Thanks to Emily and other Arctic Monkeys fans for reminding me that the band does not actively maintain a MySpace page — that page is a fan creation. Which jibes with our contention that MySpace is not quite the mighty…
Category
Editorial
Arctic Monkeys: Not Invented Here?
There’s a term in the tech world called “not invented here syndrome” which refers to companies that refuse to get on board a new trend or idea simply because they didn’t think of it. Radio and music television in America…
Their “Lousy” Year Could Bring Great Things for You
In the trade rags, I see column after column about “lousy” ticket sales and “lousy” CD sales. “Lousy” is right, if you’re used to selling out arenas every night and going triple platinum in three weeks on the charts. As…
Running your record label like a bakery…
SvN explores Ian MacKaye’s concept of running a record label like a bakery — focus on the love of a good product and a steady stream of happy customers. (In the comments, folks also chat about Fugazi’s stern stage announcements…)…
Taye Diggs Seems Sad
Was he in a particularly dark mood when they asked him to make this iTunes Celebrity Playlist?
My Favorite New Christmas Song
I’ve been lamenting to my clients that we’re always in need of fresh, new holiday songs. So Rhonda and Pale Beneath the Blue have whipped up the Snow Emergency EP. “Christmas Break” is definitely fresh and different — and it…
Touring = Revenue
As usual, Lefsetz speaks only truth. “The ship is leaking at the bottom” is one great quote, plus the refrain that my clients are used to hearing: audience is built on touring, where you can overcome in merch sales what…
The Shift
Mike Matney realizes he’s buying most of his music in digital form. So do I. So are lots of folks, especially the kind of tastemakers that can spread the word about your songs. So, why are so many independent musicians…
Could Your CD Be the Next “Da Vinci Code?”
Bob Baker has unleashed even more of his most outrageous music marketing ideas, and one strikes me as having tremendous potential for the right artist. Have you noticed the thread in popular culture right now that audiences love looking for…
You’ve Got Three Hours to Live.
Would you be okay with that? Seriously, if you knew the clock was ticking, and you had little more than the length of a Kubrick movie to roll over the highlights of your life… What conversations do you still need…
EMI Execs: Just Hanging Out
Newsweek’s international edition picks apart the state of EMI, now the third largest record company in the world. What’s the master strategy they’re following? Stay flexible and ready to react to the next completely unexpected thing that consumers want. WHAT?!…
Warner Music Execs Cash “Obscene” Bonus Checks
Ritch Esra smacks down Lyor Cohen and the rest of the Warner Music executive team, for cashing $21 million in salary and bonus checks (three times the company’s net operating revenue, on paper, anyway) in the same year they dropped…