Industry news
HighNotes: Goodbye Top 40?
Top news in music last week touched on the role of mobile operators in Africa, sexism in the industry, and giant distributors bullying suppliers. Questions are asked as to who's to blame for the collapsing music industry, and is the bell tolling for the charts?
Mobile operators need to get onboard
According to panellists at the VAS Africa Summit in Johannesburg last week, mobile operators need to participate in Africa's digital music industry by offering affordable bundles to consumers. It is agreed that streaming is the way forward, but it's not the technology that's in question, but the business model that needs to be addressed. Read "Operator participation vital to African digital music industry" to find out what else the panellists had to say.
Awards just for women?
Does the music industry need separate awards events for women? Deborah Coughlin of The Guardian believes that if it sparks debate in the industry about the still prevalent inequalities, then yes - it's a sad state of affairs, but yes. Read "Why women-only awards are sadly still needed in the music industry" to hear her out. Should the South African music scene consider its own women-focused awards too..?
Suppliers vs distributors
The never-ending battle between suppliers and distributors has been brought to the fore again as independent music labels go up against Google's YouTube - for some indies, the video giant's new streaming service has put a contract before them that is less than desirable. It's become clear that giant digital distributors - think Apple, Amazon, and Google - have had the scales tipped in their favour in the digital age. Read "YouTube, Amazon start playing hardball with sellers" to get some insight into the power shift.
Executives are the biggest losers
The music industry is in a state of collapse, and nothing shows that more clearly than the chart presented by Rocco Pendola on TheStreet.com: "The devastating collapse of the music industry in one chart". It leaves no room for dispute, and while music executives play the blame game, Pendola points the finger directly at them. Is he right? Are they the biggest losers in not seeking to innovate their own industries when the internet came a’knocking?
Goodbye Top 40?
Is it the end of the road for the charts? Will streaming put an end to decades of music tradition? It sure looks that way. With streaming catering more to individual taste, and with the potential for music to have a more durable lifespan, we will soon begin to see a skewed version of the Top 40 chart. Read "Streaming hits the Top 40, but is this the end of the chart itself?" to get a glance of where the music industry is going.
