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Ask a twelve year old what his favorite record is, and they will no doubt respond with, "what's a record?" You respond with, "it is an old-fashioned CD." Ten years later, ask another twelve year old what their favorite CD is, and as you can guess, the response is the same.
Since the advent of records and radio, there has not been a substantial change in the way we listen to music until now. The coming high-bandwidth internet will usher in a new wave of multi-media experiences, and will bring us music in a totally new way.
The Digital Video Disc [DVD], with it's impressive 24-bit audio resolution and 96khz sampling rate will soon be the medium of choice for those wishing to own their music and movies in a more traditional means. This new generation of high bit rate ROM media boasts pristine fidelity far beyond the CD, coupled with laser disc quality video.
Imagine for a moment, from the comfort of your favorite chair, you select your preferred musical style from a complete list provided by your local high-bandwidth internet service provider. As you narrow down your selections, you sample a few new releases. A catalog only a librarian could love is presented. Let's see...Classic Rock, 1969-1972, American, no Top40, up-tempo, with guitar solo, with brass section. That should narrow it down to a few hundred songs. Your monthly bill will reflect your selections.
As you listen, you may wish to make a custom recording of just your very favorite songs to the storage device of your choice. Hold it. You have just been alerted that you have videomail. What do you know, Riccardo Montalbann trying to sell you rich Corinthian leather to the sounds of . . . the Stones? Some things never change. And as long as there is money to be made, there will be advertisements. Since you switched on your video monitor [TV], why not check out that new retro artist's music video. It is the featured artist of the day, so it is complimentary today only. What a world.
Everything about the way music is marketed, heard, bought and stored is undergoing a radical change, with the internet being its primary vehicle. Record Stores, Media Retailers, Video Rental Stores, Radio Stations, Music Television Networks, Cable Networks and who knows what else, need to take note. Everything is about to change. If your company has not already established itself as a major player in this new ballgame, then it may already be too late. Smaller independent companies are helping themselves to the lions share of the market, while the slower multi-national conglomerates play a deadly game of wait and see. There will be winners and there will most certainly be losers.
On this thread we will discuss high-tech music companies, with hopes of sorting out the winners from the losers.
We will research the companies, examine the technology, debate the consumer acceptance, and project the potential revenue stream and earnings. Hopefully as investors, we will then make smarter more informed decisions.
The entire music industry is being reborn. But what will it become when it grows up?
Rande Is
[20+ years as a music/record industry professional, a masters in music production, plus 4 years marketing/sales with America's first online videotex network, gives me some insight into what will and will not make it in this industry.] |
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