6/19/2011

Music and the Internet


As the Internet use grows the music industry is becoming more aware of their lack of control of music sharing and the decrease in CD sales.  Consumers are bypassing the store for a more convenient ways to purchase and share music.  One of the main issues that companies have to deal with is piracy. Piracy will continue to be a problem because the industry is becoming more digital.   Is it possible to control the sharing of music files or create software that tracks the sharing of music in order to continue to receive the profits? What does this mean for the industry?  How can the Labels gain control over the Internet to ensure artists are receiving the full profit that is due to them?  These are just a few questions that the industry are asking, and trying to figure out since the Internet has become the main source for everything.  This will be an ongoing issue since these are issues are not ones that can be solved overnight.
According to the article like Business Week the industry is expected to loose 4% until 2013.  They discuss the facts of how the digital market is effecting the music industry and how the industry is slow establishing ways to working better with the digital world in order to secure the full profit for the artist.
Artist such as Pharell discusses the changes that should have been when the Internet was still new and how this may have avoided a lot of the issues they have today.  




In many minds it would seem that the industry is slow to fully grasp the digital world because of the control they loose or the profits they may loose.  Pharell also points out that many may not be as rushed to make certain changes because they have the money that others are working so hard to get.  
While others see the industry fighting against something that is going to happen whether they want it to or not.  By fighting the digital movement it is causing more damage not only to the artist, but also to the companies themselves.  I don't believe there will ever be a full proof way to collect all profits in the digital world but by not finding some form, program, or method to receive profits on the ones that can be tracked subscribed, or logged, it will cause more artist to do more on their own.  



Making the most of it


In today's society the Internet is becoming the way of business for everything.  This is something that can be grabbed by the horns or fought against it every step of the way.  For an artist, it is becoming more of an advantage to go with the flow.  Artist are able to not only connect on a more personal level with their fans, but they are also able to advertise, promote, and distribute more through the Internet than any other form.  For example, Justin Beiber started out with YouTube and Twitter, by sending simply messages of where he was and what he was doing and sharing home videos of his self performing in different places.  He took the industry by surprise with his resourcefulness as well as his charm and voice.  He was able to establish a large fan base before he was a "well-known" artist.  Of course his determination and persistence in achieving his goals has a lot to do with it, but his and his mothers ability to use proper resources on the Internet is what helped to bring it all together.




Sites such as Myspace were one of the first with the ability to advertise and promote oneself, but YouTube has become one of the largest methods to search and find new and up coming artist.  Justin's mother could see his potential and love for music and began sharing that with friends family and the world through YouTube.  Little did she know he would receive so much attention.  With managers and labels searching YouTube on a daily basis it is not surprising that this young artist was soon discovered.  It was not long before he was able to communicate his wants and goals to Labels and artist such as Usher and Justin Timberlake.  Once his career officially took off, it did not stop him from communicating with his fans in the same fashion.  His humble and kind personality only help to gain more respect and fans.  Even those who could careless for his music or him in general still know who he is or at least have heard his name and sometimes that is all it takes.
Now of course he is not the only artist found from YouTube, but he is a great example of how the Internet can be something positive for artist and labels, if it is used to their advantage.  
Another amazing factor is that it is not just for vocal artist and musicians.  The full spectrum of entertainment can use and has used Youtube and other sites like it to put their product out their for all to see.  Whether it is a dancer like Chang Chang or seminars about entertainment, one has a whole world of opportunities to explore.   



Knowing what the people want and giving it to them along with easy access to the artist are both plus factors in helping the artist grow in their career. Many may see YouTube as a free for all website that causes loss of profits for the artist, however it can also be a free tool for the artist to be seen and further promote themselves for years to come.


6/01/2011

Looking out for your business

Rock Star Slash sells Guitar Hero III to the first fans in line at the launch party for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock presented by Best Buy with a special performance by Poison and hosted by Brooke Burke with DJ sets by Joel Madden of Good Charlotte  held at Best Buy in West Los Angeles, California.From Copyright infringement to fair use their seems to always be something that you should be prepared for.   When starting a business it may seem like a simply task to sign initial contracts for copyrights, permission and/or distributions, but their are so many tedious factors that you have to consider.  It is always wise to seek legal and business planning advisement when starting any business.  I just believe that it is especially necessary in the entertainment business.  Not just for your company but also for the clients that you will sign.  Cases such as the Axl Rose v Activision for fraudulent contracts, in which Axl is suing for mis representation of the information that was given to him.  He was led to believe that a past band member would not be a part of the Guitar Hero III.  He was suing for 20 million dollars.  This issues could be two example for you depending on which point of you you would take after reading the facts.  1. Be aware of who you are hiring because they could be feeding lies to your clients that could cost you money in the future. 2.  Be sure your contract is thorough and comprehensive by clients so that they are able to understand what they are signing.
Case are not just based on the facts or common sense issues.  A company should be prepared for anything that can be construed or misunderstood.  The best way to be prepared for that is to have all papers current and expert legal assistance.  If not your company will be waisting money more on cases, which may not even be worth a dime, and less on building the business.  Other issues such as fair use of music may come into play many times before the year is over.








For example, Threshold Media is suing Universal and Relativity Media for statutory damages for using a song in a documentary that may not be a documentary.  The documentary film Catfish used a song from youtube that was created by Amy Kuney  Their is confusion as to whether the seen that the song is being used in is scene that may not be part of the documentary.  This promotes the debate of whether the song is fair use.  These types of law suites could be avoided if the song was research and if the documentary was better written to have such issues discovered and resolved initially.  Again, another example of how some of the simplest mistakes can be costly.