Guitar Hero swept the nation a few years ago with the revolutionary idea that video games and recorded music could merge into one entity. After Guitar Hero, came Rock Band, which expanded and deepened the concept of engaging gamers with music. They then came out with an AC/DC expansion pack (left), showing how insightful artists can use these new technology trends to make new income from old songs and recordings. As the record sales figures continue their decline, artists are searching for, and seizing new opportunities to promote and sell their music. The newest trend to increase the interactivity of music, comes downloaded right into the fan's pocket. There are a couple of remarkable new applications available for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. The first is a sort of downloadable digital fan page that will provide updated information, artwork, pictures, even song lyrics for certain artists, and their albums. The first band to try out this channel of promotion is Snow Patrol, with their new album "A Hundred Million Suns." Liz Goodwin, Snow Patrol's manager described it as "an interactive element; a digital booklet that will take you into t
he videos and content." Such a page will certainly increase a fan's feeling of personal involvement with the band. Nine Inch Nails is using downloadable iPhone and iPod Touch technology to increase personal involvement as well. They are releasing their songs in a sort of Guitar Hero type game to be purchased for Apple's handheld devices called Tap Tap Revenge (seen at the right). Both of these applications are current examples of what may become a personal interactive music industry. I came across these harbingers of interactive music as I was browsing a couple of the blogs listed in my linkroll, the first at Music Radar by Ben Rogerson, and the second at Wired by Eliot Van Buskirk. I commented on each, the comments are linked, but for the sake of convenience, I've included my comments below:
Snow Patrol to Release iPhone App With New Album:
I think it's incredibly forward thinking of Apple and of Snow Patrol to begin to distribute these "digital booklets." While I agree, "this is hardly the groundbreaking idea that the record industry really needs," a trend of mobile and virtual interactivity needs to start somewhere, and this may be just the place. As technology continues to advance, such a template can be built upon, and eventually could become a viable income stream for artists. Pink is already streaming samples of her upcoming tracks through a similar application (http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/10/iphone-apps-wil.html). Though I am no industry guru, it does seem extremely plausible that as the services offered are able to become more valuable, fans will be willing to pay for them. For example a "channel" devoted exclusively to news, music videos, advance songs etc. of a certain artist would not be too hard to develop and sell to fans. Or your suggestion of being able to download and remix such songs on an iPod would certainly prove lucrative. What other ways do you think that this basic idea could bloom into big business and sales for artists? I think that no matter where the next few years of technology takes us, artists will have to stay at the forefront of the developments and be creative in order to find new income streams to replace the income lost due to the trend of ever-declining record sales.
Nine Inch Nails To Distribute Music Through iPhone App:
It's true, Church, Trent Reznor has been at the forefront of reinventing the music industry for the past couple of years. When he released his last album without a record label to such great success, he made history, and helped create a new business model. This new game featuring Nine Inch Nails songs is a great example of how artists are using the new trends in technology and gaming to find interesting ways to make money. It seems like the next step after the Metallica and AC/DC expansion packs for Rock Band, and now they are even coming out with an independent Rock Band-type game featuring only Beatles songs! (check out http://www.musicnewsnet.com/2008/10/the-beatles-tunes-to-rock-band-game.html). In his book "All You Need To Know About the Music Business," Donald Passman explains that the licenses to songs in video games are purchased for a flat fee, and usually not more than $6,000. This is in the 2006 edition, and while that is fairly recent, it may not be recent enough to account for what happens when the music is not IN the video game, but the music IS the video game. Bringing the gamer into the direct hands-on virtual reproduction of music certainly brings more value to the music itself. I wonder how the payment structure works when it comes to Beatles Rock Band, or Nine Inch Nails Tap Tap Revenge? I would imagine it is a sort of royalty system, since there is no way of knowing how successful such ventures will be, and thus no way of putting a pre-determined "flat fee" value on the music.
Snow Patrol to Release iPhone App With New Album:
I think it's incredibly forward thinking of Apple and of Snow Patrol to begin to distribute these "digital booklets." While I agree, "this is hardly the groundbreaking idea that the record industry really needs," a trend of mobile and virtual interactivity needs to start somewhere, and this may be just the place. As technology continues to advance, such a template can be built upon, and eventually could become a viable income stream for artists. Pink is already streaming samples of her upcoming tracks through a similar application (http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/10/iphone-apps-wil.html). Though I am no industry guru, it does seem extremely plausible that as the services offered are able to become more valuable, fans will be willing to pay for them. For example a "channel" devoted exclusively to news, music videos, advance songs etc. of a certain artist would not be too hard to develop and sell to fans. Or your suggestion of being able to download and remix such songs on an iPod would certainly prove lucrative. What other ways do you think that this basic idea could bloom into big business and sales for artists? I think that no matter where the next few years of technology takes us, artists will have to stay at the forefront of the developments and be creative in order to find new income streams to replace the income lost due to the trend of ever-declining record sales.
Nine Inch Nails To Distribute Music Through iPhone App:
It's true, Church, Trent Reznor has been at the forefront of reinventing the music industry for the past couple of years. When he released his last album without a record label to such great success, he made history, and helped create a new business model. This new game featuring Nine Inch Nails songs is a great example of how artists are using the new trends in technology and gaming to find interesting ways to make money. It seems like the next step after the Metallica and AC/DC expansion packs for Rock Band, and now they are even coming out with an independent Rock Band-type game featuring only Beatles songs! (check out http://www.musicnewsnet.com/2008/10/the-beatles-tunes-to-rock-band-game.html). In his book "All You Need To Know About the Music Business," Donald Passman explains that the licenses to songs in video games are purchased for a flat fee, and usually not more than $6,000. This is in the 2006 edition, and while that is fairly recent, it may not be recent enough to account for what happens when the music is not IN the video game, but the music IS the video game. Bringing the gamer into the direct hands-on virtual reproduction of music certainly brings more value to the music itself. I wonder how the payment structure works when it comes to Beatles Rock Band, or Nine Inch Nails Tap Tap Revenge? I would imagine it is a sort of royalty system, since there is no way of knowing how successful such ventures will be, and thus no way of putting a pre-determined "flat fee" value on the music.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading your post about new technology that stimulates interactivity in music. On a superficial note, I really like the two graphics you use; the vibrant colors make the post very pleasing for the eye. I like the way you begin the post by creating a short chronology of the past advances, working up to what has recently been introduced: Guitar Hero, Rock Band, AC/DC Extension pack, and now iPhone applications. This puts your subject in context and allows the reader to relate the new technology that you will discuss with what is already out.
In your first comment on “Snow Patrol to Release iPhone App With New Album,” you do a good job of integrating quotes into your writing. I like that you reference a line in this blog, and but go on to offer your own opinion as well—“while ‘this is hardly the groundbreaking idea that the record industry really needs,’ a trend of mobile and virtual interactivity needs to start somewhere, and this may be just the place.” I agree that this idea does not seem very “groundbreaking,” especially since users would have to pay to have the lyrics, videos, and other information about the band. I know as a consumer, I would rather use a variety of resources to gain access to this information for free (for example, using Google to search for lyrics, or YouTube to watch videos). You mention the importance for artists to stay at the forefront of technology to create new income avenues to replace declining record sales, but do you think that there is an excessive emphasis on technology that takes away from the enjoyment and simplicity of the music itself?
I also think you picked a good second blog on which to comment. It is interesting that the songs in the video games were purchased for a flat rate, but you mention that now the songs are the video game. Perhaps record labels could devise a more lucrative plan for themselves, requiring video game companies to pay for song rights per record sold (or some other record) to compensate for lost record sales.
A few quick critiques: both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band links lead to dead sites. Also, I think you might have benefited from giving a quick synopsis of the two blogs in the paragraph before you post your comments. This would give the audience a sense of what to expect, and a brief idea of what the blogs were about, in case they do not have time to actually read those two blogs.
Overall, interesting topic and I look forward to reading your posts in the future.
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