On The Web: Music Technology Resources

This week, I explored the Internet and blogosphere in search of online resources containing recent and relevant information on the technological developments in the music industry in order to construct a concrete list of informational links that could act as a resource to my readers. I concentrated on websites and blogs that had a definitive and thorough focus, fulfilled the Webby and IMSA criteria and cohesively supplemented the topics I will be addressing in my blog posts. All the sites and blogs discovered in my search can be found in the linkroll on the right side of the blog, and I will briefly discuss each in this post. The first links added to the linkroll were music news blogs that provide definitive information on recent topics in a succinct fashion. Defined as “very clearheaded music industry stuff,” the Coolfer: Music and the Industry blog offers concise posts on music technology and its assimilation into the modern music business. Topics on the site range from how record labels are developing new online marketing techniques to how artists are using the Internet to compete in the fledgling industry. The Wired: Listening Post blog has a similar post style to Coolfer, but a more interactive layout that includes pictures and audio streams as well as informative entries. Another music technology blog, The Hypebot, follows a traditional blog format yet presents many of the entries in bullet form with thumbnail images, conveying only the most essential information on a large number of topics. Though less aesthetically pleasing then its counterparts, The Hypebot offers more information more quickly than the other blogs for a fast update on current topics. A good counterpoint blog to the Hypebot is the Future of Music blog maintained by Dave Kusek author of “The Future of Music.” Constructed as a keystone resource to all levels of the music business, Dave’s blog boasts smart, lengthy and detailed posts amidst multiple linkrolls of different types and categories. Since there is an almost overwhelming amount of information, readers must do some hunting to find what they are looking for and there are no images. Distorted-Loop.com has a format that mimics the others previously mentioned in this post, and is an average yet organized blog. The last music news blog included in the linkroll has a different scope than those previously described. Last HQ: The Last.fm Blog delves into the music news pertinent to Last.fm and its role in the music industry.

The next group of sites added to the linkroll feature opinion centered blogs that breach merely reporting phenomenon in the business and technology realm of the music industry. Blackrimglasses is a casual blog maintained by Ethan Kaplan, Vice President of Technology at Warner Brothers Records, in which he expresses his opinions about the business and technological aspects of the music industry in an informal, yet informative manner. The blog also features posts about “random nonsense from the music industry” and links to multimedia content, including video and streaming audio. A similar and much more renowned blog, Stereogum follows the same casual model as Blackrimglasses while commenting on industry developments, and also saves time for artists integrating multimedia into their live shows and discography. Stereogum has full streaming content within many of their posts, a developed archive of past posts and interactive statistics in the form of a linkroll to feature reader comments. Although popular, Stereogum does not pack the informational punch of the Rolling Stone: Rock & Roll Daily blog, which defines the apex of the general music news blog formula through its streaming content, matured linkable content and a time-tested brand reputation. Although Rock & Roll daily does not focus primarily on music technology, many of the general music posts integrate commentary on such topics. In the realm of blogs, search engines have started to surface that compile posts from different blogs and provide them in a common blog format. MOG.com, the blog social network, encourages users to join the community, and features select posts on their front page in a blog format. Many users post regularly about music technology. MOG.com is extremely well laid out, integrates streaming audio and video into their users experience and also links to external blogs and web pages. Similar to MOG.com, Machine Shop: The Hype Machine Blog about Hype Machine (and things we love) provides updates on the progress of the Hype Machine search engine and posts other entries about web technology's integration with the music industry. The Hype Machine search engine compiles album reviews and streaming audio according to a user's search and displays them in a series of posts.

The last group of websites that I added to the linkroll were exclusively either technology or business news websites that reported their material through articles and posts. Mashable and Tech Crunch are both technology websites that regularly report new developments in the music industry as well as computer and Internet technology. Mashable has a unique search bar at the top of their website featuring blog posts about developing web 2.0 projects that often pertain to online music promotion or distribution. Mashable and Tech Crunch are formatted like blogs with the structure of a standard website. M.E.L.O.N: Multimedia Entertainment Law Online News is an entertainment law news website going over legal issues with various new web technologies that often have to do with music. Like the technology websites, M.E.L.O.N. shares the same post format and tagging system as blogs. New Music Strategies is another website with a specific topical focus and blog format, including information about how to run an independent record label and integrate web 2.0 applications. Billboard.biz, Billboard’s online news website is a one-stop-shop for current articles on every aspect of the music industry including technological developments and chart statistics. Laid out like a condensed version of the Billboard magazine, the content is well presented and readily available. Billboard.biz is the definitive source for online music news. All the newly added linkroll resources provide current and insightful information on technology's impact on the music industry through user friendly and aesthetically pleasing websites that supplement the content on this blog.

MySpace Music: iTunes or Indie?

In my latest post, entitled “Pure Genius: Apple Innovates Once Again” I discussed the Genius search feature included in iTunes 8. By examining the ways Genius compares to existing online music search technologies, specifically Pandora and Last.fm, I found that although the Genius feature may be a lucrative asset for iTunes on a large scale, there is still room for other sites such as Pandora and Last.fm to continue to prosper and meet the promotion needs of new independent musicians that iTunes does not serve. (Especially since legislation was just passed to give Pandora and other internet-radio outlets more time to come to a royalty deal with major labels, here.) Although Pandora and Last.fm both have comprehensive and user-friendly search features, iTunes is the first to pair such a search tool with their existing digital music storefront.

This week, I have decided to research the launch of the new MySpace Music platform to further discuss the integration of marketing tools, like Genius, with digital music platforms, and specifically digital storefronts, like iTunes. In fact, the launch of MySpace Music shares common ground with the iTunes updates, as there have been a host of blog posts regarding MySpace’s chances to compete with iTunes’ standing as the current leader in digital downloads. However, if MySpace wishes to stand a chance in that battle, they must take advantage of the aforementioned opportunity to work with the Independent labels and artists that iTunes does not reach. So does MySpace have a place for Indies? Based on the press surrounding the launch, MySpace Music may be neglecting to include the artists that may give them a shot at iTunes’ title as the industry’s primary digital distribution hub.

Through extensively exploring the blogosphere, I was able to find a number of resources pertaining to the launch of MySpace Music. One of which, entitled "MySpace Music Finally Shows Up!" by Chris Crum, a staff writer at Web Pro News, reports on MySpace Music's new features, and analyzes the digital music platform’s relationship with Indies. This post led me to an earlier post written by Chris before the MySpace Music launch entitled “Big Expectations For MySpace Music”, which touches on how the integration of MySpace Music’s new online marketing tools could prove beneficial to a number of parties, including Major Labels and music listeners alike. As far as MySpace and Apple are concerned, I discovered a post by Romain Pechard entitled "Myspace Music + Long Tail = Indie labels not worthy enough for MySpace" where he discusses the importance of MySpace striking deals with Indie labels and artists to keep them in the mainstream music market currently dominated by Apple. I commented on each post (with each comment posted below), as they were written in congruence with my position on MySpace’s relationship with Independent labels and artists.

“MySpace Music Finally Shows Up!”
Comment
I want to thank you for your thorough reports on MySpace Music leading up to its launch, and for examining the different factors surrounding its release. From your post "Big Expectations for MySpace Music" to your discussions about their new ad program in "MySpace Compliments MySpace Music with Ad Service," your previous posts culminate in this latest entry with ruminations on where MySpace Music may go from here. After reading other posts on the matter, and linking to the various sources that you cited, I think that in future months MySpace has the potential to become a multi-faceted service provider including, and maybe even focusing on, independent bands - although they have not taken full advantage of the opportunity at this point in time. But as you said, "The is just the beginning though. More deals are likely to be reached..."

Last week I analyzed the new Genius feature on iTunes 8 for a blog post, and focused on how the direct integration of online marketing tools with a digital download platform will prove extremely lucrative for online music distributors, in this case Apple. However, I realized that while the Genius feature benefits established acts through iTunes, what will help the independent and up-and-coming artists? I believe that if MySpace Music wants to compete, they not only have to integrate the Major and bigger Indie label catalogs, but also must provide services for newer independent labels and artists – as iTunes’ market does not stretch that far, and MySpace is in a better position to successfully achieve this.

As an entrepreneur in the music industry, I believe MySpace should gear its efforts to being a service provider for these new independent entities; equipping independent bands with the online marketing tools they need to promote themselves via the MySpace Music platform. It seems that this could be extremely profitable in a number of ways, and it would fill a void that seems to have developed as online music platforms like iTunes and MySpace continue to evolve. Do you think this will happen? And if so to what degree? Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

“MySpace Music + Long tail = Indie labels not worthy enough for MySpace”
Comment
I appreciate your post and agree with many of the valid points that you are making. I too believe it is essential that MySpace focuses on integrating Independent labels and artists in MySpace Music, in addition to the Majors, as it will definitely give them a leg up in the inevitable competition, as you said, with iTunes and MTV. I had not even considered that MySpace was originally founded as an independent social networking site, and I think that speaks volumes. It has certainly changed over the years. I was wondering: what steps do you think MySpace should take in order to reintroduce Independent labels and artists to their new platform?

You also state that this scenario is "providing an opening for indie labels to go out of MySpace and create a new platform would finally lead to the death of the current biggest music platform." Do you think this could potentially be better than MySpace seeking out Independent labels and artists for inclusion in MySpace Music?

I recently wrote a post about iTunes 8 and the new Genius search tool. I thought the implementation of such a marketing tool with the iTunes storefront was a huge development, but only for established artists. I feel as though the MySpace features have the potential to be extremely beneficial to those who use the service in the way that they combine specific, new features from a multitude of different social networking and music promotion sites (i.e. imeem, Pandora, iLike, etc.) into one music marketing platform.

However, I agree that to challenge Apple is futile. One of the main points of my recent post about iTunes 8 was the definition by Apple and others of the “opening" for MySpace, or any music platform (even a new one as you said), to assimilate the independent music market – both Independent labels and bands – into a cohesive music promotion and distribution platform. If MySpace focused their site toward being a service provider for Independent artists while simultaneously catering to the needs of mainstream acts and other already established acts on MySpace, they would be in the best position. However, where MySpace currently falls short, like you said, is with their failure to include Independent labels in their deals at this time. Would you prefer MySpace to revert to what it began as; a social networking site driven by Independent artists? Or do you think it should include both Independent labels and artists in addition to mainstream artists from Major labels? Thank you for your post, and any comments are appreciated.