Gerd Leonhard to keynote at Canadian Music Week 2007: The Digital Future of Music

Wired News: Wild Predictions for a Wired 2007

Wired projects the Future in 2007 - a good read.

Wired News: Wild Predictions for a Wired 2007.

NYT Goes Free One of my favorites: " The New York Times opens its archives from behind the paid firewall, realizing it's more lucrative to be the internet's paper of record than charging readers for individual stories. Thankfully, Thomas Friedman's clich�s and mixed metaphors remain behind the pay firewall for at least two weeks...."

I would want to add: 2007 is the year where DRM, dies, and where most catalogs become available as MP3s. Check out my general predictions here.  Wired Tech Predictions here

 

A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection (Peter Gutmann)

Great read on DRM, linked from here

"Windows Vista includes an extensive reworking of core OS elements in order to
provide content protection for so-called "premium content", typically HD data
from Blu-Ray and HD-DVD sources.  Providing this protection incurs
considerable costs in terms of system performance, system stability, technical
support overhead, and hardware and software cost.  These issues affect not
only users of Vista but the entire PC industry, since the effects of the
protection measures extend to cover all hardware and software that will ever
come into contact with Vista, even if it's not used directly with Vista (for
example hardware in a Macintosh computer or on a Linux server).  This document
analyses the cost involved in Vista's content protection, and the collateral
damage that this incurs throughout the computer industry...."

Interview with Swiss Radio DRS3: Gerd Leonhard, Music Futurist, comments on Copyrigyht and the Flat Fee for Music (in German)

On Dec 23, I was interviewed by DRS 3, the leading Swiss Youth Radio Station, on the subject of Copyright & The Future of Music, and the so-called 'Music Flat-Rate' - here is the MP3 (in German only -sorry!).  Enjoy and comment!
Related: watch this video
Listen to this podcast
More comments in GERMAN

Download 28122006_1015_copyright.mp3

muSick in the Head: Music 2.0 Companies

Link: muSick in the Head: Music 2.0 Companies.

If you want to take a look at the latest cool music new-co's... this is a good start!

The latest Gerd Leonhard Podcast: THE END OF DRM is near

Approx. 20 MB, 22 Mins, enjoy.  Subscribe and get the archives here.
                             Download gerd_leonhard_podcast__the_end_of_drm_2006128.mp3

And search Yahoo Podcasts for more episodes... Enjoy!

            

             

               

Thursday, December 7, 2006

             

            

         

Tim O"Reilly Piracy is Progressive Taxation, and Other Thoughts on the Evolution of Online Distribution

Link: OpenP2P.com: Piracy is Progressive Taxation, and Other Thoughts on the Evolution of Online Distribution.

Piracy is Progressive Taxation, and Other Thoughts on the Evolution of Online Distribution

4 years old but still very valid!

Youtube Video: Gerd Leonhard on The Future of Music

New Podcast: the end of DRM

Yes, indeed, we are just about there: DRM is on its way out, and I needed to tell you about it, in this podcast. The Music Industry's equivalent of the Berlin Wall is indeed coming down.... soon.

Norah Jones' new releases are offered, via Yahoo, as MP3s. This follows a previous experiment with Jessica Simmons (SonyBMG), also by Yahoo, whose music chief Dave Goldberg has some pretty straightforward thoughts on this subject. Peter Jenner also knows how to put this. Paul Birch of the IFPI alludes to the end of DRM here, as well (Achtung: Google Translated this from German, jawohl!). I have written about this extensively: in my blog(s), in my book (co-written with Dave Kusek), and in my presentations.  In my  new podcast "The End of DRM" I am summaring it all - a hefty 22 mins and 20MB of wisdom ;)  (or shall I say, aggrevation).  Check it out here.  A previous podcast, on DRM and France, is here.  You can subscribe via itunes with this link. Need some humor to cheer you up?  Check out this DRM illustration.

If you really want to hear more about this you can subscribe to my newsletter.  Need more links on DRM? Go here..  Update: a good review of the Norah Jones thing at Techmeme (albeit less optimistic)

BNL Fan Created Video Mash-up - The Digital Music Weblog

Link: BNL Fan Created Video Mash-up - The Digital Music Weblog.

This is a great example of how to work the fanbase to create something unique and entertaining, while solidifying the love of those who care enough to contribute. Not only will the fans contribute, but I can guarantee you that each and every one of those digitally creative BNL-boosters who made it into the video have actively passed it around to their friends, family and most likely, anyone who'd stand still long enough to watch.

.. great example of viral music marketing

Great feature on the Internet and Books- Forbes.com

Link: Books - Forbes.com.

Are books in danger?

The conventional wisdom would say yes. After all, more and more media--the Internet, cable television, satellite radio, videogames--compete for our time. And the Web in particular, with its emphasis on textual snippets, skimming and collaborative creation, seems ill-suited to nurture the sustained, authoritative transmission of complex ideas that has been the historical purview of the printed page. But surprise--the conventional wisdom is wrong

..."

Good read, especially Cory's feature.

Andy Kessler: Media 2.Uh-Oh in a single file

Link: Andy Kessler: Media 2.Uh-Oh in a single file.

Media is about control of a pipe.

wow - now there is some good reading. Great stuff.

Pew Internet: Future of the Internet

Link: Pew Internet: Future of the Internet.

A must read.

DRM winding down: In a Turnabout, Record Industry Releases MP3s - WSJ.com --- Soon, the dam is breaking

Link: In a Turnabout, Record Industry Releases MP3s - WSJ.com.

"The music industry has long resisted selling music in the MP3 format, which lacks the copy protections that prevent songs from being duplicated endlessly. But now, Blue Note Records and its marquee artist, jazz-pop singer Norah Jones, are selling her latest single through Yahoo Inc. as an MP3 -- despite the risk that it may add to piracy problems.

The move represents a small but significant retreat from one of the central tenets of the music industry's digital strategy. EMI Group PLC's Blue Note and other music companies are beginning to think they will have to sell some MP3-formatted music both to satisfy customer demand and to provide access to Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod for songs that are sold by online stores other than Apple's iTunes Store.
[Test Tunes]

Blue Note yesterday began letting Yahoo sell MP3s of Ms. Jones's latest single, "Thinking About You." Another EMI act, Christian rock band Relient K, also released two MP3s through Yahoo yesterday. All of the songs will come without any of the software that normally keeps users from making unlimited copies of songs they buy online.

The releases come as some high-tech and music-industry executives are becoming increasingly concerned about Apple's growing clout in the music business. Only online music files purchased from iTunes, ripped from users' own CDs or downloaded from pirate services can be played on the popular iPod. Copy-protected songs purchased from Yahoo and other legitimate sources don't work on it. By selling music in the MP3 format without copy-protection software, Yahoo can offer music that works easily on iPods...."

Another 3 -6 months for flat-out open MP3 offerings by the first major labels.  Digital Sales are down - everyone hates drm. not surprising. THIS is the crucial reason:

Check out my podcast on this...

ContentSutra - India's Digital Media News Monitor

Link: ContentSutra - India's Digital Media News Monitor.

Good feature!