Tech Boogie: Apple and Beats how it might work.

2014-06-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

Breakfast and no Tiffiny....

So I’m chilling at home one morning, checking my feeds and see the breaking news of Apple intending to acquire Beats by Dre for 3 billion. I blow up the video on the big screen via the youtube app on my phone, which is paired with the youtube app on my xbox 360. After watching the report with my wife, I discuss with her how this is a good thing. I tell her my opinion of the buyout and the many benefits. Its only when I finish talking and I realised that I made some valid points, and surprised myself of my insights and hypotheses. Days go by and I’m still thinking about the conversation. I felt compelled to write about it in a blog post before you now.

Not bad for a 2006 startup....

As a producer and record exec of my own label, Ricoshay.net, I try and stay tuned to what’s going in various industries and how it affects the recording industry. As you probably know Beats Electronics was founded by Dr Dre (a hero of mine) and Jimmy Iovine. Jimmy, being head of interscope strategically placed Beats Headphones as the main accessory championed by the most influential acts within the Universal Music Group. Members of this roster include Will I Am, Gwen Stefani, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Chris Brown, Diddy, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Justin Bieber to name a few. This influence combined with sports stars and film stars wearing the headphones around their neck, influenced a generation. Soon everybody would be susceptible to headphone fever.

Apple changed the headphone game before Beats......

Our main headphone providers prior to Beats electronics were fragmented by the likes of TDK, Senhieser, Sony, JVC, AKG, and Bose. It feels like a dull time in comparison were we wore headphones for a necessity of sound. The ones who cared more about sound, spent more. Hence Djs and connoisseurs. It was about quality and was never about fashion. People would know you cared about music, but didn’t care enough to consider you a trendsetter or a technology fashionista. They were predominantly black with a hint of colour to express clarity, power, and professionalism. Then Apple’s iPod changed everything.

For the first time ever, technological status was symbolised by wearing white earphones. It showed that you owned the most must-have device that played more music than a walkman, a portable cd player, and even a minidisc. It also embraced the mp3 files that the recording industry originally fought against. When the iphone arrived, those white earphones grew in popularity. If you happened to be wearing those white earphones, one would automatically assume that you had an iDevice, the envy of all gadget lovers, in your pocket. Then Beats electronics changed the trend. The focus was no longer what device was in your pocket, but the headphones you used to listened to that device. Our attention was now drawn to what was cupping our ears or what collared our neck. If it where Beats headphones, you were immediately apart of a club similar to those who wore the white headphones.

Then came the others...../ Let’s not forget 50.....

Since Beats Electronics arrived on the scene, the headphone market has grown to a $1.6 billion industry. As a result, so has the competition. It seemed like everybody jumped on the bandwagon for a piece of this pie. There’s Jay-z with the Skullcandy Aviators (they do look cool), Soul by Ludacris, Rza’s Chambers with WeSC, and House of Marley from the Bob Marley estate to name a few.

With exception to 50 Cent, his SMS Audio headphones proved to be a worthy rival with notable appeal. The SMS On-Ear Wireless, 50’s flagship model, debuted with wireless connectivity and remote play, pause and skip functionality. Although SMS stands in the shadow of Beats marketing muscle, SMS has placed itself as a considerable alternative. Especially as the world is familiar the “50 Cent Brand” that saw a phenomenal slew of brand endorsements attached to his successful album releases between 2002 to 2008. Brands such as Reebok’s G-Unit shoes, G-Unit Clothing with Ecko Unlimited, Formula 50 energy drink from Glacéau, and the EA videogames: 50 Cent:Bulletproof and 50 Cent:Blood on the sand, produced record breaking popularity and revenue.

One could also argue that it was 50’s success with brands that inspired the creation of Beats Electronics. The interview I saw regarding the origin of Beats was in a Jimmy Iovine interview. He recalls an anecdote where Dr Dre met with him and discussing that his lawyers advised him to sell sneakers. Jimmy in turn advised Dre to sell speakers instead. If Beats Electronics was born in 2006, this was during the time of the 50 Cent invasion. After all, Jimmy and Dre are responsible 50 Cent’s early success. The only difference is that 50 was partnered with big brands as an endorser (apart from SMS audio and a minority share in Glacéau), whereas Dre and Iovine were owners of the Beats brand.

One could only assume that there was tension between Dre, the man who gave 50 his biggest hit single “In Da Club”, Iovine, the man who oversaw operations within Shady & Aftermath records, towards 50 Cent, an artist signed to Interscope (UMG) at the time, and his allegiance to SMS Audio instead of Beats. 50 has been very vocal as this was one of the reasons why he left Interscope to go independent.

Beats recent moves on the chessboard...

Move One.

Over the past few years, Beats Electronics has made some strategic moves. The first headliner was beats partnership with Monster. Monster where the original manufacturers of the Beats headphones. The success of this partnership is what grew the titan to what is is today. The only downside was the growth in counterfeit headphones. During the end of their last contract, I remember reading an article regarding Beat’s interest in buying out Monster, to which they declined. In return, Monster decided to duplicate the success of Beats by offering partnerships to the likes of JYP’s Diamond Tears (also on my wishlist), Nick Cannon, brand Diesel, and supermodel Tyson Beckford.

Move Two and Three...

In a move to one-up Apple, HTC acquired a majority share in beats (51%). What would follow was a slew of phones that featured beats technology and branding attached to their phones. Most notably was the beautifully designed HTC One X, and the One M7 that followed. Although the phones received high critical acclaim, HTC had a struggle in sales as their rival Samsung dominated the landscape with their Galaxy brand. As a result Beats teamed up with a venture capital to buy back their shares. What would follow was a product refresh of their Studio and Pro headphones and the introduction of the Beats Pill wireless speaker.

Move Four.....

In 2013 there were reports of Beats Electronics raising $60m for a music subscription service. At the beginning 2014. Beats Music was established. It was slightly different to rival Spotify, demanding more money from subscribers, with a recommendation system based on the top music journalists and tastemakers. Oddly enough as their user base grows, forecasting the success of this service could put them a cash flow positive compared Spotify's increasing debt, regardless of their dominance this market. If Beats can influence their customers to use their service as well as they got them to buy their headphones, we could be looking at a Spotify killer.

Move 5....

Fast forward to today and you have Beats being acquired by Apple.

So on to the benefits of this deal.....

1. Beats currently owns the young people market (for headphones).

Whether you count sales or product influence, Beats electronic has this demographic in a headlock. A vast majority of 17 to 35 year olds spend their hard earned money on Beats gear, and in some cases multiple beats products within one household. I myself aim to purchase a Studio Pros and a Beats Pill. Due to the frequent releases of Beats limited edition headphones, they’ve spawned a market of dedicated collectors, aiming to catch them all like Pokemons. For many years Apple focus it’s message on their product’s ease of use with all ages. There is a cool factor when a grandmother and baby now how to use an iPad. However, the 17 to 35 year olds influence the majority of spending due to the freedom of their disposable income. Therefore their more inclined to buy Apple products for necessity than fun. Apple will now be able redirect the loyal fans of Beats to back to Apple technology. Thus steering them away from the likes of Android (I personally use both).

2. Beats technology in Apple Product line.

One thing for certain is that beats have a signature sound and acoustic influence. Take their recent partnership with HTC for example. When the Beats was affiliated to those devices, their audio quality noticeably got better (not from the logo). Now HTC no longer owns beats, their most recent device, the HTC One M8, has the the best audio in a smartphone to date. The front facing speakers branded as ‘Boomsound’ is no coincidence of Beats influence.

One can only imagine such technology and influence in Apple’s next iPod (which makes sense being a Beats product now), Car Play, the next iPhone, and Macbooks.

3. Apple technology in beats product line.

According to most audiophiles, arguably the acoustic quality of Beats Headphones leave a lot to be desired. When Apple gets on board, their entire product line might change for the better. Apple is known for speering no expenses when it comes to design and high grade components. Every year we watch their entire product line get smaller, lighter and more powerful. This will be the inevitability of Beats. Especially If Johnny Ive gets his hand on designing the Apple Beats. Every Beats product that we currently own will be rendered obsolete. Our desire will have thousands queuing up down the street for headphones. Components that currently reside in wearable tech, such as heart rate monitor, sleep tracker, gps and so forth can easily fit in headphones. We'll have to watch this space. One thing is for certain. Expect to pay a pretty premium for these.

4. Beats with Apple's most anticipated Products.

It was said that Steve Jobs revealed in his last interview that they had finally figured out Apple Tv beyond being a set top box. Then Apple acquired a company that makes bespoke designer TVs. Add the recent advancements in their Retina displays, early adopters are holding out on buying a 4k/QHD TV. Then there is Apple's recent hiring of former Burberry CEO, a lady who garnered favorable attention from updating the high fashion brand's retail stores to a tech savvy environment. Marry this information with the slew of rumors of Apple iWatch, and the painted picture suggest that something big is going to happen. Maybe acquiring Beats, a brand that resides in fashionable tech was the last piece of the puzzle.

My experience with Beats.....

A little flame of desire...

So I was a little late in getting a pair Beats. I've prioritized myself to buy what I need, before buying what I want. A picture of beats studio stayed on my dreamboard. At the time wanting a £300 headphones didn't warrant the need. So I held my desire at bay. My cousin and uncle had bought their beats studios, and told me all the good things about them. My desire for got stronger. I had other financial commitments and buying them did not validate a sensible purchase. So I waited patiently until the time was right.

A burning desire...

One day, during the time I was about to mix Retro Soul by Eneeks, I went for a walk. During my observations, I passed people walking to and fro, and witnessed a few people with Beats headphones on their heads. Some had Beats Solos, some had the Beats Studios, and I seldom spotted owners of the Beats Studio pros. It was then when I had a revelation that Beats Electronics are the new industry standard.

When I first started engineering I had no choice but to use Beyerdynamic DT100s, the previous industry standard headphones.

They were broadcast headphones used a lot in the radio, music and TV industry. As a result they were a necessity in most recording studios. They were frequent companions to the Yamaha NS10s, the previous industry standard studio monitor speakers. They lacked bass and I hated using both. The acoustics did not excite me. However, theoretically if an audio engineer could mix well using DT100s or NS10s, your mix would sound good on any owners DT100s or NS10 speakers. These speakers were everywhere, in offices of many record companies, a&r offices, and radio stations. All owners of these headphones and speakers could universally judge the quality the song and it's mix.

Now times have changed. A majority of recording studios have replaced the white cone NS10s for yellow cone KRK monitors. Now when I travel, before me is a landscape of Beats headphones owners. Individuals capable of judging a mix. That's when I realized that I really needed a pair.

The sweetest deal....and a miracle.......

During my realisation of urgently needing Beats headphones, I was due for an upgrade on my mobile phone. At the time I possessed the HTC Desire. I knew my next phone would be the HTC One X, as I was impressed with the design and positive reviews. While I was looking for a good deal on the phone, I stumbled across a website that led me to another website. It was like I found a portal to something unbelievable. Before me was a deal that I still can’t fathom to this day. It was a HTC One X with FREE Beats Studios. The same company also did other free gifts with their mobile phones such as FREE tvs, games consoles, cameras, and even GHD hair straighteners. If I had purchased the phone by itself at a high street retailer, I would have paid the same monthly price plan for the phone alone. The next day I placed an order and received the phone two days later. A week later I received the Beats Studios. The headphones were real and authentic. I spent a fortnight listening to all types of music. Once I had learned the sound of the headphones, I played the current mix of Retro Soul, it didn’t have the acoustic buoyancy as the other music I was listening to in the headphones. Therefore I decided to mix the entire record again with the Beats sound in mind. I never saw a phone deal like that again. The company that sold me the phone had removed Beats headphones off their website. Now when I look at my collection of headphones, my Beats Studios hold a nice personal story as well as a nice sound.

On to the future....

The tech horizon changes rapidly. What started as a classic merge of recording artist & brand resulted in a product that changed the recording industry for consumers and professionals alike. It even influenced my work and decisions in music. What comes next is exciting and yet unclear. Nevertheless, its guaranteed to change the landscape of consumer electronics. As a result, it will have my full participation.

David Howell (Skin Teet Jones).

Eneeks performance at MauMau Saturday 10th November

2012-11-09T03:13:00.000-08:00

With the album Retro Soul complete, Eneeks is embarks on giving a taste of its flavour to an intimate crowd. The scheduled performance with the live band will let the audience of Mau Mau in Notting Hill experience a moment grand in is meaning. Hope to see you there.

Eneeks performing at Mau Mau Bar

2012-02-27T04:54:00.001-08:00

Eneeks starts 2012 with his first live-band performance of the year Mau Mau in Notting Hill. Expect a surprises and a vibe to be enjoyed by all.

New video by Eneeks

2011-11-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

Eneeks electrifies The Gramaphone

2010-10-09T02:09:00.000-07:00

Eneeks took it to another level at October 7th's performance at the Gramaphone. The crowd was electrified as as Eneeks gave them a preview of tracks featured on his forthcoming debut, Retro Soul. Eneeks was also surprised by the crowd as they unsuspectedly demanded
an encore!

Eneeks at The Gramaphone highlights

2010-08-06T01:57:00.000-07:00

Click here to see the pics from last nights firing performance. See you at the next one.

Eneeks performing at The Gramaphone 5th August

2010-08-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

The fans have spoken. The requests have been made. The venue is ready. The vibe is scheduled. The artist and band are prepared. The masses have put this date in their diaries. The fun will commence at 8pm, and the night will be remembered by all. See you there.

New Ricoshay site almost done.

2010-06-14T11:47:00.001-07:00

The hours, days, and months have passed with diligence, dedication, and hard work being forged into the new Ricoshay Redemption site. The new website will be ready very soon so stay tuned.

Eneeks next live event 6th May 2010

2010-04-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

Its official. Eneeks next performance with live band will be at The Gramaphone, 60-62 Commercial Street, Tower Hamlets, London E1 6LT. The show also happens to be in the midst of this years City Showcase, which means there will be a strong vibe of music lovers checking out the best in new music. Hope to see you there.

Welcome to the new Ricoshay blog

2010-04-29T03:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome, welcome, welcome. The new blog for The Ricoshay Redemption is here. Be sure to subscribe for the latest news and developments regarding Skin Teet Jones and Eneeks. This new blog was updated with the fans in mind, so they can have a more reliable access to the latest info on Ricoshay artists. Expect regular updates via the blogger.com system and get ready for an exiting ride!

The Ricoshay.net Blog