I am often amazed at how much today’s musicians can learn from the past. We all think that we are in the age of digital music and the old rules no longer apply and that there are only new models to develop and pursue. Wrong. Instead, we can all learn a whole lot by looking [...]
Wiring up Live Music
April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Hypebot reports: Technology has changed a lot about how concerts are marketed, ticketed and produced since Woodstock. Recently, the greatest driver of change – particularly from the fan perspective – has been the smartphone. From taking photos to texting friends and song requests, smartphones are changing how concerts are consumed and remembered. But early glimpses of [...]
India Provides a Glimpse into The Future
April 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
All markets are not the same. Most people in India have not had access to high-speed Internet or a PC. The wired broadband penetration of India stands at about 13 million subscriptions and there are only 50 million PCs in the country. Very few Indians have broadband or a PC of their own. 3G expands [...]
Are Virtual Artists Really the Future of Music?
April 17, 2012 By 4 Comments
Sunday night at Coachella Festival Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre brought Tupac Shakur back from the dead to perform live with them onstage as a hologram. Holy Smokes. He appears on stage and greats the audience with “Yeah, you know what the fuck this is … What up Dre? … What up Snoop? … What the [...]
Towards More Equitable Payouts for Musicians and Songwriters
April 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This came in my bi-annual Sony Music statement last week. It said “You may be Eligible for Increased iTunes Payments (or other permanent Digital Download or Ringtone royalties) as part of the Settlements of Class Action Lawsuits. Please see the enclosed notice for details.” Ka-ching! Congratulations to “Shropshire” and the “Youngbloods” (great band) in [...]
The Boss of SXSW
March 23, 2012 By 1 Comment
We waited for a half-hour for him to come on. Not bad for the Boss. In nearly an hour-long rant from the stage of the Austin Convention Center at SXSW, Bruce Springsteen spoke about his life as a musician and the artists who influenced his career. As Ann Powers wrote, “Springsteen identified himself as a Motown-loving, Sex [...]
The Front End of the Donkey
February 7, 2012 By 8 Comments
You gotta love Neil’s honesty. We owe it all to artists to stand up to what they believe in and drive us forward. Without them, we would have nothing. “Still the searcher must ride the dark horse Racing alone in his fright.” “I’m finding that I have a little bit of trouble with the quality [...]
Economics of SOPA from Indie Rap Artist MC Lars
February 6, 2012 By 4 Comments
Here is a guest post excerpt from my friend and artist MC Lars from the Huffington Post UK. “In last week’s State of the Union, President Obama stressed the importance of creatively revitalising our nation’s economy. He called for “an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of [...]
