Music And Marketing -- You Need Them Both

from the it's-not-just-one dept

A couple people have sent over Bob Lefsetz' recent post, where he bashes some of the "extreme marketing" efforts from musicians lately. In fact, he picks on quite a few of the examples that we've set out as good examples, including Josh Freese, Jill Sobule and Moldover -- complaining that these are all gimmicks that outshine the music. He asks how many people who have heard about these gimmicks actually heard the music from these artists.

I think he's both right and wrong on this. First, you have to say "compared to what." If Freese, Sobule and Moldover had just come out with an album in the traditional way, how many of the same group of people would likely have heard the album? I'd say a lot fewer. I doubt I would have heard any of them, and now I'm quite familiar with the music of all three.

But... his larger point is definitely dead on. At the core of all of this, it is the music that is key. But putting out good music and being a good marketer are not mutually exclusive. If you do something cool -- something fun or valuable or neat beyond just the music -- it's not going to matter as much if the music itself isn't good. This is why, I have to admit, the one area where I think all three of these artists could have done a better job is actually making the music itself free. All three offered really compelling reasons to buy, but they still hid away the actual music. Why not free up the MP3s, continue the cool "reasons to buy" and get the best of both worlds. Then you get everything: you get people listening to the music and feeling a connection there. You get people paying attention for the "marketing" part, and you still make money thanks to the "reasons to buy."

But that doesn't mean that doing a smart marketing promotion is a bad thing. It just needs to tie in well with the music. The existing "true fans" will already want to hear the music, but if part of the goal is to attract new fans, you have to go beyond just the marketing to give them more access to the core music -- and focus on selling them on real reasons to buy something above and beyond the content.

Filed Under: jill sobule, josh freese, marketing, moldover, music

Recording Industry, Japanese Gov't Work To Break Your Mobile Phone If You Listen To Unauthorized Music

from the how-nice-of-them dept

You would think that the entertainment industry might look back at its rather long history of failed attempts to stop technological innovation from interfering with their business models and realize the sheer futility of trying to stop people from doing what they want to do, and could have learned that embracing what technology allows is a better path. But... that never seems to happen. Apparently the recording industry is now so worried that unauthorized file sharing on mobile phones is the next big threat, that rather than working on ways to use that to their advantage, they've teamed up with the Japanese gov't (note: not Japanese consumer electronics makers) to develop a system to break mobile phones if users are caught listening to unauthorized music.

Think of it like an automated "three strikes" plan for your phone:

Details are scarce, but apparently the system would consist of a central database which contains information about music which is authorized to be downloaded. This system would be responsible for verifying that cellphone users weren't downloading illicit music. Those that do would be sent warning messages.

But of course, simple warnings aren't enough for the music industry. The report claims that the music capabilities of cellphones could be disabled for persistent infringers.

Once again, the entertainment industry would prefer to break any new innovation rather than learn to adapt.

Filed Under: japan, mobile phones, music, playback, three strikes

If You're A Musician Wondering Why No One's Giving You Money, Start Here...

from the work-it-out dept

Over at GrindEFX, they've put together a nice column discussing 5 Reasons Why Nobody is Buying Your Music, which touches on all the basics that we tend to talk about here. You should go read the full details, but the short list is:

1. Does anyone know?
2. Is your music up to scratch?
3. Are you giving your fans options?
4. Are you giving your fans a reason to buy?
5. Are your prices reasonable?

It's a good list -- and these days, I'm getting requests from too many musicians to respond to (though I try!), asking for help with improving their business models, so I may start pointing them to this list as well. My one quibble with the title is the focus on "selling the music." I think musicians need to get beyond that. By focusing on selling "the music" it keeps you away from the mindset where you realize you might be better off giving the music away for free, and having it promote something else (something scarce) that you can sell.

Filed Under: business models, music

Music Comes Back To Life On YouTube In The UK

from the but-who-caved? dept

I still can't quite figure out what sort of leverage the various music labels and collections societies think they have over YouTube. Musicians who have embraced YouTube have found that it can help boost their careers and turn out more fans at their shows. And, without music videos, YouTube still gets a ton of traffic. The only ones who lose out with the music taken off the site are the musicians and the labels -- and that was seen in the way the musicians who first complained that Google wasn't paying them enough then freaked out that Google took down all their videos in the UK, after being unable to agree on a payment scheme. Clearly, the musicians valued the exposure a lot more than Google needed to have those videos.

It only took about six months, but PRS for Music (the UK collection society) and Google have finally worked out a deal so that the music videos will return to YouTube. It's not entirely clear what the details are, but it certainly sounds like it was PRS who caved (which makes sense, given the leverage situation). Google is paying a lump sum, rather than a per stream fee. PRS had been pushing for per stream fees that were significantly higher than anything Google could have made on ads. So it certainly seems like PRS folded here, and Google tossed them some spare change just to get them to stop whining and get the videos back online.

Filed Under: music, uk, videos
Companies: google, prs, youtube

Music Critic Explains Why The Music Industry Is Better Off Embracing Fans

from the preach-it dept

My friend Tom emailed me to let me know he heard Chicago Tribune music critic (and host of the excellent music podcast Sound Opinions) Greg Kot on public radio's Marketplace, and said it sounded like I was talking, based on what was being said. Indeed, the interview hits on a lot of what we usually talk about here, noting how the old industry is overreacting, and there's a new music business that's growing rapidly by embracing what fans want:

There is a part of the music industry that is dying as a result of what's happening on the Internet. But I think a new industry is being born, a grassroots industry.

Kot is asked to describe the business model, and he notes the importance of community (though, he leaves out the latter part of the equation -- the "reason to buy" part):

I think what it comes down to is building a community around what an artist may do. I think what was happening in the past, where everything was being funneled through a few big corporations, a few big record companies, a few big radio stations, fans really didn't feel personally invested in the artist. And what the Internet is facilitating is artists communicating directly with their fans and vice versa. To the point where you have fans participating in the art, whether it's making videos, or doing remixes, they feel part of the equation. And as a result they're investing in the artist in numerous ways.

After naming (of course) Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails as bands that have it figured out, Kot's asked about how smaller, less well-known bands can do things, and Kot's got a ready answer (though, he doesn't name names -- even though there are many such examples):

You know, it's very hard to keep a secret on the Internet. If your music is genuinely good, you will not be a secret for very long. I think the key is start small, start with a community base, start with a few hardcore fans and build it from there. And secondly lower your overhead. Keep your operations small and surround yourself with a few invested businessmen. In other words, you still need infrastructure, but it should be a lot smaller.

All in all a good interview, though probably won't break much new ground for readers here. Still, it's nice to see Kot recognize these things, and makes me interested in reading his recent book, Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music.

Filed Under: business models, community, fans, greg kot, music

FCC To Study Single Rating System For Movies, Video Games, TV & Music

from the under-what-mandate? dept

GamePolitics reports that the FCC is planning to study the idea of a "universal rating system" for all kinds of media, including movies, music, video games and television. According to the Bloomberg article on this, the FCC actually has a mandate to do this under a 2007 law that gave it authority to explore blocking technologies, though that seems to go well beyond the official mandate of the FCC to only monitor communications using public infrastructure. Furthermore, every single attempt to put in place a gov't mandated solution for a ratings system has been struck down as unconstitutional (and a bunch have been tried). Every rating system you see now are voluntary agreements from the industry. Having the FCC even explore such an issue raises some serious constitutional questions.

Filed Under: fcc, first amendment, movies, music, ratings, television, video games

Yet Another Study Shows File Sharers Buy More Media

from the but-they-just-want-stuff-for-free? dept

We've seen a bunch of studies like this in the past, but people keep submitting this, so figured we'd do a quick post on it. Yet another study has shown that people who are more active in unauthorized file sharing, also tend to spend more on authorized entertainment purchases. Now, to be fair, the study was paid for by a file sharing provider -- so, take it with a rather large grain of salt. But similar studies have been done in the past as well, and it seems to once again call into question the rallying cry in Hollywood that people just want stuff for free.

Filed Under: file sharing, media, music, purchases

A&E Goes To Court To Defend Fair Use Of 12 Second Clip Of Music

from the this-should-be-interesting dept

Avatar28 points us to a potentially interesting lawsuit over whether or not A&E's decision to use 12-seconds of the song Rocky Top in part of a TV show is fair use. The article is actually pretty comprehensive in laying out all the details in the case. A&E was doing an episode of the show City Confidential about some contract killings in Knoxville, Tennessee. In setting the scene, the show presents quick clips of scenes around Knoxville, including a photo of a UT football player, with the 12-seconds of the song playing in the background. The song Rocky Top is apparently one of (a few) official state songs in Tennessee and is the "unofficial" fight song of the University of Tennessee (which holds a special license to use the song).

A&E claims that it's fair use, since the music was being used in part as a news report would use it. The article compares it to both the recent case where John Lennon's Imagine was allowed in the movie Expelled without a license... but also to the infamous Bridgeport ruling that basically said fair use doesn't apply to music at all. Some will say that A&E's case is also weaker because it had approached the children of the songwriters (who now control the copyright) about a license, and then never got one, but that, alone, doesn't change the fair use calculation.

This is one of those cases that really could go either way. As a strong believer in fair use, it shouldn't surprise anyone that I think this is clearly fair use, and that the four factors of fair use support it (as should common sense). But, others will surely make the case in the other direction. The thing that I wonder is how allowing such a use could possibly be a bad thing for the copyright holders. It seems like one of those cases where copyright holders are suing just because they have the copyright and think that, because of that, they absolutely have to sue. Either way, kudos to A&E for standing up for fair use.

Filed Under: a&e, copyright, fair use, music, rocky top, tennessee

A Hunger Strike Isn't A New Business Model And It Won't Stop File Sharing

from the good-luck-with-that dept

Talk about the wrong way to go about things. Apparently musicians who are upset about the rates of unauthorized file sharing in Nigeria chose to go on a hunger strike to protest such things. It's really difficult to think of a worse, less productive idea. Hunger strikes are used to "call attention" to a problem -- but usually the idea is to call attention to a problem not enough people care about. The thing is, most people understand what's going on with file sharing, and they think (accurately, in my opinion) that the real issue is that musicians need to embrace newer, better business models. The fact that they've failed to embrace new business models isn't exactly a "cause" that will get people excited because someone is refusing to eat. The file sharing will continue. Perhaps instead of starving themselves, these musicians could have put a bit more effort into a better business model.

Filed Under: file sharing, hunger strike, music, nigeria

Apple Approves Spotify App... Spotify Should Thank Google

from the good-timing dept

Just before the whole mess -- including an FCC inquiry -- of why Apple rejected Google voice on the iPhone, we were among those who wondered if Apple would approve Spotify, the well-hyped (perhaps over-hyped) music app that in many ways competes directly with iTunes. Well, it looks like Apple has approved the software, though Spotify is still only available in certain European countries (though there are promises of a North American launch later this year). You really have to wonder, though, how much of the approval was due to the mess and attention that Apple received following the rejection of Google Voice. It seems likely that the company is now (finally) a bit more sensitive to this issue, and may have decided that it didn't need another PR headache... or to give any more fodder to the FCC. Spotify probably owes Google a nice bouquet of flowers.

Filed Under: app store, arbitrary, iphone, itunes, music, spotify, streaming
Companies: apple, google, spotify