Why Don’t You Join The Conversation Already?
For how concerned most people seem about the future of music and creators in the digital age, you'd be surprised that there aren't more people talking about it. This is important. Yet, sometimes it feels like there just aren't nearly enough people writing about it. I would like to think that I have a pretty good handle on the conversations that are happening around these subjects, because I have Google Alerts mining the web for the terms recording industry, record industry, music industry, music business, music biz, major labels, and file-sharing, among others. If there's something said that includes any of those terms, it ends up in my Gmail.
Plus, I scrape Twitter and subscribe to a couple hundred blogs. Every day, my reader has about +1,000 unread posts and I scroll through these headlines, looking for news and anything that's interesting. I understand that the internet is a big place and it's entirely possible that a handful of great and insightful writers are missing from my scope. Or, that I've somehow missed an essay or two, for the reason that, my isolated community of music industry thinkers didn't pick up on it. But the piece was a big hit somewhere else. I also keep an eye on Digg and try to use StumbleUpon to unearth things that might exist outside of my reach. I monitor the conversations and links that get posted in PhoList. I do all of this, in an attempt to find the pulse of the conversations that are happening online, and I've come to the conclusion that someone or something is missing from the digital sphere. My hunch is that you're the person who's absent from these debates.
Every day, when I open up my Google Alerts, scrape Twitter, and read my blogs, I'm hoping that I find you. The fearless and curious writer who is not afraid to ask big questions, be wrong, and search for the pieces to the puzzle that may take you years to solve. There aren't enough of these people and I'm hoping that you'll join us. The record and music industries need your imagination, big questions, and creativity. How they are getting by without them is beyond me. These are troubling times. At others, they are the most exciting times to be in the industy.
So join us already. Who do you think is missing from the conversation?
I’m with you! 🙂
And am going to contact you soon with a little interesting proposal in the very nearest future.
Thanks for the always inspiring posts Kyle.
Call me ambitious, but I’m trying to fill part of that enormous hole. Pay4Music examines what’s worth paying for and why within the realm of music. People may not agree with everything I say, but I’m doing my best to point out what’s working and what’s not from a consumer’s perspective. I’m just starting to get off the ground, but I’ve got a few posts up, with another one coming hot off the press in about an hour. There’s more on the horizon, and hopefully I can get one out every Monday around noon EST. So far they read somewhat like reviews, but I’ve got alot of ideas brewing, and things will be getting a little more complicated. If I’ve piqued your interest, feel free to read on: http://pay4music.tumblr.com, or follow @payformusic on Twitter for updates on new posts and find out in advance who’s getting my money.
What you are missing, and it’s quite glaring, is any actual music. You have the technology and the ‘New Music Business’ covered, but never any tunes. You have the story about Animal Collective’s ‘Shark Saving Shoes’ but how’s the music ? Is there a good song there anywhere ?
All this means nothing without a good song.
Maybe once a week have something about some innovative music as well.
Just a thought.
I might take you up on this one. Something I’ve considered is turning the musical narrative post that ran last week into a regular feature and hosting the songs people list into a playlist. But, that could get misused.
I’ll see what I can do.
I feel like I haven’t quite tapped into the group of influential thinkers and doers with my blog. I am hoping that my upcoming redesign that I will see a break-through. Definitely give my blog’s top posts a look and let me know what you think!
That article was fun and definitely a comment generator but didn’t address any actual innovation in music or great new songwriting.
Kyle –
Just discovered your blog a few weeks ago (I think thru Twitter) and have really been enjoying it.
I am just trying to get my own blog going – I hope you’ll check it out; wrote this piece on the impact of things like Youtube Instant on the music industry: http://bit.ly/bDqFgv
And thank you to the other commenters for adding yours; I’m checking them out now…
nteresting post, Kyle.
It sounds like you’ve got things pretty well covered and would pick up on most “future of music” type conversations. I’m surprised to hear there aren’t more people writing about it.
I wonder though … do some people hold back because of the fierce slaggings some posters get when they express their ideas on this topic?
Another possible reason could be that some potential commentators feel that so much has already been written about all this that it’s hard to be sure one is contributing something that hasn’t already been said.
Another possibility is that people are just overwhelmed by the complexity of the situation. Many minds have been dwelling on this for the last 5 years and are we any closer to solving the problems?
I’m certainly glad that you’re on the case, anyway!
Great post! Thanks to Hypebot and Kyle Bylin we’re talking about this and adding some to the conversation regarding the probable control of ‘independent’ music distribution sites. see it here:
http://bit.ly/gnUnA3
As the industry is changing we need this type of open discussion on what is happening and what directions should be considered. Keep up the Great work!
Cheers!
Chris
Musician Founder at SonicTribe.com