Many of you have raised valid points which the industry must address in order to survive. What I see as the most critical point is the record label "business and operations model" that must change. The model of signing and promoting an artist for media and digital sales is gone. I believe the real "value" today is in the artist, more so than the music. So labels need to better explore partnerships and vertical and lateral integration. As a person who also writes scientific papers on rhythm, language, and the brain, I approach music as our 1st and still most reliable language today. As such, music can then be marketed and integrated into everything from community and business identities and communications, to health and wellness, TV/radio ads and events, political and corporate philosophies, and science and technology interests. It was no fluke that the artist "Bono" of U2 sucessfully harnessed the biggest ever philanthropy effort in aid for Africa. Such breakthroughs also allowed new anti-war sentiments, and our present environmental GQ culture, not to mention the reserection of former VP Al Gore. The prospects are immense and record label models must change to meet these opportunities. By Stephen Dolle, DOLLE COMMUNICATIONS.
Many of you have raised valid points which the industry must address in order to survive. What I see as the most critical point is the record label "business and operations model" that must change. The model of signing and promoting an artist for media and digital sales is gone. I believe the real "value" today is in the artist, more so than the music. So labels need to better explore partnerships and vertical and lateral integration. As a person who also writes scientific papers on rhythm, language, and the brain, I approach music as our 1st and still most reliable language today. As such, music can then be marketed and integrated into everything from community and business identities and communications, to health and wellness, TV/radio ads and events, political and corporate philosophies, and science and technology interests. It was no fluke that the artist "Bono" of U2 sucessfully harnessed the biggest ever philanthropy effort in aid for Africa. Such breakthroughs also allowed new anti-war sentiments, and our present environmental GQ culture, not to mention the reserection of former VP Al Gore. The prospects are immense and record label models must change to meet these opportunities. By Stephen Dolle, DOLLE COMMUNICATIONS.
Their professed mission is to sustain the future of recorded music. Since most artists fail to sustain themselves however (and payback the costs to produce & market them), the cash cows must succeed - and succeed big - in order for the labels to have money to invest in the next round of artists....and thereby insuring a future of decent music. It is a noble cause, but built on a precarious concept of investing in way too many in hopes of gettting paid back by a precious few. So they milk the commercially viable cash cows dry and search for the next big thing. With music no longer being distributed in physical form, the game has shifted. Unfortunately, they are way behind the innovation curve because they clung to the physical product model for WAYYYY too long.
It is also one of the oldest good ol boy networks. So their ivory towers are filled with friends and friends of friends bouyed by fuzzy numbers that seek to justify their existence.
The future is the artist (substance), not the behemoth label (form); so it will take an innovative partnership between the artists and a commercially viable mechanism to bring their products to a fair market. Artists that get paid will be inspired to make more music.
And a business that partners with these artists / content producers, learns from the arrogent mistakes of the music industry and embraces the technological innovations available in the future....will insure that we all have likeable music to jam to for years to come.
I think the answer is no. They are dead -- just still twitching and kicking. Their business model was developed to exploit the inability for local/traveling artists to organize mass markets for their music, along with new technology (wax records). I think the next era in music will be lead by entities that figure out how to bring live or viral experiences of 'music' to global audiences, quickly and efficiently.
I agree with Karen McGrane - they need to adapt and change. I think where they are getting all caught up is in thinking of their music like physical inventory. It's not about how many units you sell. It's Music - just by the very definition you can't touch it, you can't see it... but you can hear it. So, stop trying to equate music with a physical thing. If they can think about it differently an entire world of possibilities become available.
Let the music industry continue to grow new talent and create new trends - and separate delivery of that from the production of it. It's like energy deregulation (when done right) that you separate generation from distribution. This will open up a whole new industry around distribution that can leverage many different channels of getting the music out there (push technologies, pull technologies, subscription, physical CD’s, etc.).
No, this won't be easy - but it will inspire an entire wave of innovation around distribution, adoption of new ways of marketing and more importantly broader consumer awareness of new artists. Like Mark and Paul said - it's about the licensing.
The biggest opportunity in the Music Industry is
- - TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR MAJOR CORPORATIONS TO INVEST IN MUSIC THROUGH LICENSING - - Let me explain.
Businesses have significantly larger financial resources than consumers do and can't "steal" music like consumers can. Brands are always looking for new ways to connect with customers and MUSIC IS THE LANGUAGE OF EMOTION! You can increase retail sales by 10-30% just by changing the music to fit the desired mood & behavior. Can you make a solid argument as a brand for NOT investing in music if it can increase your sales and brand perception?
I (and others) have built businesses that capitalize on this connection and the major labels have yet to step to the table in a meaningful way. It is harder than ever to license music from major labels despite our aggressive attempts to work with them project after project. This has pushed brands to use phenomenal independent music and is the reason why we license great unknown music to brands internationally more regularly than popular artists, or even unknown artists on major labels. The truth is, there is room for majors and indies alike in this massively expanding market.
There is great music represented by Major Labels worldwide and I hope that they, and their artists, can benefit from a more concerted effort to license music to brands in a more efficient and logical manner. The end result is good for all of us as the more money that we put in artists pockets, the more enriched our local an online cultures will become.
Learn from the film industry. Film companies used to want to own the talent. Now they accept they market the talent and let the talent create the concepts. Increasingly the money is in the concerts, the merchandise and the fame vs the records. So why not charge a royalty on income based on fame increase over time....e quotient.
Major labels could start taking all the money they spend on executive salaries and spend it on educating the public on music quality and why they offer a product that can not be compared to MP3s. With the proliferation of at-home digital studios, everyone is recording now and with MySpace everyone has a venue. The only problem is not everyone is a Producer. Whitney Houston didn't produce her award winning albums, people like Wyclef J did, and among the only industry spear-carriers to still retain consumer respect for a simple reason: their evident talent. Get them on the front line!
yes, be ok with the downloading and online music scene, it's NOT GOING AWAY! if you can't beat 'em join 'em guys. and if you don't, there will always be a good number of hackers who will.
10 Total
May 11, 2008 at 4:43pm
Stephen DolleMany of you have raised valid points which the industry must address in order to survive. What I see as the most critical point is the record label "business and operations model" that must change. The model of signing and promoting an artist for media and digital sales is gone. I believe the real "value" today is in the artist, more so than the music. So labels need to better explore partnerships and vertical and lateral integration. As a person who also writes scientific papers on rhythm, language, and the brain, I approach music as our 1st and still most reliable language today. As such, music can then be marketed and integrated into everything from community and business identities and communications, to health and wellness, TV/radio ads and events, political and corporate philosophies, and science and technology interests. It was no fluke that the artist "Bono" of U2 sucessfully harnessed the biggest ever philanthropy effort in aid for Africa. Such breakthroughs also allowed new anti-war sentiments, and our present environmental GQ culture, not to mention the reserection of former VP Al Gore. The prospects are immense and record label models must change to meet these opportunities. By Stephen Dolle, DOLLE COMMUNICATIONS.
May 11, 2008 at 4:42pm
Stephen DolleMany of you have raised valid points which the industry must address in order to survive. What I see as the most critical point is the record label "business and operations model" that must change. The model of signing and promoting an artist for media and digital sales is gone. I believe the real "value" today is in the artist, more so than the music. So labels need to better explore partnerships and vertical and lateral integration. As a person who also writes scientific papers on rhythm, language, and the brain, I approach music as our 1st and still most reliable language today. As such, music can then be marketed and integrated into everything from community and business identities and communications, to health and wellness, TV/radio ads and events, political and corporate philosophies, and science and technology interests. It was no fluke that the artist "Bono" of U2 sucessfully harnessed the biggest ever philanthropy effort in aid for Africa. Such breakthroughs also allowed new anti-war sentiments, and our present environmental GQ culture, not to mention the reserection of former VP Al Gore. The prospects are immense and record label models must change to meet these opportunities. By Stephen Dolle, DOLLE COMMUNICATIONS.
May 4, 2008 at 12:32am
Carl LaceyStart embracing change and innovative thinking!
April 29, 2008 at 6:08pm
Michael McKennaThey can, but it is unlikely that they will.
Their professed mission is to sustain the future of recorded music. Since most artists fail to sustain themselves however (and payback the costs to produce & market them), the cash cows must succeed - and succeed big - in order for the labels to have money to invest in the next round of artists....and thereby insuring a future of decent music. It is a noble cause, but built on a precarious concept of investing in way too many in hopes of gettting paid back by a precious few. So they milk the commercially viable cash cows dry and search for the next big thing. With music no longer being distributed in physical form, the game has shifted. Unfortunately, they are way behind the innovation curve because they clung to the physical product model for WAYYYY too long.
It is also one of the oldest good ol boy networks. So their ivory towers are filled with friends and friends of friends bouyed by fuzzy numbers that seek to justify their existence.
The future is the artist (substance), not the behemoth label (form); so it will take an innovative partnership between the artists and a commercially viable mechanism to bring their products to a fair market. Artists that get paid will be inspired to make more music.
And a business that partners with these artists / content producers, learns from the arrogent mistakes of the music industry and embraces the technological innovations available in the future....will insure that we all have likeable music to jam to for years to come.
April 29, 2008 at 4:35pm
robert quashieI think the answer is no. They are dead -- just still twitching and kicking. Their business model was developed to exploit the inability for local/traveling artists to organize mass markets for their music, along with new technology (wax records). I think the next era in music will be lead by entities that figure out how to bring live or viral experiences of 'music' to global audiences, quickly and efficiently.
April 29, 2008 at 3:33pm
Thomas GroundsI agree with Karen McGrane - they need to adapt and change. I think where they are getting all caught up is in thinking of their music like physical inventory. It's not about how many units you sell. It's Music - just by the very definition you can't touch it, you can't see it... but you can hear it. So, stop trying to equate music with a physical thing. If they can think about it differently an entire world of possibilities become available.
Let the music industry continue to grow new talent and create new trends - and separate delivery of that from the production of it. It's like energy deregulation (when done right) that you separate generation from distribution. This will open up a whole new industry around distribution that can leverage many different channels of getting the music out there (push technologies, pull technologies, subscription, physical CD’s, etc.).
No, this won't be easy - but it will inspire an entire wave of innovation around distribution, adoption of new ways of marketing and more importantly broader consumer awareness of new artists. Like Mark and Paul said - it's about the licensing.
April 28, 2008 at 8:27pm
Paul AnthonyThe biggest opportunity in the Music Industry is
- - TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR MAJOR CORPORATIONS TO INVEST IN MUSIC THROUGH LICENSING - - Let me explain.
Businesses have significantly larger financial resources than consumers do and can't "steal" music like consumers can. Brands are always looking for new ways to connect with customers and MUSIC IS THE LANGUAGE OF EMOTION! You can increase retail sales by 10-30% just by changing the music to fit the desired mood & behavior. Can you make a solid argument as a brand for NOT investing in music if it can increase your sales and brand perception?
I (and others) have built businesses that capitalize on this connection and the major labels have yet to step to the table in a meaningful way. It is harder than ever to license music from major labels despite our aggressive attempts to work with them project after project. This has pushed brands to use phenomenal independent music and is the reason why we license great unknown music to brands internationally more regularly than popular artists, or even unknown artists on major labels. The truth is, there is room for majors and indies alike in this massively expanding market.
There is great music represented by Major Labels worldwide and I hope that they, and their artists, can benefit from a more concerted effort to license music to brands in a more efficient and logical manner. The end result is good for all of us as the more money that we put in artists pockets, the more enriched our local an online cultures will become.
Paul Anthony | CEO | Rumblefish | www.Rumblefish.com
April 28, 2008 at 7:21pm
mark palmerLearn from the film industry. Film companies used to want to own the talent. Now they accept they market the talent and let the talent create the concepts. Increasingly the money is in the concerts, the merchandise and the fame vs the records. So why not charge a royalty on income based on fame increase over time....e quotient.
April 28, 2008 at 4:59pm
Ryan McclureMajor labels could start taking all the money they spend on executive salaries and spend it on educating the public on music quality and why they offer a product that can not be compared to MP3s. With the proliferation of at-home digital studios, everyone is recording now and with MySpace everyone has a venue. The only problem is not everyone is a Producer. Whitney Houston didn't produce her award winning albums, people like Wyclef J did, and among the only industry spear-carriers to still retain consumer respect for a simple reason: their evident talent. Get them on the front line!
April 28, 2008 at 4:51pm
Erika Schneideryes, be ok with the downloading and online music scene, it's NOT GOING AWAY! if you can't beat 'em join 'em guys. and if you don't, there will always be a good number of hackers who will.
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