Is Streaming Finally Coming To iTunes?

The rumors have been running rampant over the web the last few days regarding the upcoming changes to iTunes, which seem to have been leaked out of Cupertino.

According to the leaks, Apple will overhaul its iTunes music store by the end of the year. The revamp will reported include more integration with the company's iCloud storage service, and its ill-conceived Ping music social network will get the axe. In Ping's place will come closer integration of Facebook via the upcoming iOS6.


Apparently Apple has also been in talks with all the major labels. While some say it's over the ability for iTunes users to increase song sharing via iCloud, others say that it might be over the long-awaited subscription service that could be built into iTunes.


Whatever Apple is planning, it appears to be a key in iTunes expansion into Asia, which just added 12 new countries (Brunai, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam).


Another quiet release was the new stand-alone iTunes Podcast app, which includes a host of new features dedicated to creating and listening to podcasts.


As I've said all along, an iTunes subscription service would set the music business on its ear and completely change the playing field for how labels, artists and publishers get paid. Let's see if it comes sooner than later.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Why Direct Ticketing Is A Tough Sell

I think if you asked 100 concert goers if they liked using Ticketmaster to purchase tickets you'd get at least 99 "no" replies. After all, we all hate convenience fees and the fact that the ticket brokers get all the good seats first (not to mention the ridiculous service charge for printing your own ticket). So why can't acts just do direct ticketing themselves, and bypass the electronic ticketing services?

It turns out that's not an easy thing to do, as outlined by Louis C.K., who after some tribulation, seems to have pulled it off.

It turns out that most of the really prime venues have deals already in place with Ticketmaster, so they're contractually obligated to use them for every event. Louis found a way around it though, and found a number of theaters who would play ball, so they effectively are taking a chance on each other.

The next thing is that the secondary ticket market (meaning ticket brokers) is thriving and no one wants to upset the applecart. LCK once again tries to get around that by setting a flat rate of $45 for each ticket that can be purchased by a credit card directly from his site. What is new is that LCK holds the right to cancel any ticket if it's found that it's been resold, which could leave the secondary market dead in its tracks. In effect, he's just trying to cut out the middlemen who buy the tickets with the express idea of flipping them for a profit, maybe even from thousands of miles away.

That said, it's a tough way to do business by bucking the system. Being an artist is tough and most don't want to add another layer of complexity to their already complex lives. You have to hand it to Louis CK for looking out for his audience and trying his best to do the right thing though.

On another closely related subject, after much complaining about $13 beers, LiveNation has instituted a new $5 beer policy. As with everything in the concert business these days, it's important to read the fine print before you purchase.

* it's only good for certain shows
* it requires a $13 purchase with an $8 rebate
* it requires purchase of Miller Lite or equivalent
* it requires pre-qualifying $40 premium parking pass

It's too much to expect any kind of deal from a big faceless corporation like LiveNation. Unfortunately, this is what the live music business has become.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Will The RIAA Make You Register Your Domain?

As you might already know, there are a variety of new domain extensions (the .com or .net on the end of a URL) about to be approved and ".music" will be one of them. While this seems like it's perfect for an artist, band or company involved in music, there may be a hidden catch, thanks to  a number of industry trade organizations.

The fact is the matter is that the RIAA, Soundexchange, the Recording Academy, ASCAP, and 38 other organizations want to be the keeper of all things .music. The problem with this is that you'll have to register with them before you're issued your .music domain, and with that comes some potential problems.

First of all, they want to make sure that you're really part of the music community before they grant the domain. No problem there, since that's what the extension is for in the first place.

The problem is that any number of things can cause you to be rejected, or even work, have your domain revoked after the fact. What if you're suspected of engaging in piracy? What if you frequent a site or even post music on Grooveshark (which is locked in legal battles with the RIAA as we speak)? What if, for whatever reason, you're deemed to be not a member of the "musical community?" Does that mean a garage band who can't draw more than 10 people to a gig risks getting their domain revoked? What if you've only sold less than a hundred downloads?

The potential for abuse outweighs the upside of having an industry gatekeeper. There are several other entities that are vying for power over the extension as well. Let's hope that it remains free just like .com, .net, .org, .tv, .us, and all the other extensions in common use today.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Is This KISS Monster Book Worth $3500?

Since music sales are waning and will continue to do so as music subscription takes hold, artists are increasingly turning to merchandise to make up the difference. Indeed, it seems like there's no limit to what a true fan will cough up when it comes to pricing.

Take a look at this KISS Monster Book, which is priced at $3499 pre-launch and $4299 afterwards. There will only be 1000 made, they're signed by members of the band, and you can choose from one of 10 covers featuring country flags. But it's only a picture book! Granted it is 3 foot tall and 2 foot wide, but is it worth that kind of money?

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

College Students And Tech

It's a given that college students today are technically proficient, but a study by Presta discovered just how much so. For instance:

• 98% of students that own an ereader use it for reading textbooks

• 91% use email to communicate with professors

• 73% of students say they can't study without technology

• 70% use an electronic device to take notes in class

• 65% use a digital device to create a presentation

• 38% of students can't go 10 minutes without checking their email, tablet, laptop, or smartphone.

• Community college students are less reliant on digital tools than 4 year college students and graduate students

• 12 million college students currently take one or more classes online. The figure is expected to exceed 22 million in 5 years.

• Undergraduate and graduate students have the fastest Internet connections among age groups

• College students tune down the tech when studying for final exams in the library

• The most widely used programs by college students are Skype, Evernote Peek, Grades 2, Snoozerr Recordings, Wunderlist and Around Me.

It's interesting that despite all that technical expertise, college students don't seem to be social media experts, at least in my experience during college lectures that I give. Few of them have tried Google+, Spotify and even Twitter. Most of their music discovery comes from YouTube and Pandora. Perhaps we'll see that change soon and I'll report back after my college speaking tour in the fall.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.