Gerd Leonhard's Blog on The Future of Music, Media & Entertainment

The Jeff Pulver Blog: How Asynchronous Communications became the new Synchronous:

Link: The Jeff Pulver Blog: How Asynchronous Communications became the new Synchronous:.

Jeff always has some good nuggets.Like this:

"While I still rely on telephones and email to stay connected with some people, the summer of 2007 has taught me other ways to create a parallel communication experience..."

My comment: same thing is happening to me right now... based on Facebook.

Jeff: "As real-time social media continues to evolve, I will know where my friends are, what they're facing, if and when they need help, when they have discovered something interesting and many other things they care to share at any moment. The people in my social media communications circle represent a group of people I feel much closer to than some other people whom I’ve known for a long time but never really have gotten to know. Sort of the difference between a well developed character in a novel as compared to someone whose character never gets really developed.  Overall, I believe what is in front of us is a very valuable communications tool with some incredibly useful modes. Modes which will become more evident over time. And modes which will eventually be commercialized by many people. Turns out, what appears to be “fun and frivol” to some people, can be the next big thing for someone else. It all depends upon your Peripheral Vision. :-)"

My comment: totally agree. In a way, the same is happening in media - killer apps for some, horrors for others. I don't twitter but 1000s of others may love it (and apparently do) but I don't watch MTV either. The world is becoming more diverse and more eclectic every day now.  For media, the big question is no longer how to maintain control (i.e. some sort of scarcity) but how to monetize un-control (i.e. ubiquity).  omg... I can feel another book idea rising (btw - my next book, The End of Control, is coming very soon - announcement coming up!!).

Welcome to my Blog - these are my most popular posts on The Future of Music, Media & Entertainment

I was just informed that Typepad / SixApart is going to list my humble pontifications as 'Featured Blog' starting next Wednesday August 29, so if you are one of those first-time visitors, WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF MUSIC & MEDIA, and here (below) are the most important blog posts from the past 2.5 years - you may want to read these first (but there are 1000+ to pick from...:)

Open letter to the independent music industry
Music Like Water - the inevitable music ecosystem
The impact of Social Networks on the Music Industry
Drop DRM or become irrelevant
My 2007 predictions (wow... some of them are actually coming true right now!)
Music Syndication - embrace the Inevitable!
All Media is going PULL
Users converging with creators: the rise of the Usators, the advent of distributed selection, and the attention economy’s impact on music & media commerce.

And here are some other things to check out, about me or from me (albeit not on this blog)
UnlockTheMusic Video (noDRM)
My YouTube Videos
30+ presentations I published in the past 2 years (pdfs), on the Future of Music, Radio, TV etc
My MediaFuturist website
My book "The Future of Music"
Visit me at Facebook

Digital Music Panel at Commonwealth Club San Francisco (Gerd on DRM)

I hope you enjoy my blog!
Gerd Leonhard

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PS: If you need music for your blogs and social network sites check out Sonific (my latest venture - free music widgets with over 200.000 songs!)

Listen to my pontifications via this Streaming Podcast Widget provided by Sonific

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Matt McAlister - The business of network effects

Good read on network effects. Music marketing 2.0 ;)
Link: Matt McAlister � The business of network effects.

'Off the record', Prospect Magazine (the economics of pop music)

Link: 'Off the record', Prospect Magazine issue 137 August 2007 - Printer Friendly Article.

"In recent years, the economics of pop music have been upended. The market for CDs has collapsed, and not even the rise of legal downloading can offset the damage to record companies. Meanwhile, demand for live performances has rocketed..."

Rolling Stone : The Record Industry's Decline

Great story!

Link: Rolling Stone : The Record Industry's Decline.

The 20 things you MUST know about music online at New Music Strategies

Andrew Dubber is sharing some good stuff here - take a look. The pdf book is recommended, too. Link: The 20 things you MUST know about music online at New Music Strategies.

The Music Fan Behind Hype Machine: Q&A With Anthony Volodkin

Eliot Buskirk of Wired offers a good interview with Anthony of Hypemachine. As he says, below, it's all about CONTEXT. So much content is out there...so how do you know what to pay attention to? CURATORS and trusted recommendors is what we need, i.e. both smart software and PEOPLE. Now that looks like a good business... Radio, anyone?

Link: The Music Fan Behind Hype Machine: Q&A With Anthony Volodkin.

"I think Hype Machine plays in an ecosystem of several new things that have developed, with regard to music and how people interact with it. People discover something when friends send a link to YouTube video, and they're just like, "Wow, what is this song?" And they get really excited about it. Hype Machine isn't really that (per se), but it's in that spectrum … people just getting excited about music and communicating about it, without any sort of marketing -- just because they enjoy it. It's an interesting change in the way that music discussion gets exposed on the net, and [becomes] accessible to other people...?

PS: get the hypemachine podcast RSS feed here

MTV News | The Future Of Music: Cell Phone As iPod, Virtual Concerts And A Great Jukebox In The Sky

Link: MTV News | The Future Of Music: Cell Phone As iPod, Virtual Concerts And A Great Jukebox In The Sky.

Jonathan Coulton/ NYT on: MySpace - YouTube - Rock Music (a nice summary of the digital ecosystem for artists)

This is a great read - nicely describes the budding digital ecosystem for artists. Jonathan Coulton - MySpace - YouTube - Rock Music - New York Times. My favorite quotes:

"...Along the way, he discovered a fact that many small-scale recording artists are coming to terms with these days: his fans do not want merely to buy his music. They want to be his friend. (my comment: the record labels need to take a few pages from this: it's not ALL about selling COPIES - it's the BRAND!) And that means they want to interact with him all day long online. They pore over his blog entries, commenting with sympathy and support every time he recounts the difficulty of writing a song. They send e-mail messages, dozens a day, ranging from simple mash notes of the “you rock!” variety to starkly emotional letters.... This trend isn’t limited to musicians; virtually every genre of artistic endeavor is slowly becoming affected, too. Filmmakers like Kevin Smith (“Clerks”) and Rian Johnson (“Brick”) post dispatches about the movies they’re shooting and politely listen to fans’ suggestions; the comedian Dane Cook cultivated such a huge fan base through his Web site that his 2005 CD “Retaliation” became the first comedy album to reach the Billboard Top 5 since 1978. But musicians are at the vanguard of the change. Their product, the three-minute song, was the first piece of pop culture to be fully revolutionized by the Internet. And their second revenue source — touring — makes them highly motivated to connect with far-flung fans...."

FAIR USE: Protecting Innovation (CEA's Gary Shapiro in Business Week)

Good article. Right on, Gary.

FAIR USE: Protecting Innovation.

Businesses that rely on technological innovation should call for all content companies to embrace the creative destruction of the analog world. Our nation's economy is dependent on the technology sector. Consumer Electronics Association market research projects $155 billion in factory sales of consumer electronics in the U.S. in 2007, and the consumer-electronics industry (including manufacturing and retail) employs more than 1.9 million Americans.

Great feature on the Internet and Books- Forbes.com

Link: Books - Forbes.com.

Are books in danger?

The conventional wisdom would say yes. After all, more and more media--the Internet, cable television, satellite radio, videogames--compete for our time. And the Web in particular, with its emphasis on textual snippets, skimming and collaborative creation, seems ill-suited to nurture the sustained, authoritative transmission of complex ideas that has been the historical purview of the printed page. But surprise--the conventional wisdom is wrong

..."

Good read, especially Cory's feature.

Andy Kessler: Media 2.Uh-Oh in a single file

Link: Andy Kessler: Media 2.Uh-Oh in a single file.

Media is about control of a pipe.

wow - now there is some good reading. Great stuff.

eMarketer.com on Music Marketing -- Read this - great comment on how music is marketed online TODAY

eMarketer.com - Jonathan Coulton Is a Better Marketer Than You.

"I woke up this morning and checked my personal blog. Overnight, my blogging partner had posted a fan-made video he found for a clever song ("Code Monkey") by an independent musician whose name and work I had never heard of. After viewing it, I went to Jonathan Coulton's site, thanks to the Web address on the screen at the end of the video. The site had a ton of content, including a blog. Moreover, I could listen to all of his songs for free there. If I had wanted to download any, they were a buck apiece, with "albums" available for a discount. I subscribed to Mr. Coulton's podcast, which includes a new song every week, reminiscent of They Might Be Giants' longstanding "Dial-A-Song" service. Many of Mr. Coulton's songs were downloadable at no charge at all; one of these was titled "Podsafe Christmas Song."..."

This is a great insight into how music is being marketed today. All PULL not push. From the EDGES of the network. User driven.

Media 2.0 and The World of Online Video - Never Mind the Quality see the Marketshare @ ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE MAGAZINE

Link: Media 2.0 and The World of Online Video - Never Mind the Quality see the Marketshare @ ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE MAGAZINE.

Media 2.0 and The World of Online Video - Never Mind the Quality see the Marketshare It increasingly obvious that the traditional publish and consumption model has outlived its usefulness and applicability

Wired 14.07: The Rise and Fall of the Hit

Link: Wired 14.07: The Rise and Fall of the Hit.

The era of the blockbuster is so over. The niche is now king, and the entertainment industry – from music to movies to TV – will never be the same.

Go Chris go!!!!

Wired News: Celestial Jukebox Falls to Earth

Link: Wired News: Celestial Jukebox Falls to Earth.

Another good Buskirk writing...

Everybody’s a network :: AO

Link: Everybody’s a network :: AO.

"....rebundling is where value capture will happen - at communities, reconstructors, markets, networks - that direct people’s attention to individualized ‘casts. This is where branding will be reborn - and where advertising is already being disrupted, ripped apart, and reborn (viz, Google, PPC, pay per call, etc)..."

Warner Music the Remix - CNN Report

Link: Warner Music the Remix - April 1, 2006.

"CEO Edgar Bronfman's effort to adapt a storied label for the digital age could provide a blueprint for the salvation of the recording industry--and of the reputation of one of America's most intriguing moguls..."

Good read if somewhat jaded towards WMG --- there are other sides to this coin, too!

Jason Chervokas: Freemium To Be You and Me

Link: TRICKSTER!: Freemium To Be You and Me.

The Digital Media Winners of 2005

Link: The Digital Media Winners of 2005.

Fast Company Magazine | The 10 Hottest Minds in Hollywood

Link: Fast Company Magazine | The 10 Hottest Minds in Hollywood.

Interesting list!

Hypergene MediaBlog � Interview with Richard Sambrook, director of the BBC Global News Division (...on the BBC's policy is regarding Creative Commons)

Link: Hypergene MediaBlog � Interview with Richard Sambrook, director of the BBC Global News Division.

Aloda Info - inCode Reveals Top 10 Global Wireless Predictions for 2006 - News

Link: Aloda Info - inCode Reveals Top 10 Global Wireless Predictions for 2006 - News.
My favorite part

"However, if the music industry really wants mobile music to take off, it should control its greed and work with others in the value chain to align pricing, promotions and download times across all access technologies (WiFi, cellular, etc.). Also, look for a digital music innovator to take the industry to a new level of handset/device “coolness” and launch a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) focusing solely on mobile entertainment services. Moreover, this innovator will resolve pricing and download disparities..." 

Buzzmachine: Who wants to own content?

Distribution is not king.

Content is not king.

Conversation is the kingdom.

wow!

Embracing our Digital Destiny - JD Lassica on AO

on AO.com:  J.D. Lasica's new book explores the future of movies, computing, television, music, and games—and the choices facing us as a society as we transition into the digital age. The following is the fifth and final excerpt from Darknet: Hollywood's War Against the Digital Generation.