What would you ask the biggest names in Digital Distribution?
October 13th, 2008
What would you ask the biggest names in Digital Distribution?
Vote at http://sivers.org/poll/dd
In a few weeks, on Thursday November 6 in Seattle, I’ll be the moderator of a panel of Digital Distribution experts at a musician-focused event called “GRAMMY MusicTech Summit”.
(It’s really a great event, so If you’d like to attend, here’s the link:)
http://grammypnw.com/2008/10/save-the-date-grammy-musictech-summit-08/
Whether you can be there or not, I feel like I’m there on your behalf, asking these experts the questions that YOU want to ask.
So… please go to this link to suggest a question or vote on the questions suggested already: http://sivers.org/poll/dd
I’ll ask them the most popular-voted questions, and post the transcript of the panel here afterwards.
Here’s list of experts on my panel, in case you’d like to research them before voting:
- Bill Carr - VP of Digital Media at Amazon
- Tim Quirk - Executive Editor at Rhapsody
- Molly Neuman - Director of Label Relations at E-Music
- Christina Calio - Director of Music Marketing for Microsoft Zune
- Kevin Arnold - founder of IODA
- Sean Muller - MediaNet Digital
Please vote at http://sivers.org/poll/dd before November 4.
Thanks!
This did not fit…
One million songs a year are being created now. iPods and MP3 payers are the new radio that consumers carry everywhere. Every artist wants spins on the radio to achieve widespread popularity. Isn’t competition to get into the new radio going to be fierce, and doesn’t it make sense that artists will do whatever it takes to get into the new radio; even if that means giving away MP3s?
Thanks so much for this list.
Hi Derek,
Would you be interested in including my book, “Jascha Heifetz Through My Eyes” on your reading list. If you pull up my web page; http://www.klossclassics.com you can find out more about my relationship with Jascha Heifetz.
Thank you for all of your good work!
Sherry Kloss
Derek sure wish you wouldn’t have left CD Baby it’s definitely not the same without you there.
Why is it so hard to get independent music aired on local radio stations, when many people are waiting to hear it aired?
Thanks for being there for us, Derek. Even though my music is just a tiny gnat on the enormous windshield of the music biz, without your efforts and advice my splatter would be even less noticeable!
Can the big names in Digital Distribution ever have influence on the powers to be in radio (ie:Clear Channel, etc.)so indie artists might have a chance at getting airplay…it seems you have to be signed by a big label to even have a chance at airplay. The various digital outlets are great, but, nothing compares to being on mainstream radio.
Ok, this endeavor is not for the meek. I’ve been at it longer than most of you. I’ve just gone totally digital sales-wise on my website for lots of reasons. As a non-live-performing writer/producer/artist my best chance is digi downloads and licensing. It’s also the most cost-effective and I won’t have CD storage problems. Granted, my real success is STILL ahead of me, but I must eliminate strategic and fiscal barriers. My creative expression WILL get exposure and I believe success. Most activity to date has been digi downloads (iTunes, etc.) and I must be grateful for that exposure. I hear about growing receptivity for the PER-SONG instead of ALBUM-BASED and I’d support that with my marketing needs.
Oh, yeah . . . marketing. My website is
http://www.HeatherSong.com
It’s interesting and creative. DO take a look!
I voted that they explain their idea’s for the future of music. Where do they think it will go from here? I’m reading on all the new strategies from Sandisk, myspace music, and the millions of indie idea’s but I want to know what they think will actually work.
I appreciate you doin this.
Hi Derek
Thanks for all you do for us…good luck in Seattle, wish I could be there to support your efforts. But I have other travel committments….rest assured though that we all will be there in spirit to help you help us.
Aloha Connie McHugh
How can they verify sales, absolute transparency so every sale can be verified.
How can I reach and market to a specific market without paying $25,000? (parents, grandparents, teachers)
Question “Do you think there is a call for censorship in light of the huge amount of spiritually damaging material freely available for free on the net? Does the dreaded internet two have some light to shed on this?”
Hi Derek
Thanks for all you do for us…good luck in Seattle, wish I could be there to support your efforts. But I have other travel committments….rest assured though that we all will be there in spirit to help you help us.
Aloha Connie McHugh
Howdy Derek Sivers & all the Grand Poo Bahs of digital Distribution.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a code that could be imbedded into each track of a CD that would stay with it as a digital download or stream or whatever that would report back to the various BMI, ASCAP types whenever someone plays a track on a radio or TV station. This would give all the overlooked little people their 2 cents worth. The current BMI, ASCAP tracking methods are pretty outdated with random samplings and what not (smoke and mirrors). With individual tracks reporting each radio or TV play we would know for certain who deserves what. I know that radio stations keep playlists but that’s as far as it goes - it doesn’t mean anything because they never translate to paid royalties for the little guy.
So my question is:
When will BMI, ASCAP, etc. join the modern world?
Gene Hardage AKA Sarasota Slim http://www.SarasotaSlim.com
Tim Quirk,
I frequently receive emails from a promotional service who claims they can post reviews of my albums on your site. Is this a true claim and if so, what other ways can an unknown like me get reviewed on rhapsody? I’d rather avoid the conflict of interests inherent in paying for a review.
Alan McCabe Band website= http://www.headflap.com label website= http://www.humaninhumanrecords.com
My question would be: ” I have an album that sells about 45.00 per quarter of downloads. This is without any advertising at all. I know that with exposure it could do really well as for the moment these are purchases that just happen by random shoppers who accidently com across the music. Would they be willing to help me get exposure for a higher amount per download as I cannot afford marketing expenses but know that it could sell more ? Sincerely, Micah Klotz msklotz@hotmail.com
Hi Derek, Brilliant job you did on the poll question. I gave you a couple more ideas too. This sounds like a very interesting discussion so I will be listening and learning as much as possible. Thanks for sending the link. All my best, Ln
If you only had one hour a week to spend on promoting your music digitally, what would be your priority? Moira
Thanks everyone for the comments, but please go to http://sivers.org/poll/dd to ask your question there. Doesn’t do any good on this blog page. http://sivers.org/poll/dd is the voting place.
Great idea. I’ll think of one of the many questions I have. Right now I am on holiday in India so taking a good break from computers and the internet for a bit.
please mention my album title :BREAKING OFF by dj blak at the meeting.do major labels put up unsign artists from digital distribution.
I would ask if they would consider doing adverstisement for independent artists sometimes rather than only doing adverstisement with mainstream artists. Maybe advertise even in a small section for independent artists on their home page — http://www.myspace.com/fortnox3
Thanks for asking derek, but I’m not sure you want to ask me these kinds of questions as a NARAS, NMPA, ASCAP, RIAA, SESAC, HARA member and a voting grammy board member with two major label releases in the past,(Geffen & RCA) and three current self releases, (on our neew Carat records indie label)i have a lot of “biting” questions that “will not” be answered. Only thru investigation. Not “consumer dreamer questions” like “can we get our cd in WEA distribution chains etc? or “how was led zepplin distributed?” At least were happy about the new 10.8% digital agreement from our parent affilliate NMPA selltelment at least. But we’ll never see a dime of it either.
1)Q:we have 30 + websites, and all have a minimum sales before you get paid and none of them ever pay up! why? wheres that money? minimums should be obolished! As illegal factoring.
2)Q:why are so many copies of my albums out there for sale and we never get paid for them? I know every copy thats been manufactured and where they went and are the sole source.
3)Q:and where are all those used & new copies of my albums coming from” like Amazo_ and etc.? Do a Amazo_ Lo-Boy search! (maybe create a space?) and who’s monioring those sales, downloads and streaming? Its not a neutral party thats for sure! THeres copies selling for 2 dollar and 40 dollars I never sent, or any of my distributors.
All these sites never pay. There must be billions of dollars stolen yearly from dozens of these sites holding back everyones $5, $10, $20 dollars, etc. and all the while they sell advertising and sponsor all kinds of things. 4)Q:We sell hundreds of copies online ouselves, but the music webhosting sites that are so “Looking out for us, and helping us” never report any sales & never pay. I got a couple small checks from CD baby.
5)Q:why do ASCAP mechanicals / royalties statements and Harry fox royalties statements come every quarter empty with no hits no plays no usage or downloads or streaming, & no checks While we sell hundreds ourselves online and in stores via our own silly cheap website with no promotion, just word of mouth. The webhosting sites show hundreds of hits (compared to our dozens of hits, but no downloads or sales of course. great.
So Derek, I have a question : -
In the last two decades, the whole music industry ignored emerging markets such as India and had overpriced imported albums hitting the stores. That started off the circle of piracy. Thats done and over, and hopefully, everyones learnt something.
With Digital stores, the same mistake is being repeated. If a user from India wants to legally download a track , there are no known options. You cant use an Itunes in India - and the major labels have not setup any legal versions yet. So the entire generation of music listeners in India dont only illegally download, they dont have legal options as well.
My question is : - Why ?
Vijay
Dear Derek Sivers,
I would ask them: why download sites only allow 30 second previews of songs on their sites? This maybe okay for signed artists, people will buy their stuff without previews if they know who they are…but for unknown artists, when people are just browsing, I don’t think 30 seconds is long enough.. Yousr sincerely, Martin Robinson.
I looked over the list and didn’t see a reference to the topic that comes to mind, so I’ll elaborate a little … perhaps this is getting a bit off the subject for a digital distribution discussion, but it somehow still seems relevant:
Of course we’re all aware how music - at least what the consumer considers “music” when forking out money - has changed over the decades. At one time, music was a live experience. Later in the last century, it became a packaged product - so when someone said “I’m going to buy some music,” they meant an LP or, later, a CD. This of course, required a trip to the record store and a fair amount of hard-earned cash … but one came home with that prized object, that treasure …
In the era of digital distribution, recorded music flows much more freely. Indeed, it is often free (legally or otherwise). It often seems to me that recorded music is becoming somewhat analogous to tap water (if one is fortunate enough to live in a developed country): it’s important, but it is so cheap and ubiquitous that - in financial terms, at least - it seems to have relatively little value. One could, of course, argue that it still sounds good … but in an era when anyone can make a track in their bedroom, produce a CD, and get music on iTunes it’s also arguable that the musical value of what’s available out there has, shall we say, dropped a bit (on average, anyway - though there are still plenty of hidden gems) … indeed, one might ask, what has been the Sgt. Pepper’s of the age of digital distribution, or will there ever be one? One might even go so far as to state that as a general rule, over the history of music, the more it has been recorded and distributed, the less it has been worth (in pretty much every respect) …
Not that I necessarily believe all these arguments - after all, I’m doing all this stuff, too, and I’d like to think it’s a good thing, that it’s a good time to be a musician and for music in general …
But for the sake of discussion, let’s ask the question: “if the unprecedented availability of digital media actually devalues music, what’s next? What do we do that actually has real value?”
I guess that’s my question.
But I have an answer (so maybe I’m actually wondering what the biggest names in digital distribution think about the idea, and how it fits into their various models, if at all):
It seems to me that true value lies in the rare, the unique … the transient. In music, this is of course the live performance (assuming that the guys on stage are actually playing something and not just hitting PLAY). It seems to me that once every music lover realizes that every single recorded track he or she could ever want to listen to is either on the iPod or in some other way instantly available … then this person is going to want more; this person is going to want something that feels like it has real value, something special, something that matters, something that not everyone has.
This person is going to want an experience (better yet, a group experience) … and this person is going to get off the couch, put on her boots, and head down to the local rock club …
… and in a way we come back to where we started.
You may have left cd baby, but you’re still here for us, thanks for that.
I personally like the embedded tracking code idea from Gene Hardage.. I am a BMI member and I rarely see checks from my Performance Royalties Organization even though I know my music is being played on TV and on the internet.
I’m actually grateful that I receive payments to my bank account on a pretty regular basis from CD Baby.. one of the few companies that does seem to care about my music and my input.
I would like to ask the Digital Distributors, why is there not a plan for direct indie cross promotion and marketing on the major digital sites i.e. Itunes , Rhapsody, Naptser? There should be a marketing/promotions plan that the indie labels can opt in or out through the indie label agregator, for a different price
point than the major labels. this would help to put the independent label on some sort of an even playing feild with cross promotions.
I think you are right on with this article! Thank you for confirming what I have always thought is the future and value of music. Get your fans off the couch. Offer them something to take home from the live shows that they cannot find anywhere else. I believe that live recordings of live shows will become golden!
mary
Dear Derek,
even though we have not met face to face, i still feel you very close and that is how the music-ship ought to be; may God continue to be with you, i must say cdbaby members missed you greatly because you are like a father to the young and up coming unsigned artistes, and a companion to the lonely and struggling musicians, a brother and sister to the isolated fellow lyric folks, no matter what, you a living legend in the music world.
I will like to ask this question that most of my fellow upcoming artistes in my hood usually ask me whenever i discuss about digital distributors and also talk about my music being in one of them, they often asked me cant one have music firms whether online or of line that buys albums from artistes or where artistes can sell their music off and get their cash and forget about the album and go on and start working on another album.
Most musician prefer to sell off their album off ,get their money once, set up a studio and start working on another album which they will also prefer to keep selling off when they are through producing it.
Now to make it clearer , the question is this , is their any digital distributors that buys artistes songs instead of helping them to market it? if there is , what are there names ? but if there are, not why cant the existing once be doing it.
will digital distribution include digital radio play with digital distribution contract in the near future?
Hi Derek, People think mp3’s are too large, mess with the system in emails. Emailing digital music should be a standard, but needing a better format? Ks
you may enjoy this interview i did–on our web site -under “new interview” http://www.doublebarrelbluesband.com/