Category: music

NEXT….

After 11 great years in the Warner Music Group, it’s time for me to move on to the next Chapter in my life!

I spent five years running new media at Maverick Records, and over six years in digital at Warner Bros Records, and I leave proud of what I’ve accomplished, and grateful for the relationships I’ve developed.

Working with the best Artists in the world is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a dream come true for me.

I wish the best to WMG, Lyor, Rob, Livia and Todd, and cant wait to see what they do next. To all the great people past and present at Warner – ill miss you!

I hope my “next” will be equally as exciting and productive.

I’ll be sharing my plans over the next few months right here, and you can contact me – leave a comment here or on my facebook.

I leave you with one of the first Artists who took my crazy digital ideas seriously…

YOUTUBE LAUNCHES MUSIC VIDEO TOP 100 CHART

Youtube’s music page features a new chart of the top 100 music videos on their site.

The YouTube 100 measures song traffic across official music videos, user-uploaded videos and viral debuts, and uses this data to provide a holistic view of song popularity.

A quick reveiew of the new feature

– Ability to “play” the chart is a nice feature, and youtube is clearly trying to make aspects of the service work for listening and watching – the top 100 is also a great music playlist.

– The top 100 almost all established artists and hit songs. There are only a few non traditional clips, and a few lyric videos in the top 100

– Global Chart? Its not 100% clear if im getting a localized chart, but there was a nice mix on international content on the chart.

I hope you tube continues to expand here. Expanding the depth of content, perhaps sub charts in different genres, UGC only, vs official, cover songs etc.

http://www.youtube.com/music

GORILAZ, LOST IN THE SHUFFLE, FOUND IN RDIO

I logged onto RDIO tuesday at work, and saw a new Gorilaz album in the first featured new release slot. At first I though it had to be just a song (maybe another tribute for japan?)

Didn’t they just have a new album? I just used an app on my ipad that was a game from plastic beach. How could a new Gorilaz album come out, and not ONE marketing impression reached me? I know someone is working hard to market it, so its probably my media buble thats to blame. It’s niche world when it comes to my infosphere – mobile operating system blogs out number music blogs by in my feeds.

I band I like. A band who’s app I just played (from the last cycle, with no mention of the new album, that was a miss…) Another reminder of the radical new world of marketing music. But a positive look into the future of subscription services, where the music is first. RDIO was a great backstop. I’ve never found out about an album from an artist I really like at the exact moment i was hearing it for the first time. Making something old a new experience. It got to me just in time, i didn’t miss a beat.

Gorillaz. Just click play. Its sounds awesome.

5 TIPS FOR USING QR CODES EFFECTIVELY – THE SXSW EFFECT!

SXSW interactive is a real world early adopter laboratory that gives you a preview of how social technologies could work when adoption reaches critical mass. Because so many at sxswi are early adopters, attendees experienced early versions of the addictive and powerful nature of 4 square and twitter years before they became mainstream. This is one of the best aspects of SXSW!

Emerging technologies also reveal their drawbacks at sxwi, and 2011 challenged my belief in QR codes. The codes were added everywhere, on flyers, and shirts of hundreds of new companies and bands trying to stand out.

With enthusiasm, I tried the first three QR codes that caught my eye, but was quickly disappointed in each experience. Several bands used the QR code to simply link you to the same band website printed on the flyer (duh). One QR code promised an “Awesome” prize if i scanned it, but then the qr code lead me to a form where I needed to fill out a lot of info to enter to win something. Not ideal standing on a busy street corner in Austin.

Enthusiasm turned to frustration after a few bad experiences and after just a few hours, I had QR code blindness and for the rest of the trip, I didn’t try another code.

A QR code requires more attention than a passive promotion. Mobile is a harder medium to work with. It takes your potential fan or customer time to open the app, scan the code, and wait for content to load, so it better be worth the extra time. Your contest, website, or free download is not any better because you uses a QR code to get it to me!

Think of it this way – a qr code is a light switch and your consumer interaction is the lighting! – focus on the perfect light, not thw switch! The QR code will simply turn it on. If QR codes are going to get adoption marketers and advertisers need to establish thems as a true value creator.

Here are a few guidelines from my experience creating QR codes for Artists and using them as a consumer.

1.) Its not a shortcut! QR codes require planing, context, and rewards.

2.) The “power” of the QR experience is unlocked when the qr code triggers a reward or value quickly

3.) The “magic” of the QR code experience is unlocked when you combine this instant reward or value with something that is context and location aware!

4.) Use the QR code to take advantage of mobile devices power (camera, gps, other apps, location). Dont try to use it to duplicate traditional internet only (unless the content the code turns on is absolutley AMAZING)

5.) “Good enough to share” is the litmus test for your offer. Build in Share. Anyone who takes the time to use a QR code, and is pleased, will share. Most of your views will come from the shares, not the QR code scans.

With no quality control and a few bad experiences under my belt, Im going to think twice about taking action as a consumer. As a marketer, I’m still intrigued. Put in some extra thought and planning, and we’ll all benefit!

RADIOHEAD “THE KING OF LIMBS” – YOUR ON MY HARD DRIVE, NOW WHAT?

The new Radiohead album The King of Limbs is out. Direct to fan only. With only a few days notice the pre-order went live!

For this release, Radiohead ditched the “pay what you want” model. Digital offers include compressed MP3 format for $9, or higher quality WAV files for $14. Get either digital formats with the pre-order of the high end physical newspaper edition. Fans were delighted when it was even delivered direct a day early! A nice touch.

But does it feel like something is missing?

There was certainly discussion. In recent years Radiohead has drawn more attention for their delivery of music and business model than their music. On this release, the public at large, and the fans, seem not quite sure quite what to make of it all.

But the debate seems to be about who this album is for. Structurally, whats the “meta” statement here? and is king of limbs “the album”? or the leak before the “real” album. The project or the marketing..

Musically, The King of Limbs is more on the obscure side, less song structure, more howling. That side of Radiohead, combined with a quiet, free of hype release cycle, made “Kings of Limbs” feel like a let down…. or a teaser!

Part of me was looking for that context.

How does the method of release, the channels used, the art and buzz surrounding a release, all effect the perception of music itself? It does for for me somehow, I know it does or others. The music purist can examine from a critical point of view, but for the rest, it is all tied to culture in some way.

How does the promotion and investment and fandom drive some ‘perceptual difference in the music?

The retail channel used to give us some of these cues. Itunes only ep releases, direct live downloads from the artist site, home made cd’s sold direct at show. You knew when a release was for the fans, not the ones who just came for radio, but for those who lived a little deeper. But when Radiohead is now all d2c, it creates an incredible new dynamic, one where mysteriously, it seems hard to tell whats what.

The King of Limbs. This isn’t music that’s asking for a ton of attention. It almost feels like the lead-up to a “bigger” release

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/02/radioheads_king_of_limbs_revie.html

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IRON AND WINE MAJOR LABEL DEBUT

A great executive said there are good indies and bad indies, good majors, and bad majors. I was proud of the job the WBR team did on the new IRON AND WINE release. Artist direct has a great review of the new album, and a nice compliment to Warner Bros. Nice to see it shows how passionate we are about working hard for our artists!

On paper, it’s a contradiction to align the sanctity of non-corporate rock wit a major label, but WBR is brilliant in its handling of these types of bands. One needn’t look any further than the likes of Built to Spill and The Flaming Lips for examples of indie rock’s royalty who’ve enjoyed long careers untouched by “major label sell out” fingerprints. Given that information and track record, Iron & Wine—the namesake of Sam Beam—have graduated to Warner Bros. with the release of Kiss Each Other Clean.

Iron & Wine “Kiss Each Other Clean” Review — 4 out of 5 stars

Some moments on Kiss Each Other Clean are fragile and vulnerable and others are not of this planet and are unpredictable.

ORDER KISS EACH OTHER CLEAN NOW

MIDEM 2011 RECAP

Good to be back to work after a great MIDEM. Lots of good meetings, people, ideas, and work. I Thought I’d have more time to see cannes, but as it was with most people i talked to, I didn’t leave a 5 block area and was mostly inside at meetings!

I spoke on a panel that was very early on the first day, and I enjoyed all of my panelists. The panel never quite found its groove, although there were moments.

Packers win – on the ground in Cannes!

Yahoo News Recap

Recap from CHINA POST