The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust!

Saul Williams’ new Trent Reznor produced album comes out tomorrow – for free! Read what they had to say about it and the stateof the music industry over at New York Magazine.  My favorite bit re: OiNK -

Trent ‘ They’re not stealing it because they’re going to make money off of it; they’re stealing it because they love the band. I’m not saying that I think OiNK is morally correct, but I do know that it existed because it filled a void of what people want.’

I think this is one of the most important issues at the moment – if you don’t give your audience or consumers what they want – they’ll go elsewhere – FACT.

If yes turn to p.23, if no turn to p.67!

I’m all confused and flattered at the same time – a couple of scenarios have presented themselves to me and I don’t know how to feel.

Scenario 1: Friend x worked for magazine x that recently shut its doors. He wants use the database to leverage readership of his soon to exist magazine. He comes to me for guidance.  I tell him print is dead – the Vice model works but really only for Vice (and we all know how well they reward their employees!). Internet is the way forward, especially if the content is predominantly music (podcasts, links to myspace etc etc). The barrier to entry with a new print magazine is rediculous compared to entry with a website – why not enter with a website and monthly downloadable PDF with the longer articles on it – you can aggreagate other new sources, MP3 files, link to stuff you can’t be arsed to write about – even sell MP3s through your own online store – hell if I had a music site I’d use some of the ad revenue to commission exclusive remixes – Curtis Voda remixing the White Stripes? DreSkull remixing Yeasayer? Fuck yeah – what label is going to baulk at the fact that a website wants to do their work for them?

This is the way I see it – the web holds all information – everything you want to know is out there, you just have to find it. Easy right? No? Its not easy to find the information – you need conduits – content curators – filters – and this is where magazines come in – thats what they’ve always been but I don’t feel that they use this to their advantage – Popbitch is saying that the print version of the NME is over – cool – Business Week says that managers are the new record labels – cool – but who is exploiting this to the fullest?

Daytrotter – supposedly these guys worked in a studio – so they got the cool bands to record a few tunes and bish bosh bash they one of the coolest sites out there – but where is the brand extension???????

NME – the live tour is sponsored by Topman – where is the NME line in ToSho? Where is the NME branded webshop selling Razorlight scarves and ties? Where is the NME music downoad store? Where is the NME ‘other shit we like’ section on the site. People are still thinking of the closed box, don’t send people away from our site / store. This is wrong – send people from your site – the internet is fluid – be the person that recommended the great article on Pitchfork or the new exclusive Marilyn Manson PDF USB MP3.

I’ve had a few beers so excuse me but A) I’m annoyed that people call me wise and say that I know whats what yet I STILL DO NOT HAVE A PROPER JOB, B) wtf – why are these people not exploiting the massive brands they have? C) why is someone not realising these glaring holes in the web music arena and completely dominating (yeah I guess if I have all the answers then I’m the fool for not exploiting them myself).

Anyway – scenario 2 to follow.

Completely Awesome Music Industry News!

OK I gotta be quick – my girlfriend is antsy on the sofa and I’ve overshot my tinternet quotient for the evening. Chris Anderson, he of the Long Tail, sees only joy and light in the music ‘industry’ - see here.

This got me thinking about my boy Gerd Leonhard – he’s forever been chatting about not thinking of the music industry in the same way that we have been for the past 70 odd years – since reading his book The Future Of Music I often daydream about being his young Padawan – you know like when Luke went to study with Yoda – maybe I’ll e-mail him. Anyway his writing a new ‘blook (blog / book) called The End Of Control – I’d sit up and read it if I didn’t have an other half but here’s the link – be sure to read it – I will be tomorrow.

Oh and how’d you like that Yeasayer stuff?

Future Of the Music Industry

Great article on the future of the music industry in the New York Times by the guy that wrote Freakonomics.