Industry news
HighNotes: Not another copyright case
US royalty collection AARC are suing Ford and GM over their entertainment hardware; the music industry gets schooled by TV; the album format is out, playlists are in; majority of artists can keep their day jobs; and look forward to the proactive music listener.
Yes, another copyright case
Hardly a week goes by in the music industry in which someone is not being sued for copyright violations, but I guess that's part of the zeitgeist in the digital age. This time, the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC) are suing Ford, GM, and automotive tech firms Denso and Clarion which are creating and selling in-car entertain systems that are able to rip CDs onto their hard drives. Whether they have a case or not, you decide - read "Why is the music industry suing Ford and GM?"
Following the example of TV
Can the music industry learn a thing or two from the renaissance of good TV? Ted Gioia of The Daily Beast seems to think so. He outlines five areas in which the music industry can look to improve in "Five lessons the faltering music industry could learn from TV". Best of all, he suggests that there's no need to give music away for free.
Out with the album, in with curated playlists
The album is just about spluttering above water. In a few years, unless your sales figures are well into the millions, producing an album will be pointless. If you're thinking of becoming a musician, stick to churning out singles. For someone growing up in the 70s, 80s & 90s, it's the end of an era in music. The average listener now prefers curated playlists - it's not a bad thing really, in fact it's what the average listener has always wanted, and what the market wants, the market gets. Read "Album spins closer towards its final track as a viable format" to get a glimpse of where we're heading.
The evolving compensation system
The music industry is having a rough time, but none more than the mid-level artist. While the age we're in has bred a culture where the public has an expectation of free art, art has taken on the role of advertising. It works, but only for the well-established stars. What this means is that those at the mid-low end of the income pool will have to look at other options. Read "Artist compensation and the future of music" to understand the evolving compensation system.
The proactive listener
New developments in music technology are on the cards - it's still a lucrative market even though the industry is undergoing vast change. Apart from voice control, air gestures, and mood sensors, we could very well see more listener control over the very music itself - we don't have to look very far into the future for the proactive listener. Read "Tuned in - the future of music" to get insight into what music has in store for us.
