High5: In other music news #6

Get entrepreneurial

 

So Deadmau5 just launched his subscription-based app. For roughly R53 a month, fans get access to some exclusive content. To us, especially for independent artists, this seems like the winning formula if you want to earn a decent living in the music industry. It's the entrepreneurial way... You have the product, let the fans get it directly from you - artists no longer need the middleman. It's all about taking back control, and the technology's on your side - take advantage of that! Read "Deadmau5 launches subscription-based iPhone app (with Android to come)" to find out how he's doing it.

 

 

Classically Cannabis: The High Note Series

 

The commercialisation of cannabis in Colorado is well on its way since recreational use was legalised in the state this year. Taking advantage of this is the Colorado Symphony Orchestra which plans to host its Classically Cannabis: The High Note Series this month in order to raise money for the orchesrta. They're expected to make $200,000 from the series. Considering the orchestra ran the risk of shutting down not too long ago, the bold move of aligning itself with weed may just be what the doctored ordered. Read "Colorado's marijuana industry is revolutionising classical music" for more details.

 

The price of music

 

What is the value of music? I'm sure everyone - from artists to labels, to distributors, to retailers and even consumers - will give you a different price. Kudos Records, an independent distributor based in London, in its latest blog post suggests "The price isn't right". They believe that the industry needs to urgently reconsider the price of CDs and digital album bundles, and the solution needs to driven by the retail market.     

 

 

Artists winning at festivals

 

According to Rolling Stone's "How Coachella, Bonnaroo and more festivals revamped the music industry", musicians are making much more money playing at festivals than during independent tours. It helps that the festival market in the States is booming with over 60 due to take place this year! Even the lesser known bands, with the right time slots, can walk away with not just great exposure, but 3-4 times the income of the average club show.   

 

Challenge to streaming

 

Streaming seems to have dealt the final blow to download sales with Apple's pending purchase of Beats Electronics. It seems to be all about subscriptions, but Yonder's chief executive, Adam Kidron, has different ideas. You'll recall Kidron from crash and burn of Beyond Oblivion - a $34-million investment that never saw the light of day. Kidron's back with Yonder - the Yonder model involves the sale of smartphones bundled with free music downloads with the additional cost of the music hidden in the phone purchase. At the moment the music industry seems to be all about trial and error - let's see how well this strategy unbundles... Read "Digital music service Yonder seeks to challenge subscription model" to find out more about Yonder.