Techdirt’s Masnick Sees New Era Of Hope For Music Industry At SF MusicTech

There was a major shift at this year's SF MusicTech from complaining to actions and looking back to pushing forward, according to Techdirt's Mike Masnick:

"What struck me wasn't necessarily what was being discussed, but what was not being discussed. Unlike past such events, there was no major label presence (if they were there, they were hidden). There was also no talk about piracy. I honestly can't recall it coming up even once on a panel or in a discussion…

In fact, there wasn't even the typical "doom and gloom" talk that so often permeates these conferences.

Honestly, what struck me was the sense that the industry is finally coming through that long dark winter, and that the future is suddenly wide open in front of them. Yes, there were reasonable complaints… that there hasn't been much "real" innovation or disruption yet. But almost everyone was looking forward and thinking about all the exciting things that could come next…. Lots of people recognize that there's a long way to go and lots to be done, but it really was the most optimistic "music" related event I've ever been."

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