More Music Industry News: Retail Stats, Imogen Heap, Facebook Q&A, The Orchard & More
Amazon & Walmart Tie For #2 U.S. Music Retailer (Hypebot)- Imogen Heap says touring's too pricey as record industry sales slump. – Wasn't touring meant to be the panacea for falling album sales? Except that the British singer-songwriter and Novello award-winner isn't finding it like that. (Guardian)
- Q & A with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerman on the new privacy settings and more. (Bits)
- LimeWire Begs Music Industry for Second Chance (Wired)
- Apple passes Microsoft as the world's most valuable tech firm. (NY Times)
- Facebook just updated its guidebook for more effective Facebook. advertising.
- High-tech vinyl records find new life. (Medill)
- The Orchard reaches 1.2 billion mobile customers across Asia. (press release)
- Denmark'a Supreme Court Rules Pirate Bay Must Stay Blocked – More than 2 years ago the IFPI and other copyright groups brought action against Danish ISP Telenor demanding that it should block its subscribers from accessing The Pirate Bay. Following a hearing which began a week ago, the Supreme Court in Denmark has just ruled that The Pirate Bay must continue to be blocked, upholding previous rulings by lower courts. (TorrentFreak)
- Ellen Signs YouTube Sensation Greyson Chance to New Record Label (Mashable)
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I think the the Heap article is one of the most important I have seen all year. She’s been held up as an musician doing everything right, so when she can’t make it work, we know it’s going to be a tough road ahead.
Of course, many of us have already known that, but when we’ve tried to say that, we’ve been told (often by people with no real music experience) that artists who aren’t making it just haven’t switched gears fast enough or just aren’t talented enough.
I’m hoping the Heap article injects some realism into music biz discussions now.
I read that with interest too. It echoes what came out at the ‘Future Of Music Debate’ we had at the O2 here in London a month or so ago. The much maligned (in certain quarters) Jeremy Silver from the FAC said that the only people really benefitting from the resurgence of the ‘live scene’ are the people selling out arenas for 10 nights on the trot anyway.
The trickle down to your average pub/club band is not happening unless you’re really on top of your promotion and merch and all the rest of it…..and that’s on a good night.
Regardless it is an uncomfortable reality check to see someone perceived to be at Imogen’s level (with all the attendant ‘new media’ endeavours) still struggling.
You could be forgiven for thinking that music no longer has any inherent financial value at all, recorded or live. First the ‘product’ and now the ‘experience’.
So, what happens when all the creatives get day jobs? And, what happens to everyone in film and tv? They will be next right?