networks eventually follow, said Robert Thompson, Professor of Television and Pop Culture, Syracuse University. Millenials, he said, "are not just 'cord-cutters,' some of them have never been attached to a cord in the first place," and the 10 million broadband-only homes that HBO cited in its announcement "is only going to get bigger."
"I've got to think that that [the over the air] model is not going to last."
And so it begins. A new era in "broadcast" technology thanks to broadband technology.
-----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
FROM BILLBOARD 'SPOTIFY'S ARTIST OUTREACH LEAVE SOME WANTING MORE'Spotify had a rough couple of days last week.
Besides Jimmy Buffett's petition for more money, less problems and the ill fate of their #thatsongwhen campaign, the streaming service's artist-only streaming sessions with the Music Managers' Forum the Future Artists Coalition in New York City, Nashville, and Los Angeles did not go well, according to those who spoke to Billboard.
Read the article Spotify's Artist Outreach Mission Leaves Some Wanting More
----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
SIRIUSXM NOW 0 FOR 2SiriusXM has lost another round in their battle to not pay royalties on music recorded prior to 1972.
This time, in a lawsuit brought by the RIAA on behalf of member labels, another California judge, who had previously signaled she would side with SiriusXM, concurred with a recent ruling in that class-action suit brought by The Turtles' Flo & Eddie that heritage artists must be paid.
Read the article: SiriusXM Loses Another Big Round In Battle To Get Heritage Artists Paid Fairly
----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
ARE ASCAP & BMI OBSOLETE?Are ASCAP and BMI obsolete?
Sony/ATV, arguably the world's #1 publishing company, seems to think so, and is preparing to pull out of both before the end of the year, according to reports surfacing yesterday. Sony/ATV head Martin Bandier had told members in July that he was considering such a move as a way to open direct negotiations with digital and broadcast outlets. But now it appears all but certain.
Are ASCAP, BMI Obsolete? #1 Music Publisher Sony/ATV Preparing To Exit
----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
FROM THE MUSIC 3.0 BLOG 'SAVE MONEY PRODUCING YOUR ALBUM WITH A TAX CREDIT'"Increasingly, music producers are looking for State tax credits before embarking on a project. While this has been a big part of television and movie production for some time, music is now seeing the light in how cost-effective it could be to go somewhere besides Los Angeles and New York to make a new record. And since it's easier than ever to record just about anywhere, the tax credits now loom large for many a budget-minded producer." Read the rest
And also read 'You're a musician… but is it a HOBBY or a "REAL JOB?" from The DIY Musician.
----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 6
JIMMY IOVINE: "WHEN YOU MET STEVE JOBS, YOU FOUND THE PARTY"Apple's founder was as powerful a force -- and just as cool -- as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, says Beats Electronics father and newly minted Apple executive Jimmy Iovine.
----------------------------
BETWEEN THE GROOVES
ITEM: Rentrak CEO on Main Competition Nielsen's Blunder: 'Nobody Sets Out to Make a Mistake'. Still, Bill Livek thinks his company does several things better than the traditional TV ratings juggernaut. Full story at TheWrap
ITEM: Take that broadcast networks: 17.3 million people watched the season premiere of AMC's 'The Walking Dead' Sunday night. That total broke the record for a non-sports telecast on cable TV. AMC estimates that DVR viewing will bring the total to 22 million. Compare that number to the numbers for the top-rated broadcast shows, and you can see 'The Walking Dead' premiere would be the #1 or #2 show overall. Mashable reports "We knew the season premiere ratings for The Walking Dead would be big, but nothing quite prepared us for this." Read More
ITEM: The Windows 10 test program has attracted 1 million signups. Does that mean 1 million people are running Windows 10? Not necessarily, though the number is probably a good indicator. Read more
----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - THE BONUS TRACKSKaty Perry Booked for Super Bowl Halftime Show
See Rare Photos of Elvis PresleyRead More
Bob Seger Plays 'Detroit Made' on 'Jimmy Kimmel'
Iggy Pop Lectures The Music Industry - 3 Takeaways
All-Star Guitarists Pay Homage to Jimi Hendrix
'South Park' Releases Full Lorde Parody Song (Probably Sung by Sia)
22 Shockingly Dark Lyrics in Otherwise Happy Songs
Steve Rennie On The New Music Industry: It Really Is Easier But The Tough Didn't Go Away
TuneCore Bucks Digital Trend as Payouts Jump
The next Apple TV: What to expect from an updated streaming box
HBO to introduce Web-only subscriptions in 2015
NFL Fines Quarterback $10K for Wearing Beats By Dre Headphones
16 Forgotten Pop Stars Who Will Never Make A Comeback
How To Write a Crime Novel Like James Ellroy
Get a retro Bluetooth speaker for $29.99 shipped
B&W 685 S2 review
BOOM: $2.5 million supercar priciest Ferrari ever launched
Steal Some Of Apple's Secret Sauce In Under 3 Minutes
Apple introduces the ultrathin iPad Air 2
Virtual reality and the silver screen: A match made in heaven
The best screens to watch this season
Amazon to open retail pop-up store in San Francisco
My five favorite free Windows utilities
Short News Items ...
PLANT SHOW:
Nothing says more about Robert Plant's new attitude than his decision to play a bowling alley in Brooklyn. He and his current band, the Sensational Space Shifters, played their bold cosmic folk and reinterpreted some Led Zeppelin classics. Read More
BUH-BYE GWEN:
After taking off two consecutive seasons -- during which time Shakira and Gwen Stefani filled in for her -- original coach Christina Aguilera is returning to 'The Voice.'
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS NOMS:
Iggy Azalea is nominated for Artist of the Year with Beyonce, Luke Bryan, Eminem, Imagine Dragons, John Legend, Lorde, One Direction, Katy Perry, and Pharrell Williams. Other multiple-award nominees include Bastille, Drake, Lorde, One Direction, OneRepublic and Sam Smith. Read more at TheWrap
MORE ZEP:
Led Zeppelin are continuing their reissue series with remastered editions of 'Led Zeppelin IV' and 'Houses of the Holy.' One standout among the bonus tracks is an alternate mix of "Rock and Roll": "It was actually kind of punky," says John Paul Jones. Read More
BRITNEY BOOST:
Britney Spears' Planet Hollywood residency boosted the casino's annual earnings by "about $20 million," according to financial insiders speaking to the Las Vegas Sun.
BOWIE DOES JAZZ:
David Bowie's "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)," taken from the Thin White Duke's upcoming greatest hits compilation Nothing Has Changed, premiered Sunday on BBC Music 6. Spanning nearly seven-and-a-half minutes, this horns-heavy epic is Bowie's most jazz-influenced track since the Aladdin Sane era, while the vocal delivery and disjointed lyrics are reminiscent of singer Scott Walker, of whom Bowie once said "He's been my idol since I was a kid." This new song was produced by Bowie's longtime collaborator Tony Visconti and features New York's Maria Schneider Orchestra
SOUNDCLOUD TROUBLE:
Social music platform SoundCloud's efforts to find a sustainable business model have hit a major roadblock. Talks with the three major label groups have stalled, according to new reports, because rights holders are not satisfied with the royalties that SoundCloud is offering. Communications with Universal were reportedly cut off more than two weeks ago.
NY STATE OKS TAX CREDITS FOR MUSIC INDUSTRY:
A New York state lawmaker has proposed extending the state's entertainment tax credits to cover the music industry. According to the Associated Press, Assemblyman Joe Lentol, a Brooklyn Democrat, has proposed legislation to create a 20% tax credit for music producers, similar to the tax incentives already provided for film and television production.
EW! A HIT:
Jimmy Fallon's new novelty single "Ew!," featuring will.i.am, debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 at #26 (marking the chart's top new entry of the week).
GEORGE'S BOX SET:
"I've been dying to get to this for about 10 years," Dhani Harrison tells Rolling Stone about compiling the new box set 'The Apple Years 1968-1975,' the early solo legacy of his late father, George. "The deep tracks are among the best he ever wrote." Read More
'SNL' DOWN IN RATINGS:
The ratings for 'Saturday Night Live' started sliding last season, and the slump continues this fall. Last Saturday night, the show hosted by Hader averaged a 3.8 rating in metered-market households and a 1.8 in adults 18-49 in the Local People Meters. That was down a tenth in each category from last week's show hosted by Sarah Silverman and a season low. The Hader-hosted show tied the May 10th telecast hosted by Charlize Theron as the lowest-rated SNL ever in household and 18-49 ratings.
KEYS & BYRNE:
Alicia Keys will take the stage with rock legend David Byrne at Keep a Child Alive's 11th Annual Black Ball event, a yearly gala offering first-time musical collaborations, Billboard has exclusively learned.
KESHA SUES/DR. LUKE SUES:
Kesha has filed a lawsuit against producer Dr. Luke, claiming he "sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally abused" her over the past decade that has "put her life at risk," according to the suit. The suit says that Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, began making sexual advances toward her from the time she signed with him at age 18 and that he allegedly forced her to imbibe drugs and alcohol to lower her inhibitions. In the meantime, Dr. Luke has filed his own lawsuit against the pop star, suing the singer for defamation and breach of contract. He claims that Kesha has fabricated her allegations and has attempted to extort him so that she can end her contract with him. The producer filed his lawsuit on the same day the pop singer filed hers.
PRINCE ON 'SNL':
Prince will be the musical guest on the 'Saturday Night Live's' November 1st episode. The rocker will be joined by his backing band 3rdEyeGirl, with whom Prince recorded his two new albums 'Art Official Age' and 'PlectrumElectrum.' Chris Rock will host the episode, which marks the comedian's first SNL visit in 18 years.
GARTH TIX SALES:
The hits just keep coming for Garth Brooks, who has now broken his own North American ticket sales record for a single city, moving more than 188,000 tickets sold from 11 shows at the Target Center in Minneapolis between Nov. 6th and 15th.
COWELL HONORED:
Simon Cowell was named Personality of the Year at MIPCOM. The 'X-Factor' creator and judge was feted for his "visionary flair" in changing the music and TV industries.
SONOS BOOST:
TechCrunch reports Wireless music player maker, Sonos, has released the Boost, an add-on to their system that allows Sonos devices to work up to 50% further than the standard Wi-Fi range 90 feet as compared to about 60 feet for the average Wi-Fi hotspot. Read More
Leaving Us
Keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens, who most recently played with Jack White and previously with the Long Beach Dub Allstars and the Mars Volta, has died. The musician was touring with White in Mexico at the time of his death; White has canceled the rest of his tour dates in the country out of respect to the musician. A coroner determined that the cause of death was a heart attack. He was 38.
Atress Elizabeth Pena, who had roles in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "La Bamba," "Lone Star," "Rush Hour" and "The Incredibles," died Tuesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, according to her manager, Gina Rugolo. She was 55. She also had a recurring guest role on "Modern Family," playing the mother of Sofia Vergara's character.
Quotes of the week
"CSNY will never tour again, ever… but I love Stephen Stills."
-- Neil Young, at an October 8th concert in Philadelphia, when asked by an audience member if he'd reunite with Crosby, Stills and Nash"I hear Neil said 'there will never be any more CSNY shows' that's like saying there are mountains in Tibet. We know, Neil … we already knew. He is very angry with me…"
-- David Crosby, confirming Young's comments and adding, "believe me ... not going to happen" to a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young reunion. Crosby also made negative remarks about Neil's new love interest, Darryl Hannah"We didn't do anything, and now the players are going out and putting black tape on our logo. It's like, I can't believe I'm this lucky. I feel like sending them the tape."
-- Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine was asked at University of Southern California's Global Conversation (via Business Insider) about NFL players' refusal to ditch Beats, and the record exec revealed that the NFL's exclusive Bose deal has instead resulted in free advertising for his and Dre's headphones."It serves the record companies right that they're now getting screwed in the digital age, because they took advantage of artist and consumer alike when they had the power. There are good guys in the record industry, but they're the ones who are running labels of love. Equally, though, there are indie labels just as unscrupulous as the worst major."
-- Iggy Pop at the annual John Peel lecture at the UK Radio Festival on Monday, calling the music industry "laughably, maybe, almost entirely pirate."
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Finally! A Social Media Site With No Ads, Pictures, Words, Colors, Or Content
Could Facebook finally be finished? We would have said you were crazy, until we saw Zylch.
What is Zylch? It's only the newest social media site everyone is buzzing about. If you've seen a lot of your friends posting about leaving Facebook for Zylch, you're not alone: Zylch boasts a social media experience free of ads, sponsored posts, words, pictures, or content of any kind. 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.
Smart Marketing Consulting Services
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
-
-