Bringing Music & Tech Together To Move Things Forward Productively

from the about-time dept

Tomorrow is the latest version of the absolutely awesome SF MusicTech Summit, which happens twice a year, and which I rarely miss. It's always a great place to meet lots of people involved in both music and technology and to have some really great conversations. If you've never been, it's absolutely worth checking out. I asked organizer Brian Zisk about the themes for the event, and he noted that it's really about "working together to move things forward productively." This is great to hear, because that's what's really needed at this point. We've gone through about a decade and a half of finger pointing, but have not nearly had enough effort put into actually focusing on helping each other.

Along those lines, I'll be doing a panel at 9:25am tomorrow morning, with one of my favorite musicians, Zoe Keating and Mike McGeary from Engine, to talk about how artists and entrepreneurs can, are and should be working together to help each other. This session will actually be a brief "preview" into a bigger effort that we're working on. The following day, Wednesday, we're hosting a whole bunch of artists (not just music, but film, books, graphic artists and more) and entrepreneurs, for a daylong productive "working group," to try to help everyone understand each other -- the challenges we all face and the opportunities we all see -- and to figure out if there are specific, actionable things that we can all do to help each other. We haven't set up this working group as a "conference." There are no talking heads. There won't be any panels. There's a very loose agenda. But the focus is on having an open discussion and finding common ground -- recognizing that entrepreneurs and artists are often more alike than different. In many ways, we're all running our own businesses -- and creating something new and wonderful.

At the same time, obviously, there are some very real differences between being an artist and an entrepreneur -- and one issue that both sides often run into is a failure to fully understand those differences. So part of the goal of the one day event will be to foster better understanding of those issues, but with a focus on figuring out how we can actually get something done to help each other, rather than just talking about it all. We'll give a glimpse into that discussion tomorrow, and then will spend most of Wednesday working through these issues with a wide range of artists and entrepreneurs. We'll then be taking what we learn from the working group and creating a paper out of it, that we'll (of course) release to the world. It should be an exciting week!

Oh... and don't forget, if you're in town, come by our Happy Hour on Wednesday evening!
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Filed Under: artists, copyright, entrepreneurs, new business models, sf music tech, working together


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  • identicon
    out_of_the_blue, 8 Oct 2012 @ 6:17pm

    After all these years, you're JUST NOW asking this question?

    "and to figure out if there are specific, actionable things that we can all do to help each other."

    How about starting by learning the language, college boy? :

    actionable adj. Law [term] that gives cause for an action or lawsuit

    In my opinion your grifting pals are getting pretty near to actionable, all right.

    Man, you're such a muddleheaded pretender.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Beech, 8 Oct 2012 @ 6:53pm

      Re: After all these years, you're JUST NOW asking this question?

      From dictionary.com

      ac·tion·a·ble
         [ak-shuh-nuh-buhl] Show IPA
      adjective
      1.
      furnishing ground for a lawsuit.
      2.
      liable to a lawsuit.
      3.
      ready to go or be put into action; ready for use: to retrieve actionable copy from a computer.


      Please note point 3. Hey, a word having more than one definition. Who'd-a thunk it?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2012 @ 7:23pm

        Re: Re: After all these years, you're JUST NOW asking this question?

        Classic out_of_average_joe move. Manages to nitpick over the silliest of things but are willing enough to overlook gross legal oversight.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Ninja (profile), 9 Oct 2012 @ 3:49am

        Re: Re: After all these years, you're JUST NOW asking this question?

        Notice how he simply ignored the good points made by the article and focused on some non-issue. Because he can't argue he'll simply digress.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2012 @ 7:53am

      Re: After all these years, you're JUST NOW asking this question?

      Merriam Webster thinks there is an alternative definition:

      > 2. capable of being acted on [actionable information]

      If only the neigh-sayers here would pause and do some real research before posting... sigh...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2012 @ 6:31pm

    "he noted that it's really about "working together to move things forward productively." This is great to hear, because that's what's really needed at this point."

    Vapid sloganism for the win!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Beech, 8 Oct 2012 @ 6:59pm

    doing things to help each other?

    Doing specific actionable things to help each other? Sounds like fancy talk for pirate apology! Haven't you heard that piracy can be compared to other things like rape, murder, pillaging, jaywalking, and arson? Why can't we all just take the high road and sit in a huge circle jerk whining about just how bad piracy is and wishing it would go away? Because you're some kind of High Lord Pirate-Monger, Duke of all Apologizing Scum-Dirtbags.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2012 @ 10:42pm

    entrepreneur

    you talk as if you can only be an artist or an entrepreneur, at least you feel there are big differences between the two.. well that is obvious but it is no different to being an engineer and an entrepreneur, or an electrician and a entrepreneur.

    Entrepreneurism is just the willingness to "undertake a new venture or enterprise at accecpt full responsibility for it's outcome." (wik)..

    So an artist who starts a band and gets paid gigs is an entrepreneur.

    Are you really talking about venture capitalists ? a person who is willing to invest in someone elsesventure or enterprise ?

    So you can be an engineer and a entrepreneur if you run your own engineering company.

    Masnick, you are always banging on about how 'existing models' do not work, so why do you think that matching up artists with people who are using "existing models" is going to be any help ?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike Masnick (profile), 8 Oct 2012 @ 10:55pm

      Re: entrepreneur

      you talk as if you can only be an artist or an entrepreneur

      No, in fact, I do not. We actually made the point that people can be some, both, neither or something completely different. In fact, part of the signup form asks them exactly that.

      So an artist who starts a band and gets paid gigs is an entrepreneur.


      Sure. Not sure what your point is. We agree.

      Are you really talking about venture capitalists ? a person who is willing to invest in someone elsesventure or enterprise ?

      No.

      So you can be an engineer and a entrepreneur if you run your own engineering company.


      Yes. Again, not sure you're point.

      Masnick, you are always banging on about how 'existing models' do not work, so why do you think that matching up artists with people who are using "existing models" is going to be any help ?

      Huh?!?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2012 @ 12:06am

        Re: Re: entrepreneur

        I have to ask... how much are the badges for this event?

        Why aren't they free? Shouldn't they be doing it right and just making money on t-shirts?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          The eejit (profile), 9 Oct 2012 @ 12:26am

          Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

          Because badges are so METAL!!!! \m/

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Mike Masnick (profile), 9 Oct 2012 @ 12:49am

          Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

          I have to ask... how much are the badges for this event?


          They're free.

          Why aren't they free? Shouldn't they be doing it right and just making money on t-shirts?


          They are free.

          But, even if you were making a point, which you're not, charging for admission to events makes plenty of sense, as it's a scarcity. That's why we always talk about the live market as being one to look into, as it's about a real scarcity.

          So, not sure what point you're making.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Beech, 9 Oct 2012 @ 2:06am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

            the point isn't to make a point, it's to blindly throw out accusations, hoping that you won't see/respond to them, to try and discredit you.

            the point is to troll

            link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2012 @ 7:23am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

            "They're free."

            Why are you lying Mike?

            SF MusicTech Summit XI: Day Of Show, if Still Available 12h 37m $799.00

            So why is the show not free?

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 9 Oct 2012 @ 8:09am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

              The badge is free, the admission to the event isn't. Like buying a new car...do the keys cost $25k?

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              rubberpants, 9 Oct 2012 @ 12:38pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

              Charging for live performances is a great way to make money. Selling an infinitely copyable series of ones and zeros when the Internet exists - not so much.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Mike Masnick (profile), 10 Oct 2012 @ 2:10am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

              Why are you lying Mike?

              SF MusicTech Summit XI: Day Of Show, if Still Available 12h 37m $799.00

              So why is the show not free?


              We weren't talking about SFMT, but the event that we're putting on.

              As for SFMT, as I said, it makes perfect sense to charge for events.

              Still searching for your point.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          rubberpants, 9 Oct 2012 @ 12:40pm

          Re: Re: Re: entrepreneur

          Even if admission wasn't free why would that be a problem? Are you suggesting that anyone here thinks that everything should be free? If so, do you have any links where I can read that?

          Charging for finite/scarce goods and services is exactly what they should be doing.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 9 Oct 2012 @ 3:57am

    I'm fairly sure the MAFIAA will make zero effort to be there. And while out, they'll either ignore it or smear and throw bogus data about how piracy is killing music so they can't innovate.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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