Cool ideas

Curtain Call

I'm usually not fond of what Robert X. Cringley has to say, but his latest essay Curtain Call is extemely insightful and packed with ideas for a new approach to the music business.

His basic premise is that the movie industry allows tiered access to their content -- first its available only in movie theaters, then pay-per-view, then the video store and finallly onto cable and broadcast television. Music should do the same and focus more on live performances as a means to restrict access to content in order to create revenue. An artificial scarcity is always good for driving up the prices and the music industry should perhaps take a closer look at this model.

Cringely's new model also uses the idea of music VC's to ferret out and promote local bands in their home market to see if the have what it takes to get noticed worldwide. The idea to treat a band more like a real business is likely to get the artists rewarded more than when a traditional record label tries to market the next group of stars.

I'm pleased by the latest round of ideas from the thinkers and the latest round of bullshit from the cartel. The rift between the cartel and the people they serve continues to widen, and I think that is a good thing™.

Posted by Mayhem at December 18, 2002 03:40 PM