Monday, November 30, 2009
The Remix Phenomenon
Another example of a remix project is Chicago’s Hey Champ who just released a remix album of remixes they did other artist’s songs. This is the reverse of what Phoenix did but equally as beneficial for an artist that isn’t as widely known. I’m assuming that we will see more of these types of remix projects in the future because the music consumers are getting harder to please as time goes by, therefore exclusivities and rarities such as these remixes will be sought out by music lovers.
Erin Schwaba
Chicago Music
Artists Making More Money
The article can be found here: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/11/as-music-industry-struggles-artist-income-grows.html
Steve Smith
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Xbox Live Music
The only thing that may be an issue is the fact that artists can be "featured" during a game without licensing their music to the game companies. Publishers may be wary of this new idea, but otherwise, this could open up many opportunities to creatively market music for gamers.
Article
-Bill Ross
Rihanna: Fiercely Introspective
Saturday, November 28, 2009
iTunes Music Prices
Friday, November 27, 2009
Live Nation & iTunes To Offer Concert Downloads
Personally, I think this is a GREAT idea. This is something that I think should of been done quite some time ago. As a fan of live shows, I may use this feature to catch a preview of upcoming shows that are coming to my town or shows that aren't coming to my town or if I happen to miss a local show, hopefully it'll be there on iTunes for me to catch. I really see this being a success for both parties. Live Nation is really showing that they're on top of their game this year.
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/11/live-nation-itunes-to-offer-concert-downloads.html
-Marcus Hall
Fair Play? A Million Spotify Streams Earned Gaga $167
-Ryan Dolan
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-fair-dos-a-million-spotify-streams-earned-gaga-167/
Monday, November 23, 2009
Tommy Lee "Crowdsourcing"
Legally Downloaded Music Cheaper Than Dirt!
This is a limited time promotion though since the site actually loses 39 cents a song. The promotion is expected to last the next 2 or 3 months but no absolute date has been set yet. They are hoping that they can get customers by practically giving away music rather than spend millions on promotion and advertising. I personally have signed up for this site and searched their catalog. So far I have found everything I have been looking for. My one complaint is that the file is downloaded in a compressed zip file that has to be extracted and then added to iTunes or whatever player you are using, but saving about 8 dollars an album I can live with the extra two minutes of work.
Steve Smith
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Band =/= Brand
Article
-Bill Ross
MySpace Music Overhauls Charts
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Music Videos and Concerts Coming to Hulu
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Dr. Dre To Anchor Best Buy 'Club Beats' Sections
To help promote the new Club Beats, Best Buy will host a series of events featuring appearances from top music artists including Lady Gaga, Will.i.am and Dr. Dre. It will promote the events through local radio and newspaper advertisements. According to the Nielsen Company, the retailer spent $213 million on advertising in 2008 and $142 million in the first eight months of 2009.
It seems like Best Buy is starting to notice the new trend of in DJing, and also with the concern for the sound quality of music. Beats by Dr. Dre was selected because of its commitment to giving the average listener a professional-quality listening experience through their headphones.
Best Buy sees this DJ-focused offering as something brand new for mainstream retail. "It may not be simple to find these products in a mainstream environment-either you have to know what you need, or you have to talk to someone who is in the industry," said Wendy Fritz, svp of merchandising for mobility for Best Buy. "What we're trying to say is 'hey you can do this,' and when they come into the store our Blue Shirts can say 'these are the three or four products you need to get started.'"
Seven stores will feature a full "experiential" Club Beats area, with a spectrum of products while 300 stores will features an "interactive" area, with similar options but slightly fewer products to try out. All remaining stores will include a "core" Club Beats area, with a product selection, merchandising signage and customer service assistance but less of a focus on interactivity.
-Woody Ellis
Music: Too Expensive to Be Free, Too Free to Be Expensive
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Words With Friends...and album advertisements
While playing recently, I noticed there were several advertisements for newly released albums. What made this advertisement different than the ones i've seen in the past, is there is the option to be directed to your iTunes on your iPhone to download the album if you are interested. The ads pop up quite frequently while playing. So the player sees them often. Even if they dont purchase the album, it raises awareness that the album is available.
The market surrounding this app is also very broad. People from all ages, locations, and backgrounds play. Advertisement placement throughout this app is brilliant.
~Laurel Zevitz
Monday, November 16, 2009
Lady Gaga on Gossip Girl
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/11/13/sneak-peak-lady-gaga-dances-in-red-sequins-on-gossip-girl/
- Val South
Sunday, November 15, 2009
More Beatles Merchandise
Steve Smith
iTunes Variable Pricing selling fewer songs, but still making more money?
To me, this shows that Apple can probably get away with raising single prices in the future if marketed right. They didn't raise the prices of every song, just the hot sellers. I would assume that they know that people are going to get the song they want given that the price isn't ridiculous. Raising the price 30 cents shouldn't ruffle the feathers of too many people. I know they don't ruffle mine.
http://gigaom.com/2009/11/12/with-itunes-variable-pricing-fewer-hit-song-sales-still-mean-more-money-for-apple/
-Marcus Hall
Downloading Vs. Music-Streaming
Despite the popularity of music-streaming a recent survey of 10,000 students showed that 75 percent of students prefer downloading music. These students would rather use sites like iTunes for example to download and keep music on hard drives or MP3 players. There is a growing demand for cheaper downloads. TunesPro.com seems to be the front runner in meeting this demand. They have already lowered prices when they launched 3 months ago. The price was lowered and hopes of attracting younger customers. Those hopes were met TunesPro said “We have seen a huge surge of younger people using our site as more and more of torrents and P2P files contain viruses, so our pricing must be competitive enough for the younger students with perhaps less disposable income than professionals. We keep our prices low and concentrate of making money through volume sales. Currently we charge 19c per song and offer a further 10% when a whole album is purchased. We believe this will attract the younger users away from iTunes, which charge almost 6 times more than we do."
This sounds great for music lovers I. My question to you guys is do you think that sites like TunesPro will bring an end to iTunes or at least make them change how they operate as far as pricing goes. Also, I would like to know if you guys preferred either music-streaming or downloading.
Trevion Martin
http://www.millsberry.com/
New Weezer CD + An Official Snuggie Only $29.99!
Devo Designer Art-Rugs
A blog on Wired explains a little bit about Devo today. Four of the five current members are part of the original line-up from 1973. Mark Mothersbaugh explains that the band plans to give fans an exciting experience by performing full albums during shows on the tour. The band is also planning on several plans for the near future. A new 2010 album will feature a "number of great minds" providing covers and "subtle remixes". Also, another tour next year will be feature a new off-beat multimedia show. And of course, there's the "art rugs".
Mothersbaugh has designed over 60 rugs that all seem to be consistent with the "de-evolution" idea that incited Devo's popularity back in the 1970's. Many of the rugs contain subtle references to songs and albums from the band. Some pretty crazy looking stuff indeed.
This is a great example of a band creating a brand of themselves. The full album shows, multimedia shows, and the strange rugs all fit the image that Devo has always been known for: off-the-beaten-path, anti-pop-culture style that sits in a realm all its own. For fans of Devo, all of this is a fantastic treat that brings back memories of Devo's heyday in the late 70's-early 80's. This ultra fan-based marketing is great for established bands that are potentially looking for a new surge of popularity.
Article
Rugs
-Bill Ross
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Lala and iLike Traffic Increased Since Google Partnership
Lala and iLike better be thanking Google! Ever since the new Google music search debuted, traffic for the two music sites has jumped dramatically.
Myspace likely to start charging for music...
Trevor Kay
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/11/free-streaming-may-be-soon-be-history-spotify-delays-u-s-launch-myspace-may-move-to-pay-model/
Shazam!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Youtube gets social savvy.
- Over One Million users are now using youtubes autoshare options that allows users to seamlessly share their favorite videos on google reader, facebook, and twitter.
-With every auto shared tweet, YouTube is gaining on average 7 new users.
-YouTube now has a friend suggestion feature, based on the users Gmail address book.
I think that this is a great endeavor for YouTube to pursue. It is no secret that the website has had a bit of trouble finding a way to become profitable, and I've always thought that the lack of "personality" on YouTube has hindered it in the past. For instance, I don't know of any underground band that's Internet presence relies solely on YouTube; while most of the have an account and videos on YouTube, often times they use YouTube as a way to embed these videos on their other websites. Most bands have much less traffic and user activity on YouTube than they do elsewhere.
This could be a good thing for YouTube, and if they continue to improve, upgrade, and develop new ways to stay "social" on their platform alone, the situation I described above may start to change.
-Eric Hart
Thursday, November 12, 2009
4 Ways Live and Digital Music are Teaming Up
2009 Vinyl & Digital Music Sales Through The Roof...
Sales of digital music are reaching new milestones in 2009, Nielsen Soundscan reported today, while an old-school format is enjoying a big new lease on life. Total purchased album downloads are on pace to top last year's figure of 65 million, the research firm says. With 2009 figures already at 63.9 million, the new record could come by next week.
Last year, Rihanna sold 9.9 million tracks online to set a calendar-year record. That number has already been bested in 2009 by four artists: Michael Jackson (11.3 million), Lady Gaga (11.1 million), The Black Eyed PEas (
Digital sales and vinyl records could not be more different. For all the efficiencies of digital music's distribution and supply chain, vinyl counters with an equally expensive and inefficient process. Yet, the two are on the rise, which is very exciting news for me, or anyone involved with the music industry for that matter. Just when things started to seem hopeless, there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel! There is no doubt digital formats represent the future of recorded music. iTunes is just the beginning. New types of digital services promise to change how people get their music.
-Woody Ellis
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Broadway Goes Punk Rock
Steve Smith
TuneCore Partners With eHealth
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
FREE Song From Anarbor Brought To You By Amazon
Amazon is giving away a free song by Anarbor. The song chosen for this promotion is their acoustic version of "You and I." This promotion is beneficial to Anarbor to get their music out to those who have not yet heard of them before, but are curious of their sound. For the most part, it seems more beneficial to Amazon. Upon visiting the link for Amazon featuring the free Anarbor song, consumers will click on "Get MP3". Once clicking on that link, it will take you to a new page, asking you to sign in if you are already an Amazon customer. If you are not (and this is what Amazon is hoping for), it asks you to sign up with Amazon, providing them with an email address and billing address (but not asking for credit card information yet). Once becoming a customer, it takes you to a screen where you can download the song. BUT FIRST, Amazon makes sure you have their Mp3 Downloader program. It's a free program that allows consumers to download music which will automatically send the downloaded tunes to your iTunes or Windows Media Player. Amazon is hoping consumers download this program which will download the free MP3 from Anarbor. Once downloaded, consumers are able to download the free song.
Who wants to become the new singer for Aerosmith?!
Guitarist Joe Perry said that he and his band mates are "positively looking for a new singer to work with," following front man Steven Tyler.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Kenny Chesney 3d
Director Joe Thomas shot footage during Chesney's recently concluded Sun City Carnival concert tour. The film will be released through Sony's new business unit, the Hot Ticket, established to bring cultural and entertainment events to digital theaters.
Chesney has sold more than 35 million records and notched 19 No. 1 hits, including "When the Sun Goes Down," "Beer in Mexico," "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven" and "Anything but Mine."
Sunday, November 8, 2009
"Lost In A Sea Of 100,000 iPhone Apps"
Rihanna and Nokia
The Nokia X6 phone is described as "an entertainment device ideal for playing music and video, as well as its pay-per-track Nokia Music Stores and unlimited Comes With Music service". The partnership consists of exclusive content from Rihanna, as well as a live streaming concert. An exclusive version of "Rated R" containing a bonus track, a remix, and a Rihanna mobile application will be available to X6 users.
Nokia will also be streaming videos of the performance taken by attendees who record the concert on their X6 devices, creating an opportunity for other X6 users to enjoy the live music experience from their homes.
Nokia claims that the Nokia Play 2010 will continue to run for a while, opening up chances for other artists to be featured at different times. This program sounds like an efficient way of marketing two products at once. By being a part of this campaign, artists gain the benefit of Nokia's marketing, as well as exposure in new technologies and forms. I believe that this campaign could go a long way in bringing some positive attention any artists that decide to associate themselves with it. By kicking off the campaign with Rihanna, Nokia shows the intent to make a big impact with the artists they team with.
Article here
-Bill Ross
Friday, November 6, 2009
Can Technology Predict Hit Songs?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Chinese site to steer users to legit music source
Springsteen Announces More Full-Album Shows
Bruce and his boys have been playing their albums in full for their fall 2009 tour and it has been a huge success. I watched their performance at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN and I was literally blown away at how hard that guy still rocks!
We as a city are actually the ones that convinced the band that it was worth doing albums in their entirety as a live show, according to Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau. "The audience was so supportive of the concept that it convinced us to go ahead with this" Landau stated.
Springsteen and company are in the midst of a fall tour that wraps up on Nov. 22 in Buffalo, N.Y. The band appeared last weekend at Madison Square Garden as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert.
According to a report in the New York Post, Springsteen is also working on his autobiography which is expected to fetch a multi-million dollar publishing deal when it goes to auction.
I think this is a great marketing tactic because they are playing music that their fans are already familiar with and probably miss to a certain degree. It's a great concept that not many acts do, and I think it sort of adds a nostalgic element to the live show, that wouldn't necessarily normally be there otherwise. It brings the audience back to the time when that album may have been one of their favorites.
-Woody Ellis
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
NEW MOON: All or Nothing
Remember back in the day when the only way to purchase a certain song off of an album was if it were a released single in addition to the album? Back when digital mp3's werent popular or even heard of. If it wasn't released as a single, tough luck, you have to purchase the whole album. Well, one thing about the New Moon soundtrack is in order to purchase some songs, you have to purchase the album as a whole. The only songs available for single purchases are by Death Cab For Cutie, Anya Marina, and Lykke Li (all signed under Atlantic Records, the distributer of the soundtrack). All other tracks on the soundtrack are sold only through purchase of this album. In a way this is a smart technique, especially marketing lesser known artists/bands featured on the album. In order for someone to purchase Muse's song from the soundtrack, they need to purchase the whole thing, and by default they'll also be purchasing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Alexandre Desplat's song from the album as well. So fans who may have never heard of them, will be exposed to new music, and possibly become a new fan of those artists/bands. It's like going to see Death Cab For Cutie at a concert, and seeing an opening act you have never heard of. It's a great way to expose new artists to new fans.
BEST BUY is moving forward...
With all the talk we have been having in class about how online is going to make a shift in businesses all over, I thought this post was only appropriate even though it is not music based but visual based. Early this morning Best Buy, the giant electronics retailer, announced a partnership with Sonic Solutions' service to deliver first-run DVDs streamed online directly to consumers.
Best Buy sells a lot of DVDs, so to have their consumers pay once for a DVD and then play it on any device is brilliant! The new service will be a Best Buy-branded offering, available starting early next year. “We’re going into this business in a big way. Our goal is to have broad availability in the marketplace, across multiple devices, said Chris Homeister, senior vice president for entertainment at Best Buy.
In the article, analysts say that Best Buy has the clout to press both movie studios and consumer electronics companies to adopt a one-time payment model and ensure that movies play on many devices. This has me thinking that many people will be dropping movie channels from TV and Satellite services. It sounds like it will be cheaper and easier to access all over.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/best-buy-prepares-for-the-post-dvd-era/#more-23165
~Rachel August Millas
A Timber Timbre Halloween
Erin Schwaba
Monday, November 2, 2009
Help Make The Rocket Summer's New Video
The Rocket Summer's fans get an opportunity of a lifetime, be in the next TRS video!
Pull out your flip cam and start filming! Play guitar, bass, drums, piano or just sing along to "You Gotta Believe", and submit footage to rocketvid@gmail.com. For further information and details log on watch this video where Bryce and video director Randy S will explain it all!
New Study On Illegal Downloads
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/01/heavy-illegal-downlo.html
Steve Smith
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Making Mixtapes
Sites like Grooveshark have begun to reach out to record companies and other major music industry giants in order to maintain their businesses. Some sites have been reworked and redesigned in order to comply with various rules and regulations, resulting in more support from the major labels. The article outlines 8 of these sites, as well as a few honorable mentions. The popularity of these sites is hard to ignore, so the idea of offering music to be utilized by them is one that should always be considered. Playlist building/sharing has been around since the times of double cassette decks and continues to thrive in the music industry.
8 Best Ways to Share 'Mix Tapes'
-Bill Ross