Insights About the Business of Music | An Insiders' Perspective

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Music Business

Insights about the business of music, after living and working in the industry for more than a decade.

Rammstein's staging Precision

Rammstein's staging Precision

61 hours. 7 days. Thousands of moving parts. Time lapse of the incredible precision required to build Rammstein's concert stage.

Who the f**k is Arthur Fogal

Who the f**k is Arthur Fogal

If you're interested in the live music industry and the impresarios behind the scenes, Who the f_k is Arthur Fogal is an eye opening, not-to-be-missed documentary. Interviewees include Bono, U2's former manager Paul McGuinness and their current manager Guy Oseary (who also manages Madonna), Lady Gaga, Troy Carter, Sting

What exactly is the right price for music streaming?

What exactly is the right price for music streaming?

In his article Music Streaming Is Booming, and That’s a Problem for Music Sales, Peter Kafka suggests the right price for a streaming subscription "might be $3 to $4 a month". But is it?

The truth about doing business with the music business

The truth about doing business with the music business

Turntable.fm recently pivoted to some sort of live event platform for musicians. Here's what to expect when doing business with the music business.

Does file-sharing account for less than 10% of US net traffic?

Does file-sharing account for less than 10% of US net traffic?

Digital Music News ran a story this week suggesting that because "file-sharing now accounts for less than 10% of US internet traffic ... file-sharing volumes are also plunging." But does it?

The music biz doesn't have a technology problem

The music biz doesn't have a technology problem

The music business needs to re-write their business models in a world without borders.

Ticketing just got really interesting #AB329

Ticketing just got really interesting #AB329

The concert ticketing is broken for consumers. Does Tickermaster really want to give consumers a "better chance"?

Wondering where the record labels' $24bn went?

Wondering where the record labels' $24bn went?

It's 2003 and Apple launches the iTunes Music Store. The un-bundling of the album format that started with Napster in 1999 has become official. The then ~$40 billion record music industry is on its way to ~$16bn within a decade.

Reading One Train Later by Andy Summers

Reading One Train Later by Andy Summers

If you're a Police fan you've probably read Any Summers' bio, One Train Later. For anyone else with an interest in the music business or creativity, you'll love it too.

"Do it for the exposure" an infinite loop

"Do it for the exposure" an infinite loop

"Do it for the exposure" is an infinite loop toward exploitation and poverty. The internet promised economic democratization. It hasn't delivered.

Finding what's been lost in the transition to digital

Finding what's been lost in the transition to digital

It's not about whether Spotify and Pandora are paying a fair rate. It’s that they’re not paying enough to make up for what has been lost in the transition to digital.

To stream tunes, or to buy

To stream tunes, or to buy

Some in the music industry seem surprised that Spotify subscribers don't buy music. Odd, since they're substitute products.

How to let people pay for music

How to let people pay for music

Don't make people pay for music, says Amanda Palmer: Let them. In a passionate talk that begins in her days as a street performer, she examines the new relationship between artist and fan.

How to buy music (if you're a fan of a band)

How to buy music (if you're a fan of a band)

Ironic message from Suffocation guitarist Guy Marchais, who went to the mall and bought his own CD. And filmed it. Just to make a point about buying CDs from the mall.

Pandora caps free listening hours

Pandora caps free listening hours

Pandora has capped free listening to 40 hours per month, apparently slightly more than the average listener uses.

Dear Thom, Big Tech isn't the problem

Dear Thom, Big Tech isn't the problem

Tech needs to keep commodifying things to keep the share price up, but in doing so they have made all content, including music and newspapers, worthless, in order to make their billions. And this is what we want?

What Spotify licensing pricing means for their business model

What Spotify licensing pricing means for their business model

Spotify will negotiate price breaks in forthcoming licensing talks with major rights owners. What does this mean for the future of their business?

How to destroy the secondary ticketing market

How to destroy the secondary ticketing market

You know when you want to go to a hot show and tickets sell out really quickly? One of the causes is that scalpers buy a lot of tickets with the aim of reselling them on the secondary market.

Grunge killed the music business, but not why you think

Grunge killed the music business, but not why you think

Turning music into a commodity has far reaching implications that go well beyond the destruction of the record industry.

Chuck D on why the music biz is bleeding

Chuck D on why the music biz is bleeding

Always top yourself. Put the AWE in audience. If the crowd feels they can do better than you why would they take the time & $ to be bothered?

To stream tunes, or to buy?

To stream tunes, or to buy?

According to a report from Digital Music News, users of Spotify tend not to purchase music. This is hardly surprising.

Steve Stoute interviews Jimmy Iovine

Steve Stoute interviews Jimmy Iovine

Steve Stoute interviews Interscope's Jimmy Iovine about Rolling Stone magazine's first hip hop cover.

Steve Stoute interviews Jay-Z

Steve Stoute interviews Jay-Z

Steve Stoute, author of The Tanning of America, and music biz and advertising supremo, talks with Jay-Z.

Spotify is financial death by a trillion streams

Spotify is financial death by a trillion streams

Streaming will turn recorded music into a nickel and dime game, which will only work for multinational aggregated rights owners.

The recorded music biz 2000 vs 2010

The recorded music biz 2000 vs 2010

Interesting series of charts from Digital Music News (love your work PR!) breaking down recorded music revenues by format. Here’s a couple of charts, and for the full set go to the DMN site.