Opinion News

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross "The Social Network"

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne
March 17, 2011

One of my recent Facebook rants involved my stupefaction for the surprising nomination and even more shocking Academy Award win of the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score to the David Fincher film The Social Network. I was surprised that something like this could have stood alongside any of the great musical masterpieces that came before it. Great composers who made memorable film music have achieved this award. Such winners include Herbert Stothart (The Wizard of Oz), Dimitri Tiomkin (High ...

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Bon Jovi Thinks Steve Jobs is "Personally Responsible for Killing the Music Business."

Source: HypeBot
March 16, 2011

Well, Jon Bon Jovi has learned from his peers how to get press. Just argue that the Internet is destroying rock, liken it to an atomic bomb, or, in this case, declare that, “Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business." Since Hypebot readers are fully capable of vetting the validly of that quote, I'm going to turn my attention away from that obvious tripe and focus on the other aside Jon made. Get this: He longs for ...

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Why Superstars Still Exist...

Source: Digital Music News
March 15, 2011

The following is the first of a three-part series by guest writer Anthony Accardo. There's been quite a bit of dialogue on whether superstars are really necessary for the industry or even good for music. Or worse, whether superstars and Top 40 hits are blocking great music from seeing the light of day. But the reality is that superstars exist because the public craves them, despite an unprecedented level of choice. And there are a number of reasons for that ...

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The Power to Destroy Your Music Startup, Overnight...

Source: Digital Music News
March 14, 2011

Who really has the power to kill your music startup? It used to be the major label, but that's so 2006. “Index Ventures will put a lot of money into music," said Vince Bannon of Getty Images at Canadian Music Week. “But they won't touch anything involving the major labels or licensing." In other words, they figured that part out! And if Spotify dies while waiting for UMG's signature, then it's their own damn fault. Because the 'major label problem' ...

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Will the Once Immortal Warner Sell to Their Mortal Enemy?

Source: Moses Supposes
March 14, 2011

Napster founder Sean Parker is bidding on the music giant. Tech-blogs have used the word “irony." But they may have it backwards. They think that this would be a victory for Parker, when it will more likely be his undoing. There is no doubt in my mind that Warner would sell to Napster founder, Sean Parker's group, assuming they could come up with a reasonable bid. In fact, Warner would love to. Tech-blogs have used the word “irony" to describe ...

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Your Best Friend Calls You and Tells You He/She's Really Sick? How Do You Show You Care?

Source: HypeBot
March 14, 2011

"If a Studio Doesn't Fly a Flag, They're Dead." It goes without saying that today's music space is hypercompetitive—mainly as a result from the near zero barriers to entry. Virtually anyone can record an album, distribute, tour, and sell product directly to fans. “I don't think there's anything negative about that," says John Vanderslice, founder of Tiny Telephone, a professional recording studio in San Francisco. “It's like saying you miss the old days of the Republic when only the landholders ...

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Collective Bargaining: Threat or Menace? By Steve Provizer

Source: Brilliant Corners, a Boston Jazz Blog
March 12, 2011

You know the story: A guy is crawling on the ground looking for something under a lamp post. His friend comes up and says “Oh, is that where you dropped your wallet?" The guy replies," No, I dropped it over there, but this is where the light is." So, America has dropped its wallet and instead of going off and finding some new source of light (solar-powered? cheap flashlight made in China? “alternative" media?) we are trying to find it ...

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Why the Music Industry is F*ked, by Mark Mulligan...

Source: Digital Music News
March 11, 2011

Music industry researchers are finally starting to embrace reality, but are they taking it too far? In Toronto this morning at Canadian Music Week, Forrester Research analyst Mark Mulligan played quite the stark realist—a tune that started in Midem. “Unless the periphery becomes the core, something needs to happen," Mulligan started out, before running through a depressing list of niche non-starters.

According to Mulligan, these are just some of the reasons why digital music—and the broader music industry—is in such ...

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