While music labels’ profits continue to fall, Artists continue to climb…

Image Property of Times Labs UK

For all that crap and BS propaganda we hear concerning the declining music industry, I could literally have a kazillion dollars if I were paid a nickel everytime such stories were shoved upon the world. Those in charge of big labels decry again and again how the digital age is killing music, that we’re all thieves, and that they don’t make enough money. To cap off their trifecta + 1, they constantly put the stranglehold on new and emerging technologies and services by way of frivolous and stupid lawsuits. So it’s with great glee and jubilation that I share with you some fairly reliable statistics that show while the music labels are in fact declining in relevance and revenue, the music industry and more importantly artists are actually making more at an increasing rate.

The study was conducted by The Times Labs blog which pours over mountains of data concerning music sales and live performances and finds that artists are making more money because people are going to more live concerts. If you didn’t know, artists get a bigger cut of live performance revenues. I have no doubt in my mind that many people who go to these shows and live concerts did so because of a CD they pirated — their I said it straight out — and were interested in hearing them live. A person whom had never heard of a particular band that they never would have paid for a CD up front is now paying to go to their concert and probably will pay for more band merchandise as time goes on.

In the end, the only person being “hurt” by file sharing (legal and illegal) are the labels. Because of this, and the fact that they love take other peoples’ money, I wouldn’t be surprised if they started ratcheting up their piece of the live concert pie. In a world were the few greedy people run the lives of the majority, I can only say that this is the sweetest news yet. The sooner we eliminate the middleman the better off we’ll all be.

The full report is extremely intriguing and certainly one the labels wouldn’t want you to see (and I’m sure they’ll smear it when they get around to it). So do yourself as well as all of us a favor and read the report.

• Times Labs report showing labels are no longer relavent..

Boing Boing > Times Online

David Guetta iPhone app [Review]

We originally looked at David Guetta’s iPhone app a couple weeks ago. Though at that time I didn’t have a copy to officially review. That has obviously changed. After spending a good day playing with the app, I can honestly say that David Guetta has figured out how to make an iPhone app, engaging with his fans, and offering up a compelling product that could even lead to new fans. Creating a reason to spend money on music is something that many content owners somehow fail to grasp. They think that simple raising the price somehow magically ads some mysterious value. The more intelligent who are able to cut through propaganda know that isn’t the case. Several artists including Radiohead, and Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor have managed to break into this vast digital world that seems to elude so many in their line of business. But they aren’t alone. Other musicians and artists in other countries are figuring out that being viral and engaging in digital technologies increase their value as well as their content. Musicians such as David Guetta, a french based DJ, recently released an iPhone app. If you’re thinking this is a basic iPhone app with a couple songs, some old repeat news, and gimmicky calendar schedule for tours, you’ll be surprised to learn that it’s so much more. So did David Guetta succeed in making a music app centered around his work that actually makes me want to dig deeper?

Can’t carry a tune? Try auto-tuning.

In today’s digital age everything that you can possibly think of has been digitized.  Everything from toothbrushes to clothing.  One area that has long been digital though at times obscure is the music scene.  Ever listen to a band or artist and hear them slide off of the occasional key?  On the other end of the spectrum have you ever listened to a CD and realize that without looking at the display of your player you wouldn’t be able to tell if you player was stuck on repeat as every song sounded the same?  That ever repeating sound is a by-product of the digital age and “auto-tuning”.