I found this in an article about a talk given by Sean Parker, co founder of Napster. The author boiled down the conversation to what thinks were "five interesting things Parker said Yesterday". The talk was mainly about the future of the music industry, the future of web company's. Point number 3 absolutely sums up our presentation.

3. He thinks the music industry is harming itself by resisting Spotify (Parker's an investor) and other new music models.

"I've watched in the last ten years as the four, soon to be three, major record labels have failed to embrace any new models," said Parker. "They have maintained a storefront mentality, a unit sales approach. You walk into a [virtual] store and buy music as you always did, with a limited ability to sample. You can't listen to what you're friends are listing to, you have to buy it...The record business is in a slump due to the lack of distribution models that encourage more consumption. Now we have it with Spotify, with Pandora. I think that iTunes will eventually adopt licenses something like what we have at Spotify. We've presided over the largest destruction of value ever in the music industry over the last ten years. If we can get them back to where they were ten years ago we will have presided over the largest increase in value."

I agree with all of what Parker said.

As Mark commented, the music industry now only has 3 major players; really 2. If each competitor continues with old models they will end up left out in the cold while many smaller labels capitalize of new trends. They will be left in competition with merely each other and will ultimately loose due to the death of the old market.

Hype Machine

Hype Machine is a website that keeps track of what music bloggers are writing about. Everyday, countless people all over the world are writing about music and through it all, it ends up on here on this website. Hype Machine strives to create a method of empowering individuals, independent voices while coming together. The main focus of the company is to create and make the most of a cultural music discovery experience on the internet and well as to connect different networks of music lovers all over the world. This is a very unique way of being able to read and share other people’s blogs while at the same time discovering new songs, and information that you may not have otherwise come across.

http://hypem.com/#!/

Three Ways YouTube Has Changed the Music Industry:

In 2005 when Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawad Karim founded YouTube, there’s no way that the three of them could have predicted that they would change the music industry and ultimately the world. YouTube has revolutionized the entertainment and music world and as a result has brought the entire world together.

1.YouTube Has Made The World Smaller

With a single click, YouTube has given us the power to travel around the world and explore distant countries, and cultures. This not only pertains to music, but literally with everything in general. With a simple search we can see and listen to the native music of India, or learn about the culture of Brazil.

2.YouTube Helps People Get Discovered

YouTube has opened the doors for talent discovery. Prior to YouTube there has never been any easier time for talented singers, dancers and artists to achieve instant fame. Today anybody can post a video online, and as we’ve learned if the right person discovers you, then the potential to reach stardom could even happen over night. A prime example of this is Justin Bieber. When Justin Bieber’s mom uploaded some videos to YouTube so their family and friends could see, she had no idea that Justin would become the person he has become today.

3. The Convenience

With the access to the internet, anyone can go on YouTube, and from there the possibilities seem endless. YouTube offers countless musical and artistic material that can pertain to every individual. Whether it is listening to your new favourite song, watching an instructional video, learning from a dance and many more. YouTube makes it easy and convenient for users to be able to access the countless material that is displayed.

Artists switching to smaller venues

I read an article recently discussing a change in the way artists perform. Some artists are now replacing arena shows with smaller venues such as theaters and clubs. The main reasons seem to be the bad economy and music distribution changes.

some artists who are switching to smaller venues for their tours include sting and Paul Simon, Janet Jackson and Kidrock.

Personally, i love it as it allows for a close up and more engaging experience with the artists. I don't think all artists will change to a smaller format especially the big names who receive lots of money for a larger audience, but it is definitely something to look forward to to the artists who do use a smaller venue.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20111112/ENTERTAINMENT/111120311/As-music-business-changes-more-top-acts-choosing-smaller-venues

EMI sold for $4.1 billion

On November 11th, 2011 EMI was sold for $4.1 billion. The music operating division was sold to Univeral music for $1.9 billion and the publishing division was sold to a group of investors led by Sony for $2.2 billion. The importance of this sale within the music industry is that EMI was one of the four major record labels. the others being Universal, Sony and Warner. This deal reflects the trend toward consolidating the music industry to two main labels - Universal and Sony - Warner has a very small market share.

How do you see the music industry moving in future years from an ownership and control perspective?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/business/media/emi-is-sold-for-4-1-billion-consolidating-the-music-industry.html

Music is a form of expression that can’t always be defined by labels and genres

How music makes us feel is purely individual. Different situations can elicit different moods and make us relate to specific songs. One of the most gratifying aspects of music is the ability it has to connect to individuals no matter where they are. Even though the internet can unleash an abundance of information to anyone, and allows individuals to download songs, sometimes all it really takes is an instrument, a piece of paper and your thoughts to get your message across. Music can be extremely personal to individuals and can hold a lot of meaning. Music is a living entity, it reflects the way we feel, act and react.

Hi Everyone.

Recently Google released a series of information title the "Google Transparency Report". This document contains the data which Google collects about various information based concepts. The two areas currently addressed by this document are: historic information about traffic, and the reporting of national government requests to remove content, or block access of specific content, for users in a given country.

The information about national government requests is VERY interesting because it details each and every request which a government has made to prohibit content. It will tell you, what, when, and the outcome of nearly every such request.

We all know that Google records data on countless parameters related to our own personal internet and search usage, as well as the acts of nations, and general on-line trends. So far most types of this sort of information have been kept private to Google, for what is believed to be internal development. With actions like this, and Google Add Words, Google is handing the power of their data collection procedures back tot he public. They hope that the information is used for academic research , as well as the enlightenment of the common internet user.

This has nothing to do with the music industry; but I kinda bored of that stuff.

Check it out. Very Scary, but VERY cool.

http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/

Alexander