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The Sky Is Falling, Or So Says Thom Yorke
June 11, 2010
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"It will be only a matter of time - months rather than years - before the music business establishment completely folds. (It will be) no great loss to the world."
-- Radiohead's Thom Yorke this past week, warning all young musicians not to sign label deals because the industry is "the sinking ship"I don't know which is of these news items is funnier this week: a) The fact that ex-RIAA chief Hilary Rosen, the managing partner of the DC office of the Brunswick Group, a London-based PR and communications strategy firm, has joined the British Petroleum spin doctor team (write your own punch line); or b) Radiohead's Thom Yorke saying the music industry will fold in just a few months.
Yes, I've been very critical of the music industry the past eight years in this newsletter, and I too have said all too often the current industry model will not survive in the future. It doesn't take a genius (or Thom Yorke) to figure that out. Technology ensured the old music industry model(s) would dissipate as it continued to evolve and revolutionize the way all media is delivered to consumers. But, I have also suggested many times that vision and strategic alliances could create new models for a bright future.
I still believe that is possible if the labels can move fast enough. As former Intel Chairman Andy Grove said way back in 1997, "Leaders have to act more quickly today. Because the pressure comes much faster ... a fundamental rule in technology is that whatever can be done will be done. " And so it goes. So it goes.
Thom Yorke's comments this week are as silly as Chicken Little's lament, "The sky is falling." Yorke wants all his followers -- and all those young aspiring musicians out there -- to believe that industry disaster is imminent. As bad as things are in the industry (and yes, they are BAD), disaster in not imminent. What's left of the industry will evolve into "the next phase."
That "next phase" should continue to mean more opportunities for new artists. The Internet provides global exposure and a platform for new artists and new music, which was never available before. It will play an even bigger part as time goes on and "new media" becomes the mainstream. (And already is for millions)
But at some point, whether it's the artists trying to take control of their content and destinies, or artists acting as their own label heads, there will always be a need for the music to be a business in some shape or fashion, if in fact any artists hope to earn any revenues from their hard work. There will always be the need for creative talent to seek advice and guidance from those who navigate the rough seas of potential revenue streams, such as concerts; licensing; publishing; merchandising; intellectual property rights; distribution; royalty collections; public relations; and so on and so on, and scooby-dooby-doobee.
I would assume Thom Yorke has some people handling some of those areas.
If he does, well then he's just "takin' care of business," isn't he?
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
THE ROLLING STONES 'EXILE ON MAIN STREET' REDUX
The reissue of the Rolling Stones digitally remastered "Exile On Main Street" was welcomed by almost everybody in the media with open arms. Many critics thought the album was a neglected classic by many since it produced only one top-10 single, "Tumbling Dice" back in 1972 when the album was first released.
I'll be the first to admit that "Exile" wasn't a Stones album that I took out frequently and played a lot over the years, but I did recall that it was always played at every party or event I went to back when it was first released. So, I was most eager to get the new reissue, which also includes 10 previously unreleased tracks.
I can't remember if it was Paul McCartney or John Lennon who said their "White Album" was the closest their fans could ever get to being in the studio with The Beatles as it was being recorded, but my first though after listening to the reissue of "Exile" was this is the closest we ever got to being in the studio with The Rolling Stones as it all unfolded. It's pure unadulterated rock 'n' roll, blues, and done in the best Rolling Stones tradition.
From the raw guitar powered opening "Rocks Off" through the next 17 tracks, I realized again just how loaded this album was. (And yes, the new remastering makes Mick's lyrics more understandable)
Bill Flanagan summed it all up in his review this way: "Exile" captures all the anxiety, tension and sheer psychic overload of a moment when the old culture seemed to be coming apart and no one had any idea what might replace it. Those of us who were there never got over it. Those who missed it can now hear what all the fuss was about. I hope this is the start of the third era of the Rolling Stones -- bringing up the diamonds from the mine." (Source: http://tinyurl.com/29jkyvz )
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
ONLINE VIDEO WILL SURPASS P2P
Cisco's Visual Networking Index says Global traffic on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks now totals 3.5 exabytes (An exabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to one quintillion bytes) per month, and is expected to grow at a moderate pace with a compound annual growth rate of 16% from 2009 to 2014,
However, despite this growth, peer-to-peer as a percentage of all consumer Internet traffic is expected to drop from 39% in 2009 to 17% by 2014. Video, which now accounts for over one-third of all consumer Internet traffic, is expected to surpass global peer-to-peer traffic and reach 40% by the end of 2010.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
TWITTER TWEET THOUGHTS
Here's the problem: Twitter now has 190 million users producing 65 million tweets per day, according the company's COO Dick Costolo. Yet, those figures are less than impressive if you consider that, "in aggregate, Twitter users produce less around one-third of a tweet per day," notes The Next Web. The blog also suggests that a small number of Twitter users are generating the vast majority of Tweets. From NextWeb's article, "First of all, if only say 5% of Twitter's users are engaged with the service more than once a day than it will be hard for Twitter to sell advertisers that they are reaching 190 million users."
"We're just going to have to assume that the curve of user-generated tweets (UGT?) drops off the cliff after a very low percentage of power users," it writes. "Of course, Twitter may be showing much more detailed numbers to partners and advertisers, but even so, they'll need to justify that 1/3 of a tweet number per day just the same." Moreover, The Next Web argues that Twitter doesn't stand a chance against engagement monsters like Facebook when it comes to for advertisers to plan their online media buys.
If you do use Twitter (and all those who e-mail tell me they stop soon after they realize it's just not engaging enough for them) and want to read more, go here: http://tinyurl.com/372z73s
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
ONLINE IS THE PLACE TO BE
For those few who have any doubt about where their ad dollars are going, this news: Worldwide online advertising will continue to outpace traditional advertising revenues this year. A new report from IPG's Mediabrands' Magna Global says online advertising will climb 12.4% in 2010 to $61.0 billion. It gets better: It will grow 64% from there to over $100 billion in five years. Read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/2estv6m )
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 6
CHEAP TRICK BRINGS 'SGT. PEPPER LIVE' BACK TO LAS VEGAS
I had the pleasure of seeing the 'Sgt. Pepper Live' show that Cheap Trick brought to Las Vegas last year, and being a true blue Beatle-phile, I went not knowing what to expect. The show knocked me out and Cheap Trick just did what they do best ... they played great music with the same passion they've been employing in all their shows for decades.
This week, they bring the show back to the Paris Hotel here in Las Vegas, and just hours before the opening of the production, Cheap Trick band members Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson, audio supervisor Geoff Emerick and executive producer Bill Edwards will be recognized by Mayor Oscar Goodman and the City of Las Vegas, who will proclaim June 11th as "Sgt. Pepper Live Day," and then present Geoff Emerick - the sound engineer of the original Beatles' "Sgt Pepper" album and co-producer on many other Beatles' iconic recordings - the key to the city.
This is a show I highly recommend if you're planning a trip to Las Vegas in the next couple of months. The show features an orchestra and great light and sound as Cheap Trick perform the entire album live, and then continue with select Cheap Trick songs that lend themselves to orchestral arrangements.
I'll be going to see it again. More than once.
And Now For Some News ...
All Things About The iPhone 4
CNETAs if you didn't know already, this week Steve Jobs unveiled the newest iPhone, and as expected, it's everything you probably heard about. You can read all about it in a bunch of columns on CNET. (And yes, expect these to fly out the doors at retail just like iPads)
Read more about it by clicking here.
RIAA Asks Court To Close Down LimeWire
CNETLawyers working for the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group for the four top record companies, filed documents on Friday requesting that a U.S. District Court in Manhattan grant them a permanent injunction against the country's largest commercial file-sharing service.
Read the rest here: http://tinyurl.com/2ak7jll
And...
RIAA Asks Judge To Freeze LimeWire Assets
MediaPost
Having persuaded U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood that LimeWire infringed copyright, the record industry is now asking her to shut down the peer-to-peer network and freeze its assets, as well as those of its founder, Mark Gorton.
Read more about it by clicking here.
The iPhone Triples Android In Mobile Market Share
CNETNew market share numbers from Nielsen show Apple's iPhone has more than three times the mobile market share Google has with Android.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Will YouTube Go For Live Streaming?
MEDIAPOSTFueling rumors of a broad live-streaming rollout by YouTube, TechCrunch has posted a screenshot from a help page for Google Moderator showing the channel settings for a YouTube content producer, including a button labeled "Live Stream."
Read more about it by clicking here.
Judge May Dismiss 4,576 Of 4,577 P2P Defendants From Lawsuit
ARS TECHNICAFederal judge Rosemary Collyer sits on the DC District Court, where several of the recent US Copyright Group lawsuits against P2P users have been filed. A few of those lawsuits ended up on Judge Collyer's calendar, one of them filed against over 4,000 anonymous "John Does" at once.
This week, Judge Collyer issued a terse demand to the lawyers behind these cases: convince me within two weeks that jamming 4,577 people into a single lawsuit is a proper use of the court system.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Facebook: 2B Videos Viewed Per Month
NEWTEEVEEFacebook is increasingly becoming a hub for online video viewing, with more than 20 million videos being uploaded to the social network each month - and more than 2 billion videos being watched. Those two stats, given exclusively to NewTeeVee by a Facebook spokesperson, underscore the growing importance of video as a communications medium on the social networking site.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Spanish Judges Liken P2P To The Ancient Practice of Lending Book
TORRENTFREAKAfter raids in 2005, Spanish police arrested four people and dismantled a popular file-sharing site. The case has been dragging on ever since but now has finally been closed. Three judges decided that no offense had been committed and likened file-sharing to the ancient practice of sharing books.
Following an investigation by the authorities and audiovisual rights collecting society and Columbia Tristar, in early 2005 Spanish police embarked on an operation aimed at shutting down popular file-sharing forum CVCDGO.com. The legal proceedings have dragged on ever since, but now the Provincial Court of Madrid has finally closed the case, finding that no offenses had been committed.
Read more about it by clicking here.
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.
NEVER MIND THE COVERAGE, FIX THIS QUICK:
A security problem with AT&T's website has exposed the e-mail addresses of more than 114,000 owners of Apple's iPad, including those of "dozens of CEOs, military officials and top politicians," reports Gawker, which was given the data by Goatse Security, the Web security group that exposed the AT&T security hole.
THE MIGHTY MAX HITS THE ROAD:
Max Weinberg kicks off his Max Weinberg Big Band Tour at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ. On the trek, which runs through the beginning of July, the drummer's 15-piece band will mix classics by Buddy Rich and Count Basie with big-band style arrangements of Bruce Springsteen songs like "Born to Run," "Kitty's Back" and "Thunder Road."
CALL THE PLUMBER, MORE LEAKS:
Eminem has had another Internet leak: His upcoming "Recovery" album appeared online June 7th, along with a full track list, two weeks before its June 22nd release date. And an unreleased Pearl Jam song titled, "Better Days," has leaked after appearing unexpectedly on the official site of Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench Records.
NEW OZZY:
Ozzy Osbourne fans will get a chance to preview three tracks from his latest album 'Scream' one week before the disc's June 22nd release thanks to a new platform for the Prince of Darkness: Rock Band. On June 15th a six-pack of solo-career-spanning songs will hit the Rock Band store
GOOD LUCK:
Dmitry Shapiro, the former CEO of now-defunct video-hosting service Veoh, has been named chief technology officer at MySpace Music, the joint venture between the News Corp.-owned social network and the major record labels.
IT'S NOT JUST MUSIC BEING DOWNLOADED & PIRATED:
An estimated $42 billion worth of game software for the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS was downloaded from unauthorized download sites between 2004 and 2009, according to a report from the Computer Entertainment Supplies Association, which puts on Japan's annual Tokyo Game Show.
PASSING:
Marvin Isley, the bassist during the Isley Brothers' legendary Seventies funk era, died this week in Chicago of as-yet-undisclosed causes. He was 56.
Quotes of the week
"That Taylor Swift song? 'You Belong with Me'? Oh my God! When it comes on the radio, I sing it so loud and I'm so embarrassed! Because I so freely sing it so loud! You can't help it! The song, it's not a bad song. It's a great song! I think it's just because it's very whimsical in a way that I'm not necessarily whimsical every day. When it comes on, I just get this ... I wanna sing it! Every woman feels that way. So I didn't mean that in a bad way, Taylor. I think you're lovely and beautiful, and I think you're a great songwriter."
-- Lady GaGa tells ShowStudio.com"There have been no discussions. It's kind of an open question. I'm strictly thinking about mounting my big band tour, taking some time off in the fall and getting back on the road with this band. We have dates booked through the summer of 2011. In terms of Conan O'Brien and Max Weinberg, people will have to stay tuned."
-- Max Weinberg, in Rolling Stone"Can CHANEL please help me out by getting me some stickers to put on my scram bracelet so that i can at least wear a chic dress?!"
-- Lindsay Lohan, Tweeting about the court-ordered alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet that's cramping her style. Ah, poor Lins."Katy is sexy, which is good because if I don't have an orgasm every 15 or 16 minutes, I can become very difficult. But, if she's going to marry me, she's going to bloody learn how to cook."
-- British comic Russell Brand, on turning fiancée Katy Perry into wife material, to Parade magazine
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Ventriloquist Dummy Crosses Line In Suggesting Partner Is Actual Dummy
STAMFORD, CT-In a breach of decorum never before seen in the history of the noble art, a ventriloquist's dummy named Chesterfield shocked onlookers this past Friday by referring to his partner, Professor Eugene Krebsen, as "the real dummy."
Read the rest here and laugh: oOLINKOo.
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.comWebsite
Check out attorney Ray Beckerman's website at: http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com where he prints news about the RIAA's ongoing activities
TinyURL
Check out www.tinyurl.com where you can make a smaller URL that will work for any webpage you wish to link to or reference. (As you can see, I'm using it in my news stories above!)
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