Below is the result of a discussion going on at the new Music Think Tank blog which includes a couple of guys I have lots of respect for, Bob Baker and CD Baby founder Derek Sivers. The question posed to the group was “Would you give exclusive rights to a download store in exchange for keeping 100% of your music revenue?” Even though the thread skewed a bit off-topic, some interesting points were raised. My comments appear in bold.

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Here are some excerpts from a recent discussion between Steve Lawson and I. Steve is a phenomenal bassist/composer and a maverick in the emerging solo bass scene worldwide. A smart and articulate chap in his own right, he hosts his own blog at http://steve.anthropiccollective.org

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The answer is simple…

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Sorry, but Bragg is WAY off.

1. Artists on Bebo had no expectation of revenue.
2. Bebo provided the stage, not the artists.
3. Bebo was never a commune or co-op. It is a for-profit company providing a market.
4. If you owned a record store that did an amazing amount of business based on your marketing and strength of selection and you sold that company to Target for a profit, would you feel compelled to pay a dividend to each artist selling product in your store?
5. Bebo’s valuation was based on LISTENERS, not content. Sorry, but having a catalog only means something when someone pays attention. Bebo punched that clock.

Socialists…ugh.

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Happy Easter my peeps!

1. Recorded music is the most important marketing material to drive awareness.
2. Digitally, 1 copy is the same as 1,000,000.
3. Free is the last, best way to compete for attention.
4. How much do you want to fight the world’s decreasing attention span?
5. When you give someone something, (subconsciously) they are in your debt. (Hint: use that leverage.)
6. More listens = more fans.
7. Relinquishing control (aka “opening up”) increases your chances of building community. (see SDKs, Linux, Ruby/Rails - software people have been hip to this for years!)
8. Prince did it. He makes more money than you.
9. If you don’t do it, the business WILL pass you by.
10. Free is the best way to build TRUST - and it’s ALL about trust. Ignore at your peril.

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“The absolute transformation of everything we ever thought about music will take place within 10 years, and nothing is going to be able to stop it. I see absolutely no point in pretending that it’s not going to happen. I’m fully confident that copyright, for instance, will no longer exist in 10 years, and authorship and intellectual property is in for such a bashing. Music, itself, is going to become like running water or electricity…” - David Bowie, 2002

Well, Dave, we’re getting there… Read more »

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This seems to come up over and over again: Is Starbucks really a viable launching pad for a new album? Well, I’m not any closer to figuring it out. With over 7000 company owned locations worldwide (15,000+ overall) as of Q4 2007, you’d think a CD with ubiquitous distribution in the company’s stores would sell like venti mochachinos. Read more »

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Watch the whole thing - there is a commentary after a few minutes. It’s  a brilliant insight into a different, more complex, interpretation of reality.

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I’m tired of hearing about the decline of the music industry. Today, listeners are BOMBARDED by more ways than ever to experience their favorite artists as well as having near endless options to discover new music. This all means m.o.n.e.y. Read more »

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Via Seth Godin from Dan Kennedy’s very funny new book: Read more »

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