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# Top 10 Issues Facing Music 2.0
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/top-trends-shap/
- Published: 2008-05-13T05:39:00.000Z
- Updated: 2008-05-13T05:39:00.000Z
- Description: WHAT ISSUES NEED TO BE CONFRONTED? Here, in no particular order, are what I believe to be the Top 10 issues shaping Music 2.0. How they develop will determine what. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2008/05/top-trends-shap.html]
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Uncategorized, music music 2.0 digital music music industry Top 10, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 11:06

**WHAT ISSUES NEED TO BE CONFRONTED?**

Here, in no particular order, are what I believe to be the Top 10 issues shaping Music 2.0\. How they develop will determine what the music industry looks in 5 or 10 years. Ignore them at you peril.

1. **THE DEATH OF THE ALBUM –** Individual track downloads are killing the album market and the revenue that it once created. Can the album be saved? Should artists release in 1 to 3 track clusters?
2. **MUSIC TAXES –** Is "taxing" music at the device and/or ISP level the answer? Or are these taxes unfair and further erode consumer trust?
3. **MUSIC AS A SERVICE –** We used to call music "product". Did the pendulum swing to far in that direction? Or is music a service – subscriptions, "Comes With Music", optional ISP licensing?
4. **MOBILE –** Will more and more music be bought an enjoyed via mobile devices? How does that effect the music?
5. **NEW REVENUE SOURCES –** From YouTube to imeem and We7 to Nokia, revenue is being generated everywhere. Who will be sending big checks to labels in 5 years and how will that revenue be distributed?
6. **NO ONE BUSINESS MODEL –** It used to be that record labels made money selling records and bands made money live. Is the future more varied: NIN, Radiohead, 360 deals, and partnerships with brands?
7. **1000 TRUE FANS –** Whether you need a thousand, 10,000 or even 100,000 true fans, how do you find, service and monetize a fan base?
8. **THE RISE OF THE MUSICAL MIDDLE CLASS –** Do fractured media and short attention spans mean the superstar is dead? What new companies will rise to service and profit from a growing middle class of musicians with fewer fans but longer careers?
9. **THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF MUSIC DISCOVERY –** Once DJ’s told us what to like. Now our friends do or we discover it ourselves and share the news. How does that change how music is marketed?
10. **THE POWER OF LIVE –** Is performing more important than ever? You can’t copy it and it’s a great place to build community and sell stuff. Or is that a music 1.0 notion and Twitter the new barstool?

**Is there a number 11?**