Chris Anderson has released a chapter from his upcoming book, The Long Tail, in a recent issue of Wired magazine. He argues that the era of the cultural mainstream and megahits is now over, to be replaced with many smaller works. (Wikipedia has lots of good starting points on the idea)
Fulfilling promises made earlier this year, and in spite of some previously failed attempts (yes, that article is from 2004), Microsoft is going to introduce a new “iPod killer” before Christmas this year. (Another story)
Microsoft is being helped out by media companies (Music, Television, etc.). Because Apple dominates the digital music player and music download markets, they are able to strong arm the content providers and set the prices. Music labels and other media providers would like to see a more balanced market to be able to gain more control over their pricing.
For those of you who don’t know, iTunes and Microsoft-backed stores sell their songs with digital restrictions. These restrictions on the files prevent them from being copied a certain number of times, or can even cause the songs to “expire”, and stop working when the music store owner chooses. This also prevents music downloaded from iTunes from playing on Microsoft “Plays for Sure” players, and music from most other stores working on iPods. So any music you have downloaded from the iTunes music store will probably never work on Microsoft’s new player.
Rather than forcing you to re-buy your iTunes music at their store, Microsoft is planning to automatically buy it for you from their store, and pay for it, as well.
Would you be willing to switch to a new music player, if they re-bought all of your music for you? Will Microsoft be able to avoid previous traps and create a compelling product? I’m not betting on it, but if they throw as much money at it as they did for the XBox, there might be something that at least will have some presence.
Broken Social Scene is headlining a big afternoon of concerts out on Olympic Island on June 24th. Also attending are Feist, J Mascis and Raising The Fawn. Lot’s of people there from Arts & Crafts, if that’s your thing.
As of posting, tickets were still available, and for $50.50. That includes a ferry trip to the Island - how thoughtful!
Still not sure? Check out the latest video from BSS, thoughfully provided on YouTube. If you watch carefully, there’s even a scene where they are driving along Lakeshore West in winter. Or read the lengthy article written about them in a Februrary article in the New York Times: “Musically, you could say that Toronto has become a nicer but less aesthetically coherent version of Seattle in the early days of grunge.”
The Barenaked Ladies, Sum41, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), Billy Talent, Broken Social Scene, Sloan and more Canadian artists have created a new coalition against suing file-sharers, and against digitally locked files (for example, everything on iTunes). The CMCC site outlines their policies, and their initial press release. The Nettwerk music group, home to some of these artists, has spoken up on these issues before. (Thanks to Slashdot for the link)
The CIRA, known best for their 21 cents per-CD levy and their inability to sue file sharers, may be falling apart. Does this mean the end of the CD levy? Or the calm before the war on file sharing starts in Canada? Perhaps we should ask Sam Bulte.
The past few years have been exciting and different for the music industry. Bands and singers are finally discovering that they need to do something, well, good for a change. Canada, specifically, is producing some amazing new artists.
There are a few exceptional bands that are just beginning to get noticed now. Although this may not be your type of music, it is still highly recommended that you check out at least one of these bands.
The Postal Service is an indietronic band featuring singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel, Headset and Figurine.
The Unicorns were an indie-pop band from Montreal, Canada. Unfortunately, this band has split up.
“You mean Wolf Raid? As in, the Germans are raiding the trenches?”
“No, I said Wolf Parade. As in the Santa Clause parade- only with wolves.”
