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Going Mobile
June 26, 2009
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
"When people have downtime they love playing with their mobile phones. So instead of playing a game of Tetris or buying their next ring tone, browsing for music and downloading a full track -- it's a natural and good thing."
-- Thomas Hesse, President of Sony Music Entertainment's Global Digital Business, US Sales, and Corporate StrategyIn just a few short days this week Apple released its new iPhone 3GS and sold one million. (Prices for the 3GS start at $199)
Once again, Apple proved that innovation and great products cut through all the obstacles in the digital media marketplace (variety of services, smartphones, options, pricing, etc.), including the worst economy in decades.
Equally as important, as stated in the news story below about this sales success, is the fact that six million people have downloaded the new iPhone OS 3.0 update in the five days since its release. There ain't no doubt about it, Apple owns the smartphone market and they intend to keep it that way.
But in other news this week (as it says in the news story I link to below), YouTube video uploads from mobile phones have increased by 400% since last Friday, when the new iPhone 3GS went on sale, Music Ally reports. The new mobile device from Apple lets users shoot videos and upload them directly to Google's video sharing site. The increase is part of a wider industry trend, as mobile uploads to YouTube have grown by 1,700% in the past six months, according to Google.
The fact that more and more people are using their smartphones as their mobile media centers (and computers in some cases) provides great opportunities for the music and film industries. That's not a revelation to any smart entertainment executive that's been carrying around his/her iPhone/smartphone for awhile and thinking the same thing, but then again, not all entertainment executives are smart. If they were, they would have jumped into the waters of the Internet and digital technology, head first, a long time ago.
A Google search on any one of these topics -- falling radio profits; TV network ratings slide; CD sales declining year over year; DVD sales drop; etc. -- will produce a massive amount of results on those topics and pretty much verify that while Rome was burning (in this case Hollywood), the people simply didn't care. They picked up their bags and moved elsewhere. Online. Either at their computers or with their smartphones.
The explosive first week sales of the new iPhone should be an alarm that rings loud and clear in Hollywood.
Stop worrying about the Internet and downloading, guys. That war was lost too long ago for you to still keep sending hard-earned dollars to the RIAA.
Get your best creative minds together and start reaping the revenues that can be generated in these new markets.
Do it now. Do it soon. Do it right.
Or else you'll still be blaming Steve Jobs for all your problems next year ... the year after ... and beyond.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
Commentary and One Man's Opinion
MICHAEL JACKSON, 1958-2009, R.I.P
The news about Michael Jackson's passing came as I was putting this week's newsletter to bed.
Every cable news channel has been going non-stop since the news broke, and there will be news specials on every major network in the next few days, this weekend and beyond.
From a child to a man, Michael took us all on an incredible musical journey. His breakthrough solo album in 1979, "Off The Wall," produced four top-10 singles (two went to #1). But that wasn't enough.
In late 1982 Michael released his masterpiece "Thriller." It forever changed the way music videos were made (and broke the barriers for black artists to be played on MTV), and it's fusion of rock with great dance music changed the way every artist in pop music thought about making music in the studio from that point on.
Those lucky enough to see Michael live witnessed one of the greatest performers ever.
Michael was reported to be rehearsing in Los Angeles this week for his comeback concerts in London, which sold out almost as fast as they went on sale.
There's simply too much to say about Michael ... and you'll hear most of it on those TV shows I already mentioned.
I'm hoping Michael did go gently into that good night.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
A MUST-READ FOR ANYBODY FOLLOWING THE RIAA'S RIDICULOUS JUDGMENT IN THE THOMAS-RASSET CASE
"I'm so sorry that any music fan anywhere is ever made to feel bad for making the effort to listen to music. The RIAA needs to be disbanded." -- Moby
Yes, $1.92 million is a bit high for a downloading fine, dontcha' think?
For a very good legal perspective on the case, go to attorney Ray Beckerman;s website, http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/ , and read "How Thomas-Rasset case would have played out, had we not been in the Parallel Universe."
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
THE TWITTER WORM
A wave of fake Twitter e-mail invitations sent in hopes of luring people to unzip a file to find out who invited them has been hitting unsuspecting victims. The infected machines transmit a signal to a website, and download misleading applications known as rogueware or scareware. "A lot of bad guys are making millions of dollars," says Kevin Haley, director, Symantec Security Response.
You can read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/malh7d.
Richard Marx "Ashamed" He's Linked To $1.92 Million RIAA Fine Against Minnesota Mom
Last week a judge ruled Minnesota mom Jammie Thomas-Rasset owes the RIAA a $1.92 million fine for illegally downloading 24 songs. Richard Marx -- one of the artists whose music Thomas-Rasset downloaded via P2P network Kazaa -- is now speaking out against the court's verdict, saying he's "ashamed" to be associated with the massive fine.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Also, 'Musicians Pan File-Sharing Verdict' at: http://tinyurl.com/ko5xyk.
On-Demand Site, Fizy, Offers Huge Rock Selection
The record labels can try to shut on-demand streaming sites down, but Fizy's a worthy competitor in an increasingly crowded space. More important, it shows that on-demand audio streaming sites are becoming like mushrooms -- whenever the copyright owners shut one down, two new ones will pop up in its place.
Read more about it by clicking here.
YouTube Mobile Uploads Up 400% Since iPhone 3GS Release
Music AllyYouTube video uploads from mobile phones have increased by 400% since last Friday, when the new iPhone 3GS went on sale, Music Ally reports. The new mobile device from Apple lets users shoot videos and upload them directly to Google's video sharing site. The increase is part of a wider industry trend, as mobile uploads to YouTube have grown by 1,700% in the past six months, according to Google.
Music Ally attributes this growth to three things: new video-enabled smartphones, improvements that make it easier to post videos to YouTube from your phone, and a new feature that makes it easier to share YouTube videos through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. It takes just a minute to connect a YouTube account to Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader, for example.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Over 1 Million New iPhones Sold
Apple's customers have wasted no time scooping up its latest smartphone and operating system update.
More than 1 million iPhone 3GS smartphones have sold in the three days since the new model hit the stores Friday, Apple announced Monday. In addition, 6 million people have downloaded the new iPhone OS 3.0 update in the five days since its release.
The sales figure even prompted Apple CEO Steve Jobs to make his first public comment since going on medical leave early this year.
Read more about it by clicking here.
More About The Vinyl Comeback
Here's yet another great little piece on YouTube about vinyl records' comeback. It's a CBS news piece that runs a little over six minutes.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Internet Accounts For One Third Of Consumer Media Day
According to a recent report by The Media Audit, in the past three years the average U.S. adult has nearly doubled their daily use of the Internet as the average U.S. adult spent 2.1 hours per day online in 2006, compared to 3.8 hours in 2008, an 81% increase over three years. As a result, the Internet now represents 32.5% of the typical "media day" for all U.S. adults when compared to daily exposure to newspaper, radio, TV and outdoor advertising.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Gaming Market Estimated To Reach $91.96 Billion By 2015
The gaming industry has seen a meteoric rise over the past several years, now worth many billions of dollars.. Today, Global Industry Analysts (GIA) projected that it expects the global market for gaming software to be $91.96 billion by 2015. This report follows one from PricewaterhouseCoopers last week, which predicted the global gaming market to hit $73.5 billion by 2013.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Digital Drives Growth And Business Models In E&M Industry
According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Entertainment & Media Outlook, the E&M market, including both consumer and advertising spending, will grow by 2.7% compounded annually for the entire forecast period (2009-2013) to $1.6 trillion in 2013.
A 3.9% drop is expected in 2009 and a 0.4% advance in 2010, with a period of much faster growth during the remaining period to 7.1% in 2013. The forecast anticipates that the impact of the recession on consumer spending will last longer and be steeper than previous ones due to a steeper downturn. Consumer spending in E&M will fall by a projected 1.2% in 2009, remaining weak in 2010 and seeing only relatively low growth at 3.2% in 2011.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Broadband Breaks Out Of The Doldrums
The latest findings of the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project show home broadband adoption at 63% of adult Americans as of April 2009, a significant departure from the stagnation in adoption rates from December 2007 through December 2008, when home broadband penetration remained in a narrow range between 54% and 57%.
Read more about it by clicking here.
EX-IDOL TO JOIN REFORMED EVANESCENCE
Ex-"American Idol" finalist Carly Smithson is teaming up with three of the four original members of multi-platinum-selling rockers Evanescence guitarists Ben Moody and John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray -- plus bassist Marty O'Brien to form a new band, We Are The Fallen, and that their first single, "Bury Me Alive," will be available for free download at wearethefallen.com.
KODACHROME NO MORE
The Eastman Kodak Co. announced Monday it's retiring its most senior film, Kodachrome (immortalized in song by Paul Simon), because of declining customer demand in an increasingly digital age. It enjoyed its heyday in the 1950s and '60s. Sales of Kodachrome are now just a fraction of 1% of the company's total sales of still-picture films, and only one commercial lab in the world still processes it.
SUGARLAND TV
Sugarland, the just-re-upped CMA Vocal Duo of the Year, has scored a network special. Sugarland: Live on the Inside airs Monday, Aug. 3rd at 8p. on ABC. Their CD/DVD, "Live on the Inside," comes out the next day.
BEATLES ROCK BAND TRAILER
Check out the new trailer for the Beatles Rock Band. It follows The Beatles from Liverpool to the Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium, and goes on to capture their careers in animation done by the people who animated the Gorillaz. http://tinyurl.com/ngw5xe.
SIMON STUFF
The Financial Times reports that Simon Cowell, one of the world's biggest TV stars, has joined forces with Sir Philip Green, the British retail billionaire, to form a global entertainment company that will create and own television content on both sides of the Atlantic. The two men, close friends for the past decade, have been working closely together in recent weeks, with Sir Philip traveling to Los Angeles to advise Cowell on a new contract to appear on the Fox network's American Idol.
MADONNA TOPS FORBES LIST
Madonna topped Forbes Top Earning Musicians List this year with a reported $110 million in gross revenues. Celine Dion and Beyonce came in second and third, and Bruce Springsteen placed fourth with a $70 million gross. You can see the top 12 list here: http://tinyurl.com/mheo9g
IT WILL SOME TIME BEFORE ANYONE LIGHTS UP HIS LIFE AGAIN
The New York Times reports that Joseph Brooks, the songwriter who won an Oscar for his 1977 hit "You Light Up My Life," was arrested and charged with 91 counts of rape and sexual assault charges in Manhattan this week. Brooks, now 71, allegedly advertised on Craigslist in Portland and Seattle for aspiring actresses and lured respondents back to his Upper East Side apartment, where he forced them to drink wine and assaulted them.
MACCA ADDS DATES
Due to demand, Paul McCartney has added shows in Boston, Washington, DC, and Atlanta, Georgia, to his summer schedule. And his Website implies more dates are on the way: "Look out for more news on additional dates here on PM.com very, very, soon"
Quotes of the week
"On a night like this, it comes back to one thing: the power of the pen. If you write one song that comes across decades, you're lucky. If you write a body of them and you're recognized in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, it's prestigious."
-- Jon Bon Jovi to Rolling Stone before his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame last week in New York City."I'm more of a modern version."
-- Heidi Montag, clarifying her claim that she strives to be like Mother Teresa, on "The View." No comment necessary here. Just another great blonde joke."No, I ain't got a gun / No, I ain't never really been in a club / Still live with my parents but I'm still a thug."
-- Taylor Swift, rapping with T-Pain, in a pre-recorded video that aired at the CMT Music Awards. A must-see video for all if you missed it. Check it out on YouTube."It started with 'The Good Girl', and that evolved into 'Rumor Has It', followed by 'Derailed.' Then there was The Break-Up' ... So if any of you have a project titled 'Everlasting Love with an Adult Stable Male' . . ."
-- Jennifer Aniston, joking about parallels between the titles of the films. And here come the offers."What's more creative then a stripper pole on a pontoon boat?"
-- Kid Rock, accepting the Wide Open Country Video award for the video for his song "All Summer Long," at the CMT Music Awards"Oh, girl, I've got a big chest of fun little numbers - ones that I would never wear in public."
-- Fergie, on the wardrobe only her husband Josh Duhamel sees, to Allure. Whoop-dee-doo Fergie. Show us, or shut up.
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Twitter Creator On Iran: 'I Never Intended For Twitter To Be Useful'
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/twitter_creator_on_iran_i?utm_source=a-section.
SAN FRANCISCO-Creator Jack Dorsey was shocked and saddened this week after learning that his social networking device, Twitter, was being used to disseminate pertinent and timely information during the recent civil unrest in Iran. "Twitter was intended to be a way for vacant, self-absorbed egotists to share their most banal and idiotic thoughts with anyone pathetic enough to read them," said a visibly confused Dorsey, claiming that Twitter is at its most powerful when it makes an already attention-starved populace even more needy for constant affirmation. "When I heard how Iranians were using my beloved creation for their own means-such as organizing a political movement and informing the outside world of the actions of a repressive regime-I couldn't believe they'd ruined something so beautiful, simple, and absolutely pointless." Dorsey said he is already working on a new website that will be so mind-numbingly useless that Iranians will not even be able to figure out how to operate it.
THE RADIO INTERVIEW on 'THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE' - From newsblaze.com
"Steve Meyer is on the front line of global music sales and distribution which he expects will soar to pocket-bursting levels. What's more, he shares his insight and ingenuity with us. Steve gives us both historical perspective and futuristic vision as he chats with Judy about the love of his work, trends of the business and his personal points of view about success, happiness and blending life with the lust for life. Steve joins Judy and helps us discover the thrill of having it all with a sense of balance and purpose. "
You can listen to an interview I did with Judy Piazza of 'The American Perspective' by clicking here: (It runs about 15 minutes)
http://www.thesop.org/index.php?id=10306.
The Blogs
Check out Jerry Del Colliano's (the founder of INSIDE RADIO) daily blog, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com