Plugging into music

What would you like to listen to today? There are (were in 2007) more than 4,300,000 hip hop and rock acts registered on MySpace alone. Major labels have a mere 4000 signed and this will have a churn of perhaps 25% every 12 months or so.


Major labels are about using broad media to "break" an artist or single track e.g. the most popular music stations, or TV. The emphasis is on BROAD. They do have their "cash cows" that continue to earn profits. EMI own the Beatles back catalogue and have issued it in vinyl, cd, and then remaster. Pink Floyd have recently taken EMI to court as they have been selling "single tracks" on iTunes and Pink Floyd want to retain their artistic integrity. EMI would argue that the 1/2 a million £'s they spend per new artist distances them from the rest of the digital "noise". 


Broad is not necessarily best. The Beatles back catalogue may have something of "best" about it, but a new artist has something more about broad. Would EMI sign a budding Pink Floyd today?


On the other hand the potential for small niche markets to flourish must be higher. If I were into Mongolian folk rock I would be able to listen to Altan Urag on Youtube and be quite content. If I went into Chippenham I am no longer aware of a CD or record store. The nearest is in Bath. I doubt whether even in a "Megastore" whether they would stock Altan Urag. You do need to know your "tag" though - otherwise who will find you? This may not be best, but it gives more choice than you need. Nick Harper related recently at a concert that he was labelled as "folk music". Clearly unhappy with this tag, and not actually knowing what else to call himself, he also commented on his stalled career.


As a market it is peculiar. It is mature, there are the big music companies that control the largest percentage of the industry. Most types of music have been tried. Since the electric guitar, the synth, and various recording methods most permutations have been tried. My daughters listen to AC/DC, Queen, Abba, Beatles, Genesis, (and Don Mclean!) asking carefully who is dead before they ask to go and see them play. The structure of the industry is going through technical changes, but the product "music" has not changed.


Digital music in itself is different. Vinyl was recorded with a fairly standard frequency range but had some playback issues. CD's were a compressed format and whilst cleaner were also a standard frequency range. MP3's are a nightmare. iPOD's are a nightmare. Unless you work it out - do you know the quality of the music you download or record from your cd? 


It does make a difference, and possibly enough of a difference to change your mind on whether you like something. Super audio CD format is tonnes better, but you wont fit many of the tracks on an iPOD, the format works well for classical music, but not for hip hop. The market seems to have chosen form over function. iPODs look good. Most docking stations also look good. Music "looks good". 


One of the issues of digital music is synchronising.  If you are not careful you will end up with lots of copies of the same thing. Evolution suggests that there will be a jukebox in your house that you can use in and out of your house that contains all your music rather than lots of different computers, cd's and mp3 players with different things on them. This may be a server, that also contains your pictures, films, and all your admin. One of my network is just installing one of these for a customer who wants his system "the same" in both his houses.


Recorded music has been valued at $15bn and the music equipment and related markets $160bn. Much of this is in the control of large businesses, but much also appears to be broken, or imperfect. This attracts new entrants into the market who want to improve or mend what they see. From artists who believe they write better songs to engineers who want to provide better quality sounds. 


This light research suggests that music must look good and sound good enough to be successful. How true is this for other markets - indeed your market? Many small businesses discuss being "best of breed", implying quality. There is an interesting parallel here.


10 artists that are "really good" but will you hear them in 2010?  Perhaps it is easy to rate them in terms of 2010 sales, perhaps its more difficult.


Robyn Hitchcock - countless albums, very credible, but no hits in nearly 30 years


Espers - psych folk - where would hear their music being played


Eluveitie - viking metal. They have had a hit in Switzerland, but limited outlets in large markets. Is singing in Gaulish (a dead language) a drawback? 


Monsters of Folk - very talented and much talked about!


M.Ward - performs with Zooey Deschanel which may help


Shearwater - explorer with an interest in rare birds


Emilie Autumn - child prodigy violin player turned goth.


Vampire Weekend - Indie afro pop 


Euro Childs - Welsh, has given his whole album away for frreeee.