Good interview with Napster UK's

Leanne Sharman

Blinkx

From www.digitalmediawire.com " (San Francisco) Blinkx, a video content Internet search engine, announced on Monday that it has partnered with Movielink, an Internet-based video-on-demand joint venture between a number of Hollywood movie studios, to enable Blinkx.tv users to search, watch trailers and download films from the Movielink service. Films and TV content available on Movielink range in price from $1.99 to $4.99 per 24-hour download. San Francisco-based Blinkx's technology indexes video content using the closed-captioned version of text derived from the video."
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-blinkx28feb28.story
http://www.movielink.com
http://www.blinkx.tv

I tried this and it rocks -- 100% amazing. Likely to really spurn Google into beefing up their video search efforts .... and of course ... MUSIC. On that note try GoFish.com  So now DISTRIBUTION is soon to be replaced by searching, and then - Search / browse is replaced by Recommending -- after all, who can browse thru 10 Million songs. Look for playlist engines, and recommendation technologies to be one of the next hot things.  Online music take 2.

This blog starts on April 1, 2005

Thanks for stopping by but you are early ;). The IMEA 2005 application process starts on April 1, 2005, and we will start posting the hottest new ventures on this site shortly thereafter. In the meantime, you can browse my "Future of Music, Media & Technology" blog if you want. Thanks!  Gerd Leonhard, IMEA 2005 Chairman and Executive Producer.

My Future of Music Book: Larry Lessig likes it ;)

Larry Lessig seem to like my Future of Music book -- I am flattered! Thanks Larry - coming from you this is the greatest praise I can think of. Check out his latest book "Free Culture" - great read, too - still chewing on it myself ;)

CD copy protection quid pro quo

A new report from Parks states: 

"Consumers Amenable to Music CDs With Copy Protection

Sizeable Percentages of "Rippers" Okay With Some Restrictions

DALLAS, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/24/2005 --  Contrary to widely held industry beliefs, U.S. consumers are not overwhelmingly antagonistic toward the concept of copy-restricted music CDs, provided these CDs come with the proper incentives, according to Parks Associates' forthcoming report "Digital Rights: Content Ownership and Distribution...."

I think this points in the right direction - If I can get other benefits on a CD (added features or new content), AND it's much cheaper, I may be willing to accept some limitations on the 'fair use' copying possibilities. MAYBE.  But of course, this was clear 5 years ago.... :)

Broadband explodes... everything changes

EMarketer has some new stats on US broadband adoption... moving very quickly. Here are 2 slides I have put together to comment on how this effects Digital Music.

The Future of the European Union

by Patrick Dixon. Looks interesting - need to read it first myself (long plane trip tomorrow!)... will comment more later.

Swiss Music Guide 2005: "Ticket to Ride"

An essay on how Independent Labels can use new technologies, here, now, today - in GERMAN. I just wrote this for the 2005 edition of the Swiss Music Guide and the M4Music Conference that's coming up April 21-23 this year.  The official announcement:

Die fünfte Ausgabe des «Swiss Music Guide» wird am 15. April 2005 veröffentlicht. Der Swiss Music Guide ist für den engagierten Musikprofi zum unerlässlichen Arbeitsinstrument geworden. Der diesjährige Guide ist mit über 4000 Kontakten der umfassendste und aktuellste Branchenführer zur Schweizer Popszene.

Zudem vertieft eine zweisprachige Aufsatzsammlung (D/F) die Leitthematik der m4music-Conference, die dieses Jahr den Titel «LOCAL vs. GLOBAL» trägt. Der Swiss Music Guide erscheint im Lausanner Verlag Mediacom Diffusion; die Aufsatzsammlung wird vom Migros-Kulturprozent beigesteuert.

More on the Napster Hack

Some funny stuff is here
A collection of feedback etc is here

Joost Smiers and Marieke van Schijndel: IMAGINING A WORLD WITHOUT COPYRIGHT. Food for thought!

I met Joost at MIDEM 05, in Cannes, and he's amazing. This essay is a serious manifesto that will get you thinking --- check it out.

"The market and temporary protection a better alternative for artists and the public domain
An essay Marieke van Schijndel & Joost Smiers
Hard to imagine
Some serious cracks are surfacing in the system of copyright, as we have known it in the Western world for a couple of centuries. The system is substantially more beneficial for cultural conglomerates than for the average artist; a situation that cannot last. Furthermore, it seems inescapable that digitisation is undermining the foundations of the copyright system. It must be acknowledged that several authors have recently presented analyses of the untenability of the contemporary system of copyright. Yet, most of their observations only allude to – but do not address – what we deem the most fundamental question of all: if copyright is inherently unjust, what could come in their place to guarantee artists – creative and performing – a fair compensation for their labours, and how can we prevent knowledge and creativity from being privatised (Bettig 1996; Bollier 2003: 119-134; Boyle 1996; Coombe 1998; Drahos 2002, 2002a; Frith 2004; Lessig 2002, 2004; Litman 2001; Perelman 2002; Vaidhyanathan 2003). It is time to move beyond merely criticizing copyright. The pressing question is: which alternative can we offer artists and other cultural entrepreneurs in rich as well as poor countries that benefits them, and that brings the increasing privatisation of creativity and expertise to a halt? Our goal in this essay is to develop such an alternative, and to move beyond any notion centred on private intellectual property rights....."

Contact: 

Prof. dr. Joost Smiers

HKU/Utrecht School of the Arts

P.O.Box 1520

3500 BM Utrecht

the Netherlands

e-mail: joost.smiers@central.hku.nl

The Download joost_smiers_imagine_a_world_without_copyright_feb_2005.pdf

why I love Gmail

I have to admit: I LOVE Gmail. It rocks. I does everything I want email to do, and then some. finally, the search is over. for now ;).   Of course, I have a long wish-list that they could address.... but they probably will (such as having the choice to use various signatures, not just one). But:  It always works. It is intuitive. It is changing the way I work with email - puts me in charge of it, rather than vice versa. I send all my e-mail via gmail now, and back it up with Thunderbird using gmail's pop3. The best of both worlds. The ads?  Don't bother me - in fact, I find some downright useful --- even clicked on a few of them, lately!.  Gmail is IT. period. imho

Nokia and Microsoft --- huge deal

surprise surprise.... this is big news. I will blog more on this later

Thedeal.com: Battle hymns of Digital Music

An interesting feature in Thedeal.com, using some soundbites provided by Dave Kusek and myself (as co-authors of the Future of Music book); a good summary / snap shot of the current status pf digital music. A Download thedeal.com on digital music Leonhard Kusek Feb 14 2005.pdf (just in case this page goes away...:).

Digital Natives...?

know the feeling?

The Art of Digital Music - Kelli Richards

This is a 'must-have' book by my longtime colleague Kelli Richards. " Exploring the music and techniques of world-class artists, Backbeat Books¹ "The Art of Digital Music" www.artofdigitalmusic.com") shows firsthand how the top creative minds in music use digital technology in their work and provides invaluable advice for musicmakers of all levels. Through a dynamic blend of practical production tips, inspiring case studies, and extensive graphics, authors David Battino and Kelli Richards detail the creative freedom today¹s digital tools afford. In in-depth
interviews with the digital music pioneers, legends, and current hitmakers‹artists, producers, and visionaries such as Alan Parsons, Steve Reich, Don Was, BT, Chuck D, Jimmy Jam, and Bob Rock‹the authors cover everything from studio setup tips and sampling to incorporating synths and
using distortion, and they provide a fascinating look at the future of digital music. The accompanying DVD features sound bites from all 56 interviews; actual music such as exclusive live recordings, unreleased demos, and out-of-print classics; performance videos; interactive Flash movies; royalty-free samples by the artists; behind-the-scenes photos; extensive Web links, and more. "The Art of Digital Music" is a must-have for musicians who use technology to make music and for fans who want to understand how technology is changing the way music is created, experienced, and shared"

Order it at Amazon - it's worth it!