Musicology

Within the week of Warner Music announcing continued year on year losses and Twitter allegedly being valued at $8-10bn the rampant debate on monetisation of continues. Monetisation not only of recorded music or Twitter as a social networking platform, but more accurately the science behind the change in consumer behaviour and the commentary that the phenomenom of social media captures. How can this data be converted into valid information and ultimately, valuable knowledge?

As yet I can not profer the magic answer. What is not in doubt for me however, is the fact that there is value in the conversations taking place. From a commercial perspective there is a necessity to first: wake up, start listening, understand what is being said and lastly engage in an equally valuable and transparent way. For fans of the quick fix, unfortunately this action goes beyond broadcasting marketing spiel where you know your audience is. It is deeper ingrained in reevaluating the value within your products and indeed the strategic processes in place to take these products to market.

Apart from some great music and film references, this short film effectively encapsulates the power shift from that has taken place with the emergence of Gen Y. It also taps into the reality that consumer priorities have also shifted. The hippies have given birth to a spawn that can make their hippy "peace no war" ideologies a reality through admonishment of the capitalist corporation in place of small scale social entrepreneurship projects. Is this what 21st century revolution looks like?

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Yes. This is the longest winter ever. There is nothing left to do but embrace the inexorable shades of grey and look for beauty in it. Seasonal accompaniment comes courtesy of Ghostpoet.

Just after christmas Marques Toliver tweeted this:

Very interesting TED talk on the societal rise of collaborative consumption from Rachel Botsman.

I can’t help but draw parallels between the themes raised, the changing ways we consume music and what this means for the music industry model.

Mark Meharry founder of Music Glue - a direct to consumer sales service to help venues, promoters and artists access their fan base, addresses the change in consumer behaviour from ownership of a physical product to accessing music on demand. With great foreboding he questions: is there a role for the record label in the modern music industry?  Meharry proposes that the blogosphere is the most effective channel to market for artists looking for exposure compared to the traditional route of record labels spending excessively on marketing budgets. He also comments on the changing role of artist management. Managers today are becoming more dominant and brokering cost effective deals based on their understanding of where the target audience is.

To counter the changes, Music Glue has embraced the concept of collaborative consumption and seeks to generate revenue by facilitating promoters, venue owners and managers to find their fans and own this relationship. Thereafter, Music Glue takes a cut of merchandise, ticket sales and brand endorsement relationships. See full interview here

EMI has taken a bashing this year with the high profile coverage of Terra Firma versus Citigroup case. Undoubtedly changes are afoot. It will be interesting to see how 2011 unfolds in the quest to determine where the value of music really lies and who can monetise it most effectively.

Robyn has come up with a wicked microsite to promote her single "We Dance to the Beat" featured on Body Talk. Produced by Blip Boutique, this is another great example of the potential of digital art. The site allows you to play with sound samples and interact with visuals to create your own unique mix. It's all very 80s...reminds me of my 1987 Amstrad PCW....

You can have a play here

Forget Cage Against the Machine! The legend that this Foy Vance graced the stage at OneTaste's 6th birthday last weekend and delighted the audience with his christmas song offering: "Christmas Has Done Nothing Wrong". Effortlessly light years away from the chart war that usually ensues around this time away, Vance aptly describes the aural harrassment suffered by one and all at the hands of Slade. With only 500 limited edition vinyl in production - this is the only single worth buying this christmas.

...The same could be asked of a track that has been released with limited marketing and promotion.

Hypebot recently interviewed Steve Purdham, CEO of online music streaming service, We7. He uncovered some interesting stats on the tiny percentage of artists in We7’s extensive catalogue that were accessed most frequently. “If a music track, artist, or album is not in the public consciousness, it doesn’t exist, so people don’t search for it” read more

This got me thinking about all the amazing songs that float around the ether. In the world but not of it; waiting like gems to be discovered instead of being thrust upon ones ears, unwarranted and iterating themselves into oblivion.

Ninja Tune’s Fink released Sort of Revolution in 2009. Although he is a successful DJ and producer previously collaborating with high calibre artists such as John Legend and Amy Winehouse; this album release made little impact on the mainstream.

With technology making more music more accessible, we have a responsibility to be more proactive in our musical exploration and force the tunes and artists we love into the limelight irrespective of trends or media influences.

Here are some understated works of art that may have escaped your attention. Share yours today! 

Musicology_LDN: Hidden Gems 

Alors On Danse, originally released in September 2009 by Belgian singer Stromae, was a massive hit in Europe and eloquently captures the spirit of the time. It even caught the attention of Kanye West across the pond who saw fit to remix the track with Gilbere Forte in August.