As we end the year, Hypebot asked some our favorite thinkers, writers, and friends to answer two questions – one looking forward and the other back. Here Dave Cool, director and producer of the film "What is INDIE? A Look into the World of Independent Musicians", shares his answers.
Hypebot: What do you see as the most important business and consumer trends that will shape the music industry in 2011?
Dave Cool: Two words: Google Music.
Google has the power to have a profound impact on any industry, so once they get into the music industry it could be a game changer. So I think 2011 will be the year of music in a cloud/in a locker and subscription models (finally) gaining traction. Other possible players will be Spotify (if they ever secure agreements with US major labels; at least there might be 1 less to negotiate with soon) and iTunes (if they feel like it).
Hypebot: Since this is ultimately all about music, what were your top musical moment(s) of 2010?
Dave Cool: 1) The video for "The Wilderness Downtown" by Arcade Fire. Incredibly innovative video and masterful partnership between Arcade Fire and Google (and the band is from my hometown of Montreal 🙂
2) Dan Mangan's album "Nice, Nice, Very Nice." Reminded me why I love music. Also a great indie artist success story, having scraped together the $ to pay for the album from friends, family and his local bank. Now signed to Arts & Crafts Records and touring the world. Good ol' Canadian boy too (Vancouver)
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Dave Cool – Director/Producer "What is INDIE? A Look into the World of Independent Musicians"
