Should Beat Makers Worry About Piracy?
In keeping up with the entertainment media business these days you can’t avoid the many debates that break out on various sites concerning digital content theft and what to do about it. The many forms of this problem and the attempted solutions are, to me, wildly entertaining and full of valuable lessons as I position a growing content business to prosper through these and other challanges.
After discussing, debating, and reading about the argument from all sides, the only certainty I can predict is that the consumer will ultimately win. The content controllers who survive and prosper will be the ones smart enough to pan for gold in the stream rather trying to build dams and levies to fight a losing battle against nature. As a songwriter, musician, and independent label owner, I’ll be spreading the net far and wide to be sure my content is available whenever and where ever people look for it. Sometimes the folks looking won’t want to pay and I’m sure they’ll find a way to partake without doing so. That’s part of doing business in a changing digital landscape if you ask me. It’s only my problem if the seeker who’s willing to pay can’t find my work. Or worse, if my work doesn’t spark any seekers at all. For the folks intent on theft, I’ll leave their fate up to karma.
As songwriters and producers, one tactic proving popular is to take yourself out of the losing game being played by the major media companies. More and more creative people are marketing their music directly to fans and end users like the tv and cable networks to ensure the shortest path (i.e. least problems) between them and compensation. It’s also becoming standard procedure to pitch artists directly instead of going through A&Rs and other gatekeepers if you can get the access. The concept is the same. The path of least resistance is the one that will eventually prevail. The fans and consumers are simply employing that same thinking when they seek out and download content. We as content creators/controllers need to pick up on the obvious and streamline our paths to compensation where at all possible.
I don’t for a second think that there’s a single right answer or best way to move forward in this business. The fact remains that all of our digital content is becoming easier and easier to obtain for free. I think the key to surviving the changes ahead will be to keep moving forward and simply trying to give people what they want, when and how they want it. Do that and many will pay, some will not. That’s just the beat business of today.
Apple Iphone Nano Buzz Starting Up
The rumors are starting to fly around the net with a few unidentified sources beginning to report Apple “plans” to release a nanofied version of the iPhone for the holidays. No details have surfaced on sizes or colors as of yet but be sure the “details” will be filled in eventually by those same unidentified sources before too long. As beatmakers, Apple news is music news these days so now you know.
Beat Battle Directory
Beat Battles of any nature will be posted in this category to serve as a directory to producers looking to engage other producers in battle over who’s the hottest on the beats. So essentialy we’ll have a list of beat battles with any significant information to help you engage and prosper and learn. Online beat battles, local beat battles, beat battle tours, all qualify for entry here. If you know of a beat battle past or present that is worth listing, let us know.
Wu-Tang website hosts standing Beat Battle series
There is an ongoing series of beat battles hosted on the official WU-TANG website: www.wutang-corp.com
Producers can upload beats and have them judged by peers and fans withing the forum via an online voting system on the site. It looks like it starts with seven producers and Read more
Timbaland and Verizon Innovating Together
There was a lot of buzz recently about a deal between superstar music producer Timbaland and Verizon in which Timbaland will produce one new song each month in 2008 to be released exclusively through Verizon’s content network. Verizon subscribers will be able to download the MP3, ringtone, or ringback just days after Timbaland completes each song. Verizon is also Read more
Urban Top 10 Notes and Commentary – Friday May 2nd 2008
Lollipop by Lil Wayne is on top with production by Deezle and Jim Jonsin. The sound is right on trend with the sining rapper and vocoder. From a beat business perspective, it’s interesting to note that the track was reportedly originally produced for Danity Kane and pitched to two or three other artists and potential collaborators before ending up with the final lineup. Read more