hypebot

Topspin's Ian Rogers Makes Good On Promise To Share His Experiences As A Manager

2009-11-10T11:32:38-05:00

I wrote last week about Topspin honcho Ian Rogers becoming a manager and his promise to blog about his experiences marketing Get Busy Committee. As Ian put it, "Being the CEO of Topspin and not having experience managing a band is like running Flickr and not taking photos".

Ian makes good on his promise to chronicle his efforts with a post on his blog:

"While getting the album to iTunes is the main thrust for a lot of artists, it’s only part of the story (and a very small part so far) for us. We’ve been preparing for this release for months, started selling the album in six different packages two weeks ago, are selling the album for $1 on MySpace all weekend, and much more..
At Topspin we generally talk about three stages of development:

Creating awareness

Making connections

Monetizing

We sometimes hear artists complain: “Dammit! I’m not selling anything!” Usually it’s a result of skipping straight to #3 above and not concentrating enough on #1 and #2. Consumers have an unlimited number of places to spend their time and money today. How are you getting in front of them? It is not a build-it-and-they-will-come world..."

Much more @ Fistfulayen. There's some great stuff there. Read and learn.

Survey: Spotify Reduces Illegal Downloading

2009-11-10T11:15:29-05:00

The introduction of Spotify is curbing the habits of illegal downloaders in the UK according to a new survey.

30 per cent of under twenties admit to illegal downloading

Spotify encourages 2 out of 3 Brits to curb their illegal downloading habits

Almost two thirds (62%) of those who admit to illegally downloading, say using Spotify has encouraged them to reduce the amount they download illegally or kick the habit altogether. The survey from price comparison website moneysupermarket.com on downloading and streaming also showed that one in eight in the UK (12%) admit to download illegally in the past six months. Illegal downloading is most prevelant among men (16% compared to 9% of women) and those under 20 30% of who admitted to the practice.

"Downloading music used to be mainly associated with illegal sites such as the old Napster, but now over a quarter (27 per cent) of people say they go to a digital source as first port of call; usually iTunes or Amazon, says James Parker, broadband manager at moneysupermarket.com. "With Spotify joining the ranks of legal music sites, illegal downloading seems set to become much less popular. With the new Spotify iPhone application and the new 'Monkey' tariff from Orange, which allows users to stream music from the orange site as part of the tariff, it will be interesting to see how these new mobile music services take-off. Streaming music for free or for a reasonable fee whilst on the move could spell the end for illegal downloading and could even send the CD the way of the mini-disc and cassette tape."

"Wire" Producers To Bring Record Industry To HBO. Who Should Play The Roles?

2009-11-10T09:00:29-05:00

The producers of the hit HBO series 'The Wire'' have purchased the rights to Rolling Stone journalist Steve Knopper's "Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age".

The book chronicles 30 years of the record industry; in particular the free fall in sales over the last 5. "It's a rise and fall story of a once, very incredibly healthy, great, rich, throwing its weight and money around kind of industry, that is no longer quite as grand," the writer told the BBC:

But who should play key music industry figures in the new show? Here are my nominations:

Warner Music Group executive Lyor Cohen should be portrayed by rapper Eminem. In fact, they could reverse roles and play each other. Runner up: 50 Cent. It's always seemed to me that Lyor wished he were black.
WMG CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. seems like a perfect fit for The Partidge Family's Danny Boneduce. After all, at some points in their careers each has had to pretend that they know something about music and neither has played their more recent roles very well.

Universal Music CEO Doug Morris, whose misjudgment of how to handle the original Napster plays a central role in the book, is a perfect fit for Soprano's star James Grandolfini.
Is it just me or is there a striking resemblance between long time record industry player and current Interscope head Jimmy Iovine and Billy Bob Thorton?
Unfortunately EMI CEO Elio Leoni-Sceti is too new at his job to be in the book because his boyish looks could easily be captured by Neil Patrick Harris. And isn't there something poetic about Doogie Howser running one of the world's largest record labels?
What actors do you think should portray the music industry's top players?

TuneCore Partners With eHealth To Offer Musicians Health Insurance Resources & Options

2009-11-10T06:37:00-05:00

President Obama may be moving as fast as he can to bring affordable health care to everyone, but TuneCore decided not to wait for legislation to help musicians. "It took a national debate on healthcare to remind me that health care is a basic need for musicians because you can’t perform if you’re sick," said Jeff Price, CEO and co-founder of TuneCore.

The digital distributor has partnered with eHealthInsurance.com to help musicians compare insurance options. While the eHealthInsurance comparison engine is opened to everyone, the two company's have created a dedicated hotline to help answer questions specifically from musicians. Artists can also access the information online.

180 health insurance carriers are represented in the offering. In addition, TuneCore and eHealth have collaborated to create a free informational pdf: The TuneCore Music Industry Survival Manual: Information on Healthcare for Musicians.

From the press release:

"Our goal at TuneCore is to provide musicians with the information and education they need to do everything it takes to be a musician including things like mic'ing a guitar, distributing their music, learning about copyrights, marketing and promoting themselves on-line and - now having the basic information they need to understand health insurance," says Price. "I partnered with eHealth because, quite frankly, they're the best company I've ever worked with when it comes to explaining how health insurance works. They've also demonstrated a commitment to being an advocate for consumers by providing tips, advice and answers to frequently asked questions. They're the largest online marketplace for health insurance on the web, hands down, with over 10,000 high-quality health insurance products available."

"eHealth is committed to helping Americans get the health coverage they need, which is why we've partnered with hundreds of affiliates like TuneCore to help deliver high-quality health insurance products and services to their unique constituent groups," said Bruce Telkamp eHealth's Executive Vice President of Business and Corporate Development. "TuneCore provides an outstanding, unique service to musicians, and has established itself as a trusted resource in that community. We're honored to be partnering with a trusted and well-respected service provider like TuneCore."

Why MySpace And Wikipedia Pages Are More Important Than Ever

2009-11-10T06:36:18-05:00

MySpace is over. Traffic is falling. Google's new enhanced music search has pushed my Wikipedia entry further down the page. Why should I care what a bunch og geeks write about me anyway, right? Wrong. First, both MySpace and Wikepdia still get massive amounts of traffic; and to the degree that you can control anything on the net; both offer opportunities for you to shape your own message.

Now, add all the new traffic that Google music search is bringing to these sites. MySpace and it's new acquisition iLike are, along with Lala, the primary providers of music for Google's enhanced search engine. That means that a lot more people will be visiting your related MySpace pages. Lala (which in my tests this morning delivered the music for most of my Google searches) draws all of its bios directly from Wikpedia.

Are your searches not delivering enhanced results yet? Be patient, their working their way through a very long list of artists. But get your MySpace/iLike and Wikipedi/Lala presence updated now and wait for a jump in traffic.

PS: Don't forget that Rhapsody, Pandora and imeem are also linked directly from Google's new music search results.

New Digital Music Software Popularity Ranking

2009-11-10T03:48:00-05:00

Digital Music Doctor has released its Music Software Internet Popularity Index for Third Quarter 2009. During Q3 the top five products - DigiDesign Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase, ImageLine FL Studio, Cakewalk Sonar, and Apple Logic - maintained their previous positions. Ableton Live, Apple GarageBand, and PG Music Band-in-a-Box moved up in the rankings pushing down Adobe Audition and Sony Sound Forge. The ten most popular music software products on the Internet, based on recent search engine activity, are:

DigiDesign Pro Tools (9.8)
Steinberg Cubase (7.9)
L Studio (5.4)
Cakewalk Sonar (4.0)
Apple Logic (2.9)
Ableton Live (2.9)
Apple GarageBand (2.3)
Adobe Audition (2.3)
Band-in-a-Box (1.8) 10.
Sony Sound Forge (1.7)

This index is based on quarterly Internet search activity on Google, Yahoo, AOL and MSN. Collectively these 4 search engines represent more than 95 percent of the searches on the Internet. Over 100 search terms are used to construct this index, and 15 music software products are tracked. An annual average of the past four quarters is also included for comparison.

The following table shows a complete list of the products tracked as well as the changes in their ranking from the prior quarter:

PRODUCT (RANK CHANGE)

1. DigiDesign Pro Tools (0) 2. Steinberg Cubase (0) 3. FL Studio (0) 4. Cakewalk Sonar (0) 5. Apple Logic (0) 6. Ableton Live (1) 7. Apple GarageBand (1) 8. Adobe Audition (-2) 9. Band-in-a-Box (2) 10. Sony Sound Forge (-1) 11. MOTU Digital Performer (1) 12. Sony Acid (-2) 13. Propellerhead Reason (0) 14. Steinberg Wavelab (0) 15. Steinberg Nuendo (0) Additional details on the results of the Music Software Popularity Index are available at the Digital Music Doctor website,

Live Nation And Ticketmaster Both Beat Analysts' Pre-Merger Expectations

2009-11-10T02:08:00-05:00

Live Nation and Ticketmaster each reported better than expected Q3 earnings yesterday and both blamed slimmer profits on a combined $12 million in merger-related costs.

Coming off the busy summer concert months, Live Nation earned $69.2 million ($.78 a share) down more than 50% from last year's Q3 earnings of $138 million ($1.66 a share). Analyst had predicted a loss of $.24 a share. Quarterly revenues were $1.81 billion, up 14% percent from $1.59 billion a year ago. In a call last month Live Nation CEO told me that special promotions, no fee tickets discounting were helping sales and the company reported a 12% jump in concert tickets was reported during the call. Ticketmaster saw an increase in Q3 profits earning $13.1M ($.22 a share up from $9.6M a year ago. Ticketmaster also beat analyst estimates of of 18 cents a share earnings. Revenues were up slightly to $347.9M from $336.4M a year ago.

Federal regulators here and abroad continue to examine the possible merger, and shareholders of the two companies will vote on the deal Jan. 8th.

More Music Industry News: More Layoffs, Beatles on iTunes?, Rdio, Shazam. 7Digital + Blackberry & More

2009-11-10T00:11:00-05:00

LAYOFFS: the first of several rounds of layoffs begin today at AOL. (BoomTown) Electronic Arts will layoff 1500. (paidContent)
Just in time for Christmas? According to the Swiss Radio ‘Suisse Romande’, the complete Beatles catalog will be available on the iTunes Store from December 15th on.
Rdio: First Screenshots Leaked of Skype Founders' New Music Service. (ReadWriteStart)
The Harry Fox Agency and Gracenote have entered into a digital lyrics licensing arrangement for uses including lyric delivery with permanent downloads, CD playback, online subscription services, lyrics search, mobile services, and consumer devices. HFA’s 37,000 represented publishing catalogs will nowhave the option of licensing Gracenote Lyrics.
Music fans, not just industry, need to green up their act. (Irish Times)
Personality Clash: Sire Records Seymour Stein Vs Transgressive co-founder Tim Dellow. (Clash)
Twitter coming to LinkedIn. The popular business networking site where an increasing number of music and tech pros maintain a presence (including me: Bruce Houghton) is adding Twitter feeds. (New York Times)
Music discovery iPhone app Shazam has launched a premium version for $4.99. (press release)
Choice Hotels Travelers Can Redeem Choice Privileges Points for Music Downloads via Hip Digital Media. (press release)
House Members Call For FM Tuners In Cell Phones (FMQB) I still won't listen.
7digital upgrades its BlackBerry music store. (Music Ally)

Duran Duran's Taylor To Musicians: "Twitter (is) diluting their creative powers."

2009-11-09T10:23:25-05:00

"When artists today are asked to Twitter their every thought, their every action, to record on video their every breath, their every performance, I believe they're diluting their creative powers, their creative potency and the durability of their work.

And in the long run I believe they're also diluting the magical power and the magnetic attraction that they can or will ever have over their audience."

- Duran Duran bassist John Taylor to the BBC

Bringing Digital Music To The Masses

2009-11-09T08:07:13-05:00

If digital music is to reach mainstream adoption, the music industry must eliminate the barriers that confuse many non-techie consumers. That's the conclusion of Forrester analyst Mark Mulligan's new report "Taking Digital Music To The Mainstream: The Music Product Features For The Living Room".

Easier and cheaper hardware if the key to the conversion according to Mulligan, "Our conceptual technology is a hard drive, midi-sized music hi-fi that with a detachable touch screen display / remote control." On his blog Mulligan writes that the next generation of digital music devices must:

"Deliver a compelling experience even if not connected.
"Include extensive music at point of purchase. This is, we think, the crucial element. Mainstream consumers don’t have the appetite for another format replacement cycle, so we suggest the device should effectively replace their entire CD collection and add more, all for the cost of the device.

"Provide the tools for baby steps into the digital world: for those consumers that do connect we propose a convenient range of digital discovery and acquisition applications...".
"Leverage telcos: ...to really go mass market they probably need subsidizing by a telco e.g. a Sky Songs broadband package would include the device bundled with the router."

Simplifying the digital experience for confused consumers was also part of the message delivered by Maren Elwood and Rebecca Roth of On-Site Research during a NARM online seminar “Cyber Census 2009: An Ethnographic Study of Music Consumer Habits”.

The NARM sponsored in depth interviews of 100 consumers showed a growing digital divide between those comfortable with new technology and many others who did not have the time or inclination to master them. Some consumers want music to play a greater role in their lives, but felt shut out by the confusing array of choices. The iPod Touch was cited by one music fan as so overwhelming that she preferred her Nano. At the other end of the spectrum was Pandora which provided instant enjoyment for less tech savvy music fans.

You can watch the slides and listen to an audio replay via Vimeo here or download a pdf.

Why Can't We All Do It Like The Danish Do?

2009-11-09T07:06:20-05:00

Danish Anti-Piracy Group Stops Chasing Pirates

Following a number of legal setbacks, Danish anti-piracy group Antipiratgruppen, which represents the music and movie industry, says it will stop chasing illegal file-sharers.

“Antipiratgruppen has acknowledged that they can not get people convicted without either catching them in the act or threatening them to confess,” says defense attorney Peer Overbeck.

more @ TorrentFreak

What Will Fans Pay For?

2009-11-09T05:11:00-05:00

This guest post first appeared on Debbie Chachra's blog zed equals zee. Debbie is a Cambridge, MA based academic, music fan, and geek, not always in that order. You can also follow her on Twitter.

I know that there is ideology on both sides: people who feel that all music should be free, and people who feel that downloading any music you didn’t pay for is theft. But how you feel about the issue doesn’t change the facts: listeners have the option of not paying for music. And, as Cory Doctorow has pointed out, it’s never going to get harder to move bits around than it is right now. So it might be time to think about a business model that reflects this.

I’m not a musician. I’m a fan. And from my perspective, it’s clear that fans do want to support artists that they like. Taking a page from NPR’s book, here’s a list of things that fans will pay for, even if they can get your music for free:

The music.

First and foremost, many people will (and do) pay for digital music, even if they don’t have to. This might be because it’s easier to use iTunes than BitTorrent. Or it might be because they want to support the artist. Or both.

CDs and merch.

Atoms, not bits. Do you pledge money to NPR to support the programming, or for the This American Life DVD? I’ve bought merchandise even when there was no rational reason for me to, simply because it was a way to support an artist I love. I buy CDs at concerts, because I know the money goes directly to the artists (and because I can listen to them in my car).

Relationships.

Anything signed or limited-edition is not just about the article itself—it’s about expressing a relationship with the artist. And relationships aren’t fungible. Jonathan Coulton and Amanda Palmer are two excellent artists who have close relationships with their fans, who in turn support them.

An experience.

The canonical example of this is, of course, the concert – whether it’s $5 to see your favorite local band or hundreds of dollars for an arena show. But this also includes things like doing ’shrooms in a Lamborghini with your favorite drummer.

Something unique.

The illustration at the top of this post is a commissioned portrait (“Portrait of the Blogger, with Johnny Toaster,” by rstevens). Definitely worth paying for.

A narrative.

What’s a story worth? Apparently, quite a bit. The Significant Objects art project posts thrift-store finds for auction on eBay, along with the back stories. But the back stories are fictional, and are described as such. Nevertheless, the items go for substantially more than their market value.

Who Should Be On New Music Industry Twitter List?

2009-11-09T04:36:00-05:00

Twitter's new Lists was created to help clear the clutter of too many tweets by allowing users to create and share a list of Twitter authors in a single stream. The Twitter Lists feature has real potential for music marketers. For example, artists joining together for a Best Metal Bands In Cleveland list or a Best New Electronic Music list combining trustworthy music writers and DJ's.

I've just created the New Music Industry Twitter List that will combine the best sources of news and opinion shaping the new music industry. But what bloggers and Twitter authors should be included? I've shared a few of my favorite music industry tweeters in the posts Five Worth Following and Five More Worth Following. But this time what I'm looking for to include in The New Music Industry Twitter List are not the folks who (no offense) also tweet about their children or dinner plans or those who mostly retweet news from other sources. I want to only include sources that stick primarily to news and commentary, and I need your help choosing the right ones.

Who do you think should be added to the New Music Industry Twitter List? Self-nominations are acceptable too.

Join The New Music Industry Twitter List
Follow Hypebot on Twitter

More Music Industry News: Spotify Conversions, Beatles Down, Google Search, Legos, Thounds & More

2009-11-09T00:29:00-05:00

It should be an interesting week ahead as The Orchard stock buy-back talks continue and the overall market reacts to economic news and earnings reports. It's also that start of the layoff season which the poor economy could make particularly severe.

Spotify's free to paid conversion rate is improving. (The Register)
Beatles albums removed from BlueBeat. (eWeek, Original Story, EMI Gets Injunction)
Google Music Search: 3 Major Implications for the Music Business. (Mashable)
New Ways To Steal Music - MP3s Are Being Replaced by Formats With Better Sound Quality (Forbes)
4 Ways Live and Digital Music Are Teaming Up to Rock Your World (Epicenter)
Lego Rock Band review... you know, for the kids! Lego Rock Band adds Lego characters and styling to a family-friendly list of songs, but is that enough to justify the full-priced release? Maybe not, but the songs are good, and fans of the bricks are going to enjoy the funny faces and vehicles strewn throughout. (ars)
Review: Thounds social music site - Thounds.com is a social networking site centered on the exchange of musical ideas and the creation of original pieces of music through online collaboration. (Music Ally)
WMG to report earnings on November 24th. (press release)

REWIND: The Music Industry's Week In Review

2009-11-08T06:47:58-05:00

The Orchard's shares doubled on stock buyout news.
Did Qtrax tell another lie? Search deal with Baidu may be less than claimed.
Falling traffic at MySpace will mean $100 million less in ad payments from Google.
MobBase introduced a d.i.y. music iPhone apps. But with 100,000 apps will it get lost?
iLike & MySpace offer free tracks to promote new enhanced Google music search. And artists are finding ways to use to improve their results on the new search engine.
Topsin's Ian Roger's becomes an artist manager.
Another great Kyle Bylin essay - A Tale of Two Industries: What Do Books and Music Have In Common?
At age 71, Universal Music CEO Doug Morris to step aside.
IFPI: "Illegal File-sharing Reduces Legitimate Sales" What do you think? Vote here.
EMI diversifies with Abby Road Live concert recording outfit.
BlueBeat began selling Beatles downloads for $.25 claiming "psycho-analytics" it applied to the songs made the sales legal. Days later EMI got a court injunction beating back the bazaar defense.
RealNetworks lays off 70 or 4% of their workforce.
Its real: New Weezer CD + An Official Snuggie Only $29.99!
Topspin and Berklee partner for online music marketing course.
Foo Fighters draw 440,000 to web only concert.
Our Indie Artist X Project Wrap Up

Falling Traffic At MySpace Will Cut $100 Million From Google Ad Payments

2009-11-06T12:19:38-05:00

stats via Alexa

Falling traffic at MySpace will cost it $100 million in payments from Google ads according to estimates offered by executives of parent company News Corp. In 2006 Google agreed pay $900 million for the exclusive right to provide search advertising to MySpace over three years based on traffic volume. “We’re still losing traffic,” admitted Chase Carey, chief operating officer of News Corp. “It’s a business in transition.”

Beatles Beat Back Bizaare BlueBeat Legal Defense

2009-11-06T09:00:49-05:00

(UPDATED) Earlier this week, we reported that a little known U.S. based download site BlueBeat.com had begun selling previously unavailable tracks from The Beatles for just $.25. Everyone knew something strange was going on, but no one knew just how strange. Perhaps this message at the bottom of the company's web page should have been a tip-off:

Uh? BlueBeat owns The Beatles' copyrights, as well as, those of Abba, ACDC, Ace Of Base and... those are just a few of the "A's" that are in in company's extensive catalog? EMI and the RIAA df course disagreed and filed a lawsuit to stop the download sales.

The Psycho-Acoustic Defense

Then came the company's unique response according to copyright attorney Ben Sheffner:

"Plaintiffs are not likely to succeed on the merits because Defendants' website markets and sells an entirely different sound recording than that copyrighted by Plaintiffs."

BlueBeat says it "independently developed [its] own original sounds" that consist of "entirely different sound recording[s]" through a technical process it calls "psycho-acoustic simulation." BlueBeat even says it obtained copyright registrations on such "new" recordings (which, as the plaintiffs point out, are exactly the same as the original recordings).

In short, by some mystical process that also adds a few pictures to the file, Bluebeat claims to have created a brand new recording that sounds remarkably like the original.

BlueBeat claims it is protected by 17 U.S.C. § 114(b):

"The exclusive right of the owner of copyright in a sound recording under clause (1) of section 106 is limited to the right to duplicate the sound recording in the form of phonorecords or copies that directly or indirectly recapture the actual sounds fixed in the recording. The exclusive right of the owner of copyright in a sound recording under clause (2) of section 106 is limited to the right to prepare a derivative work in which the actual sounds fixed in the sound recording are rearranged, remixed, or otherwise altered in sequence or quality. The exclusive rights of the owner of copyright in a sound recording under clauses (1) and (2) of section 106 do not extend to the making or duplication of another sound recording that consists entirely of an independent fixation of other sounds, even though such sounds imitate or simulate those in the copyrighted sound recording."

The law was intended to protect artists doing cover versions of somebody else's tracks ;not someone who is cloning them and adding a few pictures. A judge agreed and yesterday issued an injunction to stop Bluebeat. As of this morning, the site was still up.

Lloyd Dobler "Mobler" Takes On NYC

2009-11-06T06:21:17-05:00

Imagine a gaggle of trench coated indie rock nerds walk around NYC with blaring boom boxes helos over their heads and you've got a bit of the flavor of this pr stunt involving indie rockers Llyod Dobler Effect. The press release tries to explain, but only the videos do it justice:

A Lloyd Dobler mob – “Mobler” – took over New York City on the release date of November 3rd! Wearing white t-shirts and trench coats and lifting boomboxes over their heads the Mobler serenaded pedestrians and entertained passers by. The Mobler journey through the city ended in Times Square with a performance by the band the Lloyd Dobler Effect of the iconic song from the film “In Your Eyes.” They were joined by many fans throughout the day, as everyone was encouraged to “B-Y-O-Boombox!”

Watch the videos on YouTube.

More Music Industry News: Google Music China, Sirius, EU Backs Net Restrictions & More

2009-11-06T00:10:00-05:00

Early Results From Google’s China Music Service (paidContent)
The indie rock scene and record labels to support it are flourishing in Olympia, WA. (Weekly Volcano)
Nokia gets some exclusives on the new Rhiannon release. (press release)
Live Nation/Ticketmaster U.K. merger inquiry extended. (Billboard)
The Beatles on iTunes: Don’t Hold Your Breath (PC World)
Surprisingly (to me at least) Sirius XM Radio announced its 2009 third quarter fiscal results today, with the satcaster reporting its fourth straight quarter of positive pro forma adjusted income from operations . (FMQB) Sunscriber burn was 2%
The Listener, not your Content, is the "Product" (Hear 2.0)
EU backs internet access restrictions for pirates. (Music Ally)
Twitter tests a new retweet feature. (Twitter)

RealNetworks To Lay Off 70

2009-11-05T13:07:45-05:00

Following a slightly profit report to shareholders last week that included a continuing downturn in subscribers to its Rhapsody music service, RealNetworks is laying of 70 or about 4% of its 1700 person workforce according to All Things Digital.

This round of layoffs come a year after RealNetworks let go of 130 abiut a year ago and just days after the mighty Microsoft pink slipped 800 as part of a program to cut 5000 from it's workforce.

Did Qtrax Tell Another Lie?

2009-11-05T10:00:14-05:00

Search Deal With Baidu May Be Far Less Than Qtrax Claimed

The missteps by ad supported music download site Qtrax are legendary. In 2008, the company held lavish parties at MIDEM to announce deals with all four major label groups that each label denied just hours later. Since then, Qtrax has missed almost every self-stated deadline and in July of this year bounced a $1.8 million check to tech provider Oracle days before its official launch.

On Monday, the company held a conference call to proudly announce an exclusive deal with China's dominant search engine Baidu "to direct music related search inquiries from its Entertainment Portal, and Qian Qian Music Online sites to Qtrax...wherever Qtrax has the queried artist or song in its catalog".

But now an official spokesperson for Baidu says that the deal is far more limited than the Qtrax claimed, "The partnership with Qtrax regards text-based information, such as singer backgrounds; it has nothing to do with the music itself". Baidu also has a deal with Google for music and is expanding the relationship in other areas.

A Tale of Two Industries: What Do Books and Music Have In Common?

2009-11-05T09:38:00-05:00

Kyle Bylin, Assoicate Editor

In recent news reports, it’s becoming more and more apparent — that at a time when the record industry is reeling from changes that it barely understands — other industries are beginning to experience many of the same transformations. Take, for instance, the recent pricing war between Wal-Mart and Amazon – where 10 book titles were dramatically discounted by the big-box retailer and Amazon, including many others, followed suit by decreasing their prices as well.

It didn’t take long before the bemoaning began, that, “If readers come to believe that the value of a new book is $10, publishing as we know it is over,” explained David Gernert, who is a literary agent to John Grisham, in Motoko Rich’s article Price War Over Books Worries Industry. Sound familiar? Well, it should. As far back as 2004, Wal-Mart began to insist that it should be able to sell CDs for less than $10, instead of the average price tag of $15.99. It’s not hard to imagine similar laments coming from bedeviled music industry veterans, claiming that if consumers, not yet music fans, believed that the value of a new album by Brittany Spears is $10, the record industry as we know it is over.

With both cases, the problem isn’t so much as to whether or not these cultural products will become devalued in the minds of their audiences – inevitability, they will, regardless of who or what pricing war or piracy site emerges – it’s that Wal-Mart, like other big-box outlets, doesn’t really care about the publishing or record business models, as much as they care about driving traffic to their stores and online sites. So, keep in mind, that if the records you release or the books you publish don’t make good placeholders in their Sunday morning ad – that when substantially discounted, could drive your audience to buy a plasma screen TV or some nifty new furniture – maybe being in these businesses isn’t something that you’re cut out for or should rely on. After all, if your dream is to sell lots of CDs and novels through them, just don’t forget that the day your content is no longer deemed a method of selling higher ticket items, there will no longer be Wal-Mart paydays for you. Meaning that, like everyone else, you too, will have to learn to connect with your fans and give them a reason to buy.

Likewise, as some first time authors are learning, just because you have a publishing deal, doesn’t mean they are actually going to market your book. This relates to the stories of artists going to the record stores in the towns they were touring in to find out that their records weren’t even available there. Much like Major Labels, Neely Tucker, Washington Post Staff Writer, reports, “Book publishers actively market and promote authors, of course, particularly the big names, but for thousands of writers it's a figure-it-out-yourself world of creating book trailers, Web sites and blogs, social networking and crashing on friends' couches during a tour you arrange.” Again, much like being an artist today, “Being an author has become much more of an ongoing relationship with your audience through the Web, rather than just writing a book and disappearing while you write the next one," says Liate Stehlik, publisher of William Morrow and Avon Books in Tucker’s article On Web, A Most Novel Approach. "You have to be out there in the online world, talking and participating.”

But, wait! There’s more. With 105,575 albums released in 2008, those authors in the publishing industry couldn’t possibly relate to how saturated and fragmented of an audience that artists have to market themselves to. Not true. As there were 560,000 books published in the United States during that same time period. For film, counting only those that played at least a one-week/regular admission engagement in either Los Angeles or New York commencing during calendar year 2008, there were 573 titles released. What does this explosion of choice mean for these industries? “Our relationship with music has changed forever,” writes music critic John Harris in his article The golden age of infinite music. “This is a truly golden age - the era of the teenage expert, albums that will soon have to be full of finely-honed hits and the completely infinite online jukebox.” Mike Masnick of TechDirt commented, “Nearly everything about the music industry today is better. More music is being made than ever before. More people are making music than ever before. More people are listening to new music than ever before. More musicians are making money from music than ever before. Even more musical instruments are being sold than ever before. The only thing suffering is the sale of plastic discs.”

In an interview with Jeffery Brown on a PBS’s NewsHour, Lev Grossman, writer and book reviewer for TIME magazine, commented, “And we're seeing the same thing happen right now, totally new ways of distributing text, totally new ways of buying and selling it. And I think the novel will totally transform as a result of it. An obvious thing is just that a lot of people are making it – are being read who were not being read before, before the sort of New York establishment publishers were the gate-keepers. People are flooding around that gate. And we're seeing voices that never used to be heard getting online, getting read. And it's wonderful. I mean, it's – I'm looking forward to this great sort of Cambrian Period of – of literary fertility and innovation. So, in that respect, it's – It's a really exciting time to be reading.” To which Kassia Krozser, founder and editor of Booksquare.com, said, “What we're also seeing is new publishers coming into the mix. We have had several new publishers announce in the past year where they're going digital first, print maybe. This allows them to lower their overall costs and introduce new and interesting authors and new ways of telling a story… So, all these different ways of telling story and bringing readers to books is opening up just more possibility, because then they write more. They create more. And the wave of creativity we have going on right now is incredible.”

More interesting still is Ray Suarez’s interview with Raphael Sagalyn of the Sagalyn Literary Agency on NewsHour back in July. “When new technologies come into the book business, I think back 20 years ago to the rise of the audio book, there was great concern that the audio book would cannibalize the real book. And that is not true. It helped increase the sales of books,” Sagalyn says. “It increased the distribution, increased the desire for people to own storytelling, and storytelling is at the heart of what books are all about.” E-books, with their perceived lower cost in the minds of readers, share some of the same concerns among publishers — that not only will they cannibalize the profits of the twenty some dollar hardcover book, but they will cause people to expect the hardcover to become cheaper due to the contrast in pricing. To anyone who follows the record industry, such claims are old news. “The invention of the phonograph was going to discourage people from going out to see live music,” Greg Kot, author of Ripped, writes, “The introduction of music radio was a surefire way to kill record sales.”Home taping is killing music" screamed the magazine ads when the cassette tape was introduced. Of course, each of those sky-is-falling alerts from the music industry was a false alarm. With each technological innovation, music became more accessible and more lucrative.”

There you have it – whether you take into consideration pricing wars, the lowering of perceived product values, the predictions of the end of industries as we know them, problems with overreliance on big-box retail outlets, the struggles of first-time signed authors and artists, the explosion of choice and oversaturation of the market, the release of digital products at a drastically lower price, similar creative renaissances, or industry views on disruptive technologies cannibalizing profits – it becomes more and more apparent that while both industry's have lots of differences, in many ways, the publishing industry has lots to learn from what the record and music industries have experienced over the last ten years. Book piracy becomes an obvious hot-topic of learning and needed discussion, but could it be that the same people, who go through the trouble to pirate books, also happen to be the same people who already buy tons and tons of books too? More than, say, the "average" book reader? While we can only patiently wait the results of those research studies, it’s quite possible that their results will be of no surprise to anyone who's read similar studies on the music piracy.

Lost In A Sea Of 100,000 iPhone Apps

2009-11-05T08:41:43-05:00

Apple announced this week that developers have created more than 100,000 apps for its App Store for iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries. Users have downloaded two billion apps to date.

Some music apps are instant hits. “With 10,000 downloads a day, worldwide customer response to our I Am T-Pain App has exceeded our wildest expectations,” said Jeff Smith, CEO of Smule. “The App Store has given us a unique opportunity to create and grow a very successful business".

But while exact numbers are hard to come by, it's also clear that many music iPhone apps - even free ones - are downloaded far less often. Even as iLike, MobBase and others make it easier and more affordable for every artist to create an app, its becoming increasingly important that they consider how to make their app stand out, as well as, if fan demand exists before joining 100,000 others in the App Store.

New Weezer CD + An Official Snuggie Only $29.99!

2009-11-05T07:28:30-05:00

Yes, this is a real product. River Cuomo told Rolling Stone back in May that he and his Weezer bandmates were in talks to produce an official "wuggie" version of the body blanket that's been dominating off-hour tv commercials in recent months. Now River's dreams have come true and Snuggie is producing a special edition with the Weezer logo plastered on the front and packaged with a copy of the band's new CD Ratitude ("A $15 value!) all for the low, low price of just $29.99.

Here's the TV commercial to prove it:

IFPI: "Illegal File-sharing Reduces Legitimate Sales" What Do You Think?

2009-11-05T01:42:00-05:00

Global recording industry trade group the IFPI predictably responded to a new UK study that downloaders of unauthorized music also spend more money than average adding to their music collections legally.

"The net effect of illegal file-sharing in the UK and elsewhere has been to reduce legitimate sales. This is why spending on recorded music has fallen every year since illegal file-sharing began to become widespread."

There have been dozens of studies that prove both sides of this debate.

What do you think?

Online Surveys & Market Research

More Music Industry News: NARM Web Seminar Today, MySpace Troubles, RIAA Defaulters, No Doubt vs. Activison, FundTunes & More

2009-11-05T00:10:00-05:00

If you are involved in marketing music, don't miss today's Music Consumer Behavior online seminar. Thanks to NARM, Hypebot has invites.
Trouble @ MySpace: Losing Money and Traffic & Blowing Google Guarantees. (MediaMemo)
Will Virgin Media and UMG unveil final details of their music service today? (Music Ally)
Does the RIAA let defaulters off the hook? Judging by the number of times it has happened, plenty of accused file-swappers believe they're better off not showing up to court than even talking to the RIAA—especially if the recording industry doesn't bother to collect on the default judgments it eventually wins. Unfortunately for the file-swappers, it's not true. (ars)
Billboard & Ray Wadell's Touring confab spotlighted the challenges of modern artist development. (Billboard)
No Doubt Sues Activision Over ‘Circus Act’ Appearance In Band Hero (paidContent)
Paris based digital music startup Deezer debuts desktop client, premium offering. (TechCrunch EU)
Downloads For A Cause - FundTunes, in association with Universal Music Canada, has launched a website to download music to fundraise for a cause. The first of its kind in the country, FundTunes helps raise money for Canadian charities,schools, clubs, community groups and the arts. (more)
Music retailer HMV has launched an download store in Canada. (press release)
Universal Music Group and Serato Announce Secure Digital Delivery Service for DJs Worldwide. (press release)

EMI Diversifies With Abbey Road Live Recordings

2009-11-04T11:48:22-05:00

An expanded move by EMI into live concert recordings offers a glimpse both at a much needed revenue stream for record labels and an additional income source for many artists.

Abbey Road Live, EMI's new live music audio and video recording and instant production service, will allow fans to purchase high quality live recordings of shows they've just attended. Mixed and mastered on site, the recordings will be made available in a range of formats including CD, DVD and USB or via secure digital delivery to home computers or mobile as streams or downloads.

High quality authorized downloads of live shows have already been a source of income for Peal Jam, The Dave Mathews Band, Government Mule, Phish and others for years. Some bands continue to earn significant revenue while still allowing fans to tape live performances and trade them online.

Abbey Road Live is headquartered at the EMI owned Abbey Road Studios in the UK. Launching initially in North America and Europe, Abbey Road Live expands upon the success of Live Here Now which was established in 2004 by EMI's Mute Records. Live Here Now has produced and sold instant live recordings for artists such as Blur, Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, The Pixies, and The Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, among others.

The Abbey Road Live Team
(from the press release)

Simon Miller, EMI Music’s Senior Vice President of New Product Development and Live, who brings a background in both the creative and business sides of established and entrepreneurial digital media enterprises to lead Abbey Road Live. Prior to joining EMI in May 2009, Miller was involved in the launch of several start ups, including European online music company Peoplesound.com and swopex.com, the UK’s largest legal media swapping community. He also worked at Universal Music Group in business development. Miller was also involved in numerous feature and television films as writer and director.

Will Shapland, an experienced recording engineer and producer, will consult for Abbey Road Live in London. Shapland has been involved in live, multi-track concert recordings for artists including David Bowie, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Robbie Williams, U2, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Three Tenors, Sex Pistols and Live Aid, among others. He was chief engineer for Manor Mobiles, a unit of Virgin and EMI, before selling the business and launching Will Shapland Mobiles, based in Oxfordshire, England.

David “Noggin” Rowntree, head of operations for Abbey Road Live in the UK and Rest of World. He was part of the original Live Here Now team that produced live recordings throughout Europe, the Middle East and the UK and for artists such as Blur, The Pixies, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Moby, Graham Coxon, The Brand New Heavies, Throbbing Gristle and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

Marcus “MJ” Salisbury is head of production for Abbey Road Live, based in London. He was part of the Live Here Now launch team and has been with Mute Records for 15 years, working in a variety of A&R and recording production roles. Salisbury has worked closely on records from Mute artists such as Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp, Moby, Erasure and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds among others, and has worked with some of the industry’s most talented producers including Flood, Ben Hillier, Gareth Jones and Steve Albini.

Veteran live music producer and DiscLive founder Zach Bair will consult full time for Abbey Road Live’s operations in North America and Latin America. He is a musician and producer who has launched and run several music-related software, live recording and on-site duplication companies, including PowerUp, Immediatek, DiscLive and RockHouse Live Media Productions. He has worked on live productions with such artists as The Pixies, Melissa Ethridge, JC Chasez, Billy Idol, Kenny Loggins and Sum 41, and has produced live recordings in partnership with several Billboard conferences, including the Billboard Latin Awards in 2009.

Topspin And Berklee College Partner For Online Music Marketing Course

2009-11-04T11:06:18-05:00

Six months ago Topspin and The Berklee College of Music announced a partnership to offer an online course teaching implementation of the Topspin digital music marketing and sales platform. The course is now ready and the registration is open for the course which begins January 11th.

Non-credit registration costs $995 ($200 more to get college credit) and includes a Topspin account. The course also marks the beginning of Topsin's wider release. To date, they've been a bit selective about who they work with because, as CEO Ian Rogers admits, "Frankly, it hasn’t been ready". "We’ve been using it ourselves all year and know its shortcomings," says Rogers. "We’ve been reshaping it to meet our needs and are excited to see how it meets the needs of other marketers, starting with the Berkleemusic.com course."

A Wider Topspin Release Plus Video

Sometime next year Topspin says it will open is platform for wider use. But for now, the Berklee online course is the best way to get your hands on these tools. And even after a public release, any tools are only as good as the skills of the person using them. Head instructor for the Topspin course is one of my favorite d.i.y. music experts and bloggers Mike King. You can get a free taste of how Berklee's online courses work here.

Foo Fighters Draw 440,000 To Web Only Concert

2009-11-04T09:33:28-05:00

It's not quite the 10 million that YouTube says watched last week's U2 online concert, but 440,000 tuning in to see a net only concert by the Foo Fighters via Livestream and Facebook certainly shows the potential of direct online broadcasting .

440K is only 1/3 or so of the more than a million viewers that see an appearance on Kimmy Kimmel or Last Call and 1/10th of the viewers that an appearance on the Tonight Show attracts. But direct web casts which also add chat, sharing and even purchase capability to the experience provide a different kind of platform for the artist that's free of time and format restrictions (in this case a 2 hour and 45 minute concert) and attracts a more engaged fan.

IODA Adds Labels To Distribution Roster

2009-11-04T05:29:52-05:00

Digital distributor IODA has inked a number of new content deals. Labels include V2 Benelux, Union Square Music, Agriculture, Asian Man, Barge, Catsup Plate, Captured Tracks, Jade Tree and NooN Music IODA also has signed the recently reunited band That Petrol Emotion, who will be digitally re-issuing their albums Fireproof and Final Flame as well distributing their debut album Manic Pop Thrill via Demon Music Group.

“As an independent company, we were drawn to IODA’s similar roots,” said Tom Willinck, of V2 Benelux. “IODA not only has a deep understanding of the needs of independent labels and artists but also has developed sophisticated solutions for that community."

More on the new labels:

V2 Benelux – Originally founded by Richard Branson in 1997, V2 Benelux provides physical distribution, marketing, promotion, accounting and sales for a wide variety of artists in the Belgium and Netherlands regions, including Dan Wilson, Patrick Watson, Frank Boeijen, The Scene, Ane Brun, Luka Bloom, Lady Linn & her Magnificent Seven and Skunk Anansie.
The Agriculture Records – Founded by DJ Olive and James Healy from the ashes of the 1990s Williamsburg warehouse scene, ten-year-old the Agriculture Records represents artists from the street to the museums, from the clubs to the backyard barbeques. Upcoming album releases include DJ Olive, DJ /rupture and Matt Shadetek, Escape Arts, Badawi, and Deadbeat.
Asian Man Records – Run out of his parent’s garage since 1996, Mike Park has planted Asian Man Records as one of the truly DIY punk labels around today. The label has introduced the world to such artists as the Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, The Queers, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Skankin’ Pickle, and Lemuria. The label continues its’ presence in the DIY punk community and also their involvement in non-profit activism with their sister company the Plea for Peace Foundation
Barge Recordings – Founded in 2005, Barge Recordings is a Boston/NYC-based label offering a wide range of sounds, from electronic to the unknown. Garnering attention for a unique curation of music, Barge continued on to release albums by The Fun Years, Geoff Mullen, MGR & Xela, Bird Show, and Animal Hospital. Barge has recently added the English duo Pausal to their roster of artists.
Captured Tracks – A Brooklyn-based label founded in 2008, Captured Tracks got its start with the post-punk sound of Blank Dogs. Captured Tracks has since expanded its roster to include artists such as The Beets, Beach Fossils, Wild Nothing and Mayfair Set.
Catsup Plate – Founded by Rob Carmichael over 15 years ago, Catsup Plate Records inhabits the zone between pop structure and experimental abstraction. Catsup Plate has provided a forum for a diverse group of artists: Animal Collective, Destroyer, Black Dice, The Double, Simon Joyner and Mountains, among many others.
Jade Tree – Approaching 20 years since its DIY inception, Jade Tree has earned its place as a household name in the world of independent music. The label has had the honor of introducing such luminaries as Pedro The Lion, Jets to Brazil, The Promise Ring and Lifetime to generations of indie-rock and punk music fans around the world. Recently, the label has worked with hardcore giants Paint It Black, post punk rockers These Arms Are Snakes, indie dance darlings Snowden, and Richmond punks Cloak/Dagger.
That Petrol Emotion – After a 15 year hiatus, That Petrol Emotion reunited in 2008 with their unique blend of hook-laden guitar pop. In addition to future releases, IODA has digitally re-released That Petrol Emotion’s last studio album Fireproof, as well as the band’s final live album, Final Flame, which has been restored to the full original running order, including several previously unreleased tracks.
Union Square Music – One of the five largest independent record companies in the United Kingdom, Union Square Music expects to release over fifty albums in North America before the end of 2010. The label works with artists across genres from rock to classical, jazz to punk. IODA will digitally release their albums in the United States, including Procol Harum (One Eye To The Future), Barbara Dickson (album of Dylan covers Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright) and The Undertones, whose back catalog Union Square will release in 2010.
NooN Music – Roy Orbison Jr., son of legendary singer Roy Orbison, has joined IODA for digital distribution of his father's masters owned by his company NooN Music LLC. The first release is Orbison’s “Last Concert,” recorded live just two days before the singer’s untimely passing. It includes some of Orbison’s biggest hits such as Oh, Pretty Woman; Only The Lonely; In Dreams; Crying; and Ooby Dooby.

Echo Nest To Enhance MOG's All Access

2009-11-04T04:00:00-05:00

The Echo Nest will help power MOG's All Access music offering when it launched near the end of this month. Echo Nest is a proprietary machine learning platform that listens to and reads about music across the web to power better music search, recommendation and interactivity.

According to David Hyman, CEO of MOG, "MOG All Access will use Echo Nest in combination with other tools to create a revolutionary listening experience that will forever change how you discover music." That's a strong claim in a competitive marketplace, but Jim Lucchese, CEO of The Echo Nest agrees, "MOG is making use of The Echo Nest's music intelligence platform in some very creative ways. We're fired upto help MOG deliver such a great online music experience.

The Echo Nest was co-founded by two MIT Media Lab PhDs, Brian Whitman and Tristan Jehan. The company is a three-time National Science Foundation SBIR grant winner and is funded by Commonwealth Capital Ventures, Argos Management and angel investors, including a co-founder of the MIT Media Lab.

Lala And MySpace Offer Free & Exclusive Tracks To Showcase New Google Search

2009-11-04T00:30:00-05:00

(UPDATE 2) iLike / MySpace let us know this morning that they are offering the same free and exclusive tracks as Lala.

To showcase their new partnership with Google for enhanced music search, Lala and MySpace/iLike will be offering exclusive tracks and free MP3 downloads for a limited time. These tracks can all be found through a simple Google search, and can be previewed full-length.

Free MP3 downloads from Lala & MySpace:

Tim McGraw - "Still"
Phoenix - "Lasso (2 Door Cinema Club RMX)"
Major Lazer - "Keep It Goin' Louder (Diplo Remix)" [Exclusive]
Mos Def - "History (a capella)" [Exclusive]
Zee Avi - "Darling (Acoustic)" [Exclusive]

Exclusive tracks on Lala & MySpace:

AFI - "Torch Song (Demo From Crash Love Sessions)"
Arctic Monkeys - "Catapult"
Bon Jovi - "We Weren't Born To Follow [Acoustic Version] (Recorded Live From Inside The Actor's Studio)"
Dead by Sunrise - "Let Down [Live]"
Green Day - "Know Your Enemy [Live In Tokyo]"
Kings of Leon - "Crawl (Miike Snow Remix)"
Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi (David Aude Remix)"
Linkin Park - "New Divide [Live]"
Luke Bryan - "Better Than My Heart"
Norah Jones - "Young Blood"
One Republic - "All The Right Moves (Live)"
Paramore - "Where The Lines Overlap [Acoustic Version]"
Snoop Dogg - "Upside Down (Featuring Nipsey Hussle)"
The Fray - "Be The One (Demo Version)"
Trey Songz - " LOL :-) [feat. Gucci Mane & Soulja Boy Tell 'Em] [Logan deGaulle Remix]"
Weezer - "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To (Live In Kansas City)"
Zac Brown Band - "Chicken Fried [Live From Bonnaroo]"

More Music Industry News: Digital Beatles (Legal & Not), Royalties, The Orchard, INgrooves, EMI & More

2009-11-04T00:13:00-05:00

I wrote about Beatles downloads being available for the first time on Bluebeat last week and asked if it could possibly be legal. EMI doesn't think so and is suing the site on California court. (Epicenter) An authorized digital release is on the way before Christmas of a limited edition $280 USB drive containing the entire digitally remastered EMI catalog. (official store)
Congress Seeks Negotiations Over Radio Royalties (FMQB)
The Orchard has been selected by Jazz at Lincoln Center for marketing, national physical distribution, and worldwide digital distribution of both new and previously-captured recordings. The first release will be "Portrait in Seven Shades", a newly-composed suite by jazz musician Ted Nash and recorded by the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on January 19th.
EMI expands their moves into selling live concert recordings after the show using its Abby Roads Studio brand and crew. (paidContent) Full Hypebot story here.
EMI Music Publishing has announced that Barbara Sedun will lead its Canadian business. Sedun joins the company from her position as Manager of Music Programs at Manitoba Film & Music. She begins work as Senior Vice President of EMI Music Publishing Canada. The appointment marks a return to EMI Music Publishing for Sedun, who had previously spent 16 years with the company in Toronto.
Digital distributor INgrooves now offer its labels access to RightsFlow’s licensing, accounting and royalty payment technology to help them manage copyright compliance and royalty payment.
Apple unveils a music themed movie cross promotion. (Billboard)
Microsoft is finally launching MSN Music in the UK, a music streaming and download service, nearly four months later than originally scheduled. (Telegraph)
Sonos ZonePlayer S5 Now Shipping in US: All-In-One Wireless Music System Controlled With An iPhone (press release)

Indie Artist X Project Wrap Up

2009-11-03T12:02:13-05:00

This guest post comes from David Rose who created the Indie Artist X experiment. David Rose is also the Managing Editor at KnowTheMusicBiz.com and a Partner at The PlazaBridge Group.

Background:

About.com Music Careers, Artists House Music, KnowTheMusicBiz.com, MusicianWages.com, Revolution Number 3 and Hypebot banded together to create a basic, actionable music marketing plan designed around simple strategy, prioritization of tactics, easy to use tools, and a reasonable budget. It’s our hope that any hard working, talented musician can utilize this plan to grow their fan base and help lay the foundation for a sustainable career in music.

Our group worked with one anonymous artist to design this music marketing plan then track and report the actual results over a four month period (July – October 2009). The group members were allowed to offer suggestions, advice and guidance to the artist but were not permitted to do any actual work on the artist’s behalf. During the project the artist had no record label, manager or booking agent support and was solely responsible for doing all the work to implement and maintain the marketing plan.

The Artist:

Austin Collins from Austin Collins and the Rainbirds is the artist who anonymously participated in the Indie Artist X Project. Austin regularly demonstrates many of the traits required to succeed as a modern indie artist. Austin not only has the ability to write great songs and personally connect with fans but he is also tech savvy, business smart and has an undeniable work ethic.

As the IAXP was preparing to kick off Austin won the 2009 AirPlay Direct “All Things Americana” artist contest. Austin is using the $35,000 contest prize package to self release his third studio record, due out in February 2010.

To learn how Austin originally got involved with in the Indie Artist X Project check out this blog post.

The Statistics:

Below are a few of the statistics that were tracked during the 4 month project.

	July	August	September	October
Total Website Visitors	628	1189	1187	1134
Fan List	739	760	774	786
BandMetrics Score	183	233	241	244

To see the complete project statistics check out the “Stats Summary” tab of the publically available IAXP music marketing plan document.

A Few IAXP Observations:

Like many experiments this one was far from perfect. For example, we were not able to successfully measure Austin’s distribution or direct sales. His previous label only provides semi-annual reporting on distribution sales and failed to provide the art files needed to setup direct CD or merchandise sales for Austin’s new website store.

Touring really makes a difference. Austin seems to have the ability to connect with fans when he plays live. His email fan list and website traffic both see positive, incremental growth when he tours. The flip side of this trend is that Austin spent much of September and October writing and recording his new record and less time playing live. The stats growth in both of those months slowed measurably.

Digital royalties are anemic at best. Even though Austin writes his own songs, owns the copyrights to his songs and has had thousands of plays on Last.FM, Pandora, Imeem, etc. he has never had royalties reported or paid through Soundexchange. He has only received two checks in the last four years from BMI. If there is ever going to be a musician middle class digital royalties must be paid on a per play basis.

A music marketing plan is no silver bullet. A solid music marketing plan is certainly helpful but there is no single tool or approach that can guarantee a successful career in music. Building a sustainable career in music these days takes a considerable amount of time, an extraordinary amount of talent and hard work, a “build one fan at a time” mentality and infinite patience.

Wrap Up:

Watching the many small successes and setbacks of a hard working indie artist from the front row has certainly been a great learning experience for everyone involved. Many thanks to Bruce @Hypebot, Andrew @Artistshouse, Cameron @MusicianWages, Heather @About.com MusicCareers , Martin Atkins, Katie and Joanna @RevolutionNumber3 and @AustinCollins for all their hard work to pull the Indie Artist X Project together. - David Rose