Fan Participation and the Democratization of Music

Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by refe.

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Digital technology continues to transform the music industry. Most believe that this transformation is causing the industry to evolve into something new that will resemble nothing that has come before it. Others are beginning to suggest that perhaps the music industry is instead reverting back to a state closer to how it all began. What [...]

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State of the Music Business at the Millennium Music Conference

Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by refe.

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This past weekend I attended the 14th annual Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA. Fourteen years is a long time for anything to last in this business. I would imagine that panel topics have changed quite a bit since the conference first appeared on the scene in 1996. This year members of over 300 bands [...]

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The Lower Class Musician

Posted on 16. Feb, 2010 by refe.

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For some music is a hobby and that is okay. However, if you plan on feeding your children by touring the Chitlin’ circuit, that’s another thing entirely. When I realized that writing songs for Columbia Records and recording demos with The Fugees wasn’t going to sustain me forever, I had to get adjust my expectations. These gigs were few and far in between and often times didn’t pay half as much as you would expect them to.

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Music and Tech Recap – January 2010 Edition

Posted on 08. Feb, 2010 by Gabriel Nijmeh.

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2010 got off to a quick start with CES in early January, another Apple love fest and Midem 2010, the annual music biz conference held in Cannes, France. Although it was reported that attendance at Midem was down from previous years, there was still a lot of interesting panels, news and announcements made over the [...]

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Can Music Stand on Its Own in Today’s Entertainment Culture?

Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by refe.

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Did you watch the Grammys? I didn’t. Music’s self-proclaimed “biggest night” celebrated it’s 52nd year this past Sunday with one of the most colorful, over-the-top spectacles in the broadcast’s history. Pink pulled a Cirq Du Sole while dripping wet and suspended from the rafters. Lady Gaga played a duet with a rock and roll icon who more [...]

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Why Innovation Is Not Enough to Build a Brand (Or a Band)

Posted on 01. Feb, 2010 by refe.

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Innovation is important. It elevates a product beyond simple retail and causes it to become a catalyst for change in the marketplace and culture. Innovation is also notoriously elusive. Today’s stroke of genius could be tomorrow’s old news. Worse, that first-to-market concept you’ve been hustling to get out the door could be short-circuited by the [...]