The Bandwidth Music Technology Conference was a dynamic, open discussion event that brought together a cross-section of  music tech players, including Internet music service providers and enablers, labels/studios, and industry organizations.  A lot of great topics were discussed around the ever-changing music and technology ecosystem.

Here are some general takeaways, which are indicative of what players are currently contemplating:

• The Future is Streaming Music – space continues to proliferate but eventual consolidation to a handful of key players is most likely. User behavior will adjust accordingly over time to this format of music, although its critical to address the social connection and identification derived from owning CDs and MP3s.
• User Experience is Critical – making the experience as intuitive and informative as possible (ie. reduce number of clicks, add recommendations, or offer other programming services) for the user is going to help drive adoption.
• Streaming Players Need Back-Office Help – this is a very important element, particularly in working with labels and arranging licenses.
• View the Ad Wall as the New Pay Wall – monetization of a streaming service does not have to occur via subscription only. Users pay with their impressions, so its important to consider ways to capitalize on the ad experience (ie. more ads per screen, more clicks per visit, thematic ads tied to the content, location-based service tie-ins, etc)
• Visuals are Key – visuals are becoming a bigger element of enjoying music as content hits more screens (PC, mobile, TV, etc). What will be the new version of an album cover, artist photos, videos and apps?
• Labels Seeking Easy, Turnkey Approach – labels are seeking an easy-to-activate and maintain approach to promote artists via apps. They view several current options as too slow to develop or resource-intensive. Sample ideal apps they referenced are those that provide immediate access to artists’ thoughts, include access to a “scene”, such as concert footage, artist created webisodes and more.
• Media Recommendations - recommendations for suggested, relevant content are becoming increasingly important in such a crowded field.
• Still Not Connected – music ecosystem is still siloed and not connected. The NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) would like to see global identification system to increase interoperability throughout ecosystem.

The Bandwidth Music Technology Conference was a dynamic, open discussion event that brought together a cross-section of  music tech players, including Internet music service providers and enablers, labels/studios, and industry organizations.  A lot of great topics were discussed around the ever-changing music and technology ecosystem.

Here are some general takeaways, which are indicative of what players are currently contemplating:

• The Future is Streaming Music – space continues to proliferate but eventual consolidation to a handful of key players is most likely. User behavior will adjust accordingly over time to this format of music, although its critical to address the social connection and identification derived from owning CDs and MP3s.
• User Experience is Critical – making the experience as intuitive and informative as possible (ie. reduce number of clicks, add recommendations, or offer other programming services) for the user is going to help drive adoption.
• Streaming Players Need Back-Office Help – this is a very important element, particularly in working with labels and arranging licenses.
• View the Ad Wall as the New Pay Wall – monetization of a streaming service does not have to occur via subscription only. Users pay with their impressions, so its important to consider ways to capitalize on the ad experience (ie. more ads per screen, more clicks per visit, thematic ads tied to the content, location-based service tie-ins, etc)
• Visuals are Key – visuals are becoming a bigger element of enjoying music as content hits more screens (PC, mobile, TV, etc). What will be the new version of an album cover, artist photos, videos and apps?
• Labels Seeking Easy, Turnkey Approach – labels are seeking an easy-to-activate and maintain approach to promote artists via apps. They view several current options as too slow to develop or resource-intensive. Sample ideal apps they referenced are those that provide immediate access to artists’ thoughts, include access to a “scene”, such as concert footage, artist created webisodes and more.
• Media Recommendations - recommendations for suggested, relevant content are becoming increasingly important in such a crowded field.
• Still Not Connected – music ecosystem is still siloed and not connected. The NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) would like to see global identification system to increase interoperability throughout ecosystem.

By 9am on weekdays NPR‘s broadcast audience has peaked, while the online audience continues to build until mid afternoon. According to data NPR recently shared on their website, the broadcast audience peaks at 7am with about 2.3 million listeners in an average quarter hour. Two hours later that number is under 2 million and falling – while the streaming audience is ramping up.

The streaming audience peaks at about 70,000 at 2pm. Both the broadcast and streaming numbers drop for the rest of the afternoon, with the broadcast audience peaking to 2 million again at 5pm.

NPR.org’s deep online platform includes a large amount of programming from the 24 Hour Stream or archived shows like Morning Edition, NPR Newscasts, Car Talk, or NPR Music. The online number seems to indicate website traffic, and therefore counts visits to NPR’s blogs and news offerings on the site as well.

It’s very interesting data that underscores what a deep platform NPR has. By offering live and archived streamed programming and other website features, NPR is doing a nice job of expanding their brand.

Note: This post has been updated (9:50am) for better accuracy. Many thanks to Matt for his comments and insight.

FANTASIA OR RECORD SALES DOWN IN MUSIC??

1. FANTASIA FROM AMERICAN IDOL

2. RECORD SALES KILLED BY DIGITAL MUSIC

3. CHECK HER SUICIDE EXPLANATION OUT NOW

4. ARE THERE TOO FREE ONLINE SITES FOR MUSIC??

5. WHO WILL WATCH HER TV SHOW??

BIGGER ISSUE FANTASIA OR RECORD SALES FALLING FAST??

OFFICIAL BLOG OF LIFESTYLE TASTE

I just got an invitation to an Apple press event in San Francisco on September 1st. Here’s the art–either the company is finally making its long-awaited move into the guitar business, or it’s scheduled its traditional September iPod launch.

Sadly, I won’t be covering this particular Apple event in person. (I have a good excuse: I’m going to be in Berlin at the IFA tech show.) But I’m curious about just how significant the news will be. New iPods are a given, and there are rumors of an Apple TV replacement and a seven-inch iPad. As is my wont, I’ll ask you for formal predictions shortly before the event, but any initial guesses and/or hopes?

Einen sehr interessanten Artikel zum Thema „Musikbranche im Internet“ kann man auf Spiegel-Online abrufen. Konrad Lischka hat sich hierbei mit der veränderten Marktsituation und deren Bedeutung für die Musikindustrie beschäftigt. Steckt der Musikmarkt wirklich dank des Internets in einer tiefen Krise? Und welche neuen Chancen ergeben sich dank Web 2.0 für Musikschaffende, Labels, Verlage und Booker?

Folgende interessante Fakten hier kurz im vorraus:
Der Deutsche Musikmarkt schrumpft seit 2004 tatsächlich, jedoch weitaus langsamer als in den USA, Frankreich oder Groß Britannien. Zwischen 1999 und 2009 sanken die deutschen Umsätze jedoch um ganze 42 Prozent. Zwar steigen hierbei die Umsätze an digitaler Kaufmusik, jedoch kann der Verlust im Geschäft mit physischen Tonträgern nicht aufgefangen werden.
Anders stellt sich die Situation hingegen in Japan da, wo die gesamten Tonträgerumsätze dank digitaler Verkäufe im Jahr 2008 sogar um 14 Prozent stiegen. Als Rettungsanker der Musikindustrie kann man nach wie vor das Livemusik-Geschäft sehen, hier steigen die Umsätze von Jahr zu Jahr.

Neben diesen Statistiken finden sich des weiteren Interviews mit dem Musiker Olli Schulz, dem Einmann-Label Audiolith, dem Indie-Label Tapete Records, sowie dem Digitalvertrieb Finetunes und dem Booker Arthur Schock, in denen anschaulich der Arbeitsalltag, Probleme und neue Lösungsansätze beleuchtet werden.

Hier geht’s zum Artikel

Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens emerged from hiding on Friday with the digital-only release of his first new record in five years. Unlike his most popular albums of the last decade, this one isn’t about any of America’s 50 states. But as in the past, Stevens fuses a folky acoustic sound with lush orchestration: a blend of minimalism and grandiosity that walks the line between earnest and twee.

Sufjan Stevens, All Delighted People (Classic Rock Version)

All Delighted People features nearly 60 minutes of new music, labeled as an EP (Extended Play), the industry term for the territory between a single and an album, the musical equivalent of a novella. Nearly a third of ADP is two versions of the title track. The song incorporates snatches of the Simon and Garfunkel classic “Sounds of Silence,” updated with new lyrics and melodies. Sample #1: “Hello Darkness my old friend/I’ve come to strangle you/In spite of what you’ve left.” Sample #2: “And the people bowed and prayed/But what difference does it make?” The tune also channels the Beatles with the horn-infused singalong that nods to “Hey Jude” and a string crescendo that recalls the conclusion of “A Day in the Life.”

By pop song standards, both versions of ‘All Delighted People’ are epic. The one that opens the record lasts for more than eleven minutes.  Stevens dubs the eight-minute reprise the ‘classic rock version,’ which is a joke from the first banjo pluck. On a scale of one to Led Zeppelin, Sufjan ranks just above Belle and Sebastian. In similarly epic fashion, the record ends with an ode to Stevens’ sister, Djohariah, which runs for more than 10 minutes before the lead vocals begin and features a deliberately loose  and sloppy electric guitar solo, which Stevens says is his first on record.

Sufjan Stevens, Heirloom

Stevens is best known for Michigan (2003) and Illinois (2005), a pair of albums announced as part of a series of 50 albums for each of the 50 states. (He has since admitted the goal was a publicity stunt). In 2007, he released The BQE, a film and companion soundtrack screened and performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and dedicated to the much maligned Brooklyn Queens Expressway. This year, he sang backing vocals on The National’s High Violet, one of our Top 10 Albums of 2010 (So Far).

Compared to the lushness of “All Delighted People” and “Djohariah,” there’s a spareness to the rest of the record, where Stevens eschews drums and bass and anchors his tunes around finger-picked acoustic guitars, banjo, and piano. The instrumentation complements the gentleness of his voice which leaps into falsetto and slides between pitches like Dave Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors. Unlike many indie mumblers, Stevens actually annunciates. A product of the creative writing program at the New School, he wants you to hear every word.

Sufjan Stevens, The Owl and the Tanager

Lyrically, Stevens shows signs of his signature esoterica, bookishness, and spirituality. “The Owl and the Tanager” alludes to the Edward Lear poem, with the pussycat replaced by a bird. Elsewhere, he declares: “Wait until Leviathan lovingly creeps in your sill/For he waits in the dark, brooding magically/mustering paperback feelings.”  But as a whole, the lyrics on ADP mark a departure from the regionalism and quirkiness of Michigan and Illinois, with their obscure geographic references and parenthetical song titles.   These are more or less love songs, filled with heartbreak, yearning, and declarations such as “I love you from the top of my heart.” There’s also an air of despair: the word “mess” recurs in reference to emotions, relationships, and the world itself. The people may be delighted, but the singer’s pain is painful.

Stevens releases his records on Asthmatic Kitty, an indie label he founded with his stepfather. With ADP, he joins the ranks of established musicians who depart from traditional price points and modes of distribution. Witness: Radiohead’s pay as you go model for In Rainbows; Mt. Wittenberg Orca, the digital-only collaboration between Bjork and The Dirty Projectors; and  Arcade Fire’s recent fire sale tactics that propelled The Suburbs to the #1 spot on the Billboard charts.

You can stream All Delighted People for free (or download for $5) on Bandcamp, a new distribution site for professional and amateur musicians. No doubt inspired by the famous scene in American Pie, Bandcamp offers an alternative to the once mighty Myspace, which musicians still use despite its reputation as both an ad-infested wasteland and a budget version of Facebook. On its home page, Bandcamp calls itself the “fifth (very Nerdy) Beatle.” For Stevens, who recently turned 35, the combination of tradition and innovation must have been hard to resist.

All Delighted People

flickr credit: wstryder

Streaming is a very good thing for the music industry. So says a new study conducted on behalf of streaming services company Aspiro Music. Streaming music reduces illegal filesharing activity and increases overall listening to music.

The survey, conducted in Norway in June, shows that one of three Norwegians have now streamed music. A good 60% say they feel more up to date on music, 68% listen to more music and 72% say they often find music they didn’t know about prior to using a streaming service. Streaming increases both the total consumption of music, as well as broadening the range of music people listen to.

“We believe that efficient and payment-based streaming services will lead to better economy for artists, record labels and rights holders long term, and that it will turn around recent years descending revenue trend”, commented CEO of Aspiro Music Per Einar Dybvik.

Aspiro Music produces branded and white label streaming music services based on payment or subscription models to a variety of companies, including T-mobile.