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The Beatles Are Finally On iTunes ... Now What?
November 19, 2010
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. 24 years working in executive promotion capacities at both Capitol Records and at Universal Studios' MCA Records. Recognized as one of the industry's top professionals.
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"So finally Apple gets the Beatles catalogue Steve Jobs has been pining for. Thank goodness that is out of the way; now we can focus on important developments. Congratulations, Steve, on finally getting your Beatles catalogue; now can you please turn your attention to innovating your digital music services."
-- Mark Mulligan's blog 'Why The Beatles On iTunes Really Isn't A Big Deal' on Forrester.com (http://tiny.cc/k05za)Unless you've been in a cave somewhere (and without a laptop with a WiFi connection), you already know the big news this week in the online digital world was Apple's iTunes finally securing the rights to sell The Beatles catalog online.
I received an usually high number of reader e-mail about this news the last few days, and most people made comments similar to the one posted above by Mark Mulligan. (The word "finally" was in 99.9% of all the e-mails, and of course it's in my 'header' above as well)
I read Mulligan's blog after sorting through the flurry of news articles that were also in my 'Inbox' from dozens of sources, and I agree with him completely that The Beatles music getting on iTunes at this point "is not a big deal for the digital music space" (other than iTunes) and it's "of little relevance to the long-term viability of the digital music market."
It has taken far too long for The Beatles catalog to be available on iTunes, and whatever problems the individual Beatles attorneys and the EMI attorneys had in getting the deal done, should have been hammered out some time ago.
The Beatles are already "best sellers" on iTunes, and that is indeed good news. It means a lot of people are still willing to pay for good music. Unfortunately, a whole lot of more people all over the world have been stealing The Beatles music online for years, and despite the best efforts to fight online piracy and illegal P2P usage, they will continue to do so ad infinitum. Imagine what quantities could have been sold had the catalog been available a long time ago. Better late than never, right?
Now that The Beatles are on iTunes, every major act that still does not have its music for sale online should realize the longer they wait, the theft of their music will continue. Acts such as AC/DC, Garth Brooks, Kid Rock, Bob Seger, Def Leppard and others are not gaining anything by not having their music online at this point in time.
Mulligan sums it up by writing, "Like it or loathe it, kids prefer Pirate Bay to iTunes. And unless that changes the music industry will change, too. Much for the worse. A demographic time bomb is ticking. Unless a new wave of relevant music products is brought to market that engage young music fans, the market will shrink to such a stage that the likelihood of any another Beatles making it beyond their Pete Best stage, let along their Hamburg stage, are small."
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
FACEBOOK MOVES TO NUMBER THREE
Facebook is now the third most valuable Internet company in the U.S., trailing only Google and Amazon, according to a report by Bloomberg.
You cab red about in Business Week here: http://tiny.cc/ska1l
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
CORE COMPETENCIES: ANOTHER LESSON IN THE BASICS AGAIN
Last week in this space with the same mini-header, I wrote about the less-than-stellar debut of Microsoft's Windows 7 phone.
Now, there are reports surfacing that Verizon Wireless and Microsoft will bring back the ill-fated Kin device in time for the holidays. (No, I'm not making this up.) You can read about that possibility here: http://tiny.cc/hwrov
And Now For Some News ...
Top Indie Labels Pull Out Of eMusic
BILLBOARD BIZSince UMG and other major labels have licensed catalogs to eMusic, several top indie labels have decided their music will no longer be available there.
A smart move? You decide. (But the Internet is all about ubiquity, so if I was an artist I would want my music available for sale everywhere)
Read more about it by clicking here.
MTV 'Unplugged' Finds Juicy Contradiction In Second Act
MEDIA POSTMuch has changed since "Unplugged" first premiered on MTV in 1989. The show weathered Bon Jovi through Nirvana through Jay-Z (all featured in landmark episodes), but since the 2000 the show had been revived as only occasional specials. Then last year MTV revived the show as a Web series sponsored by Starburst. Plans are now underway for a second sponsored season, with a broad social media push, putting the latest incarnation of the series on everything from flatscreens to mobile phones.
The centerpiece of each episode plays up the "Juicy Contradiction" messaging with each band or artist performing a cover song fans normally wouldn't expect. The clips lend themselves to viral pick-up. The video segment of Reba McEntire covering Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy" became one of the show's most-viewed clips and, in fact, McEntire reprised the performance on the CMT Awards. There are plans to release the cover as a single.
Read more about it by clicking here.
20 Million Subscribers Is A Serious Number At Sirius/XM, McCartney To Perform
PR NEWSWIRESIRIUS XM Radio announced that Paul McCartney will perform at Harlem's world-famous Apollo Theater for the first time at an exclusive, invitation-only concert for SIRIUS XM listeners. The concert will celebrate SIRIUS XM, reaching 20 million subscribers, a milestone the company expects to achieve shortly.
The concert, which will be held on Monday, December 13th at 8p ET, will feature McCartney performing songs from his unrivalled back catalog, including many Beatles, Wings and solo classics, for SIRIUS XM subscribers. As a thank you to its loyal subscribers, SIRIUS XM will broadcast the concert live nationwide as well as offer lucky subscribers the opportunity to attend the unprecedented event.
Read more about it by clicking here.
WB Music Continues Losses
CNETHere's more proof that the transition to digital isn't making up for the losses occurring in the traditional music business. Warner Music Group, the third largest of the four top record labels reported a net loss of $46 million for its fiscal fourth quarter.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Disney Wants To Spur Growth Of Digital Movie Purchases
LOS ANGELES TIMESThe Walt Disney Company isn't wasting anytime in its efforts to expedite sales of its films online. It has begun rolling out its plan to spur digital movie purchases by removing the technological obstacles that thus far have stymied growth. The studio has quietly launched Disney Movies Online, which lets consumers buy or rent digital versions of Disney and Pixar films and watch them on the Internet.
But Disney is doing it without fanfare. Why? Read on.
Read more about it by clicking here.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER DEPT, TAKE 2:
Outgoing Florida Governor Charlie Christ said he will submit Jim Morrison as a posthumous candidate to be pardoned for the two convictions the singer received after allegedly exposing himself at a Miami concert in 1969.
HARRY POTTER LEAKS:
Warner Bros. is investigating a leak of the first 36 minutes of its "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" onto file-sharing networks, a spokesman tells The Wall Street Journal.
STROKE UPDATE:
The Strokes are done recording their fourth LP and hope to release it early next year, according to a tweet from singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas.
MAYBE 'KID' IS NO LONGER APPLICABLE:
Kid Rock will undertake a two-month-long North American tour that launches with a concert celebrating his 40th birthday at the 60,000-seat Ford Field in his hometown of Detroit on January 15th.
MR. MTV TO CLEAR CHANNEL:
Clear Channel Media Holdings, the parent company of radio station owner Clear Channel, announced on Monday that former AOL and MTV Networks CEO Robert Pittman has made an equity investment in the company, and was named chairman of media and entertainment platforms.
NOT SO HOT ANYMORE:
Viacom plans to sell its Harmonix game development studio, which created the "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" music video game franchises, the company said in its quarterly financial report.
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.
Quotes of the week
"If Elton John and Madonna had a baby it would be Lady Gaga."
-- Jon Bon Jovi
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Area Woman Already Planning Party For 'Mad Men' Series Finale
SAN DIEGO -- Despite the fact that the hit AMC television series Mad Men has no confirmed end date, local woman Andrea Ross, 34, announced Tuesday that she has already begun planning a Mad Men-themed party to coincide with the show's final episode.
Read the rest here and laugh: Click Here.
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
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
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