[atlantaprog] Re: Fwd: David Byrne on the future of music distribution

It's very good, esp. the breakdowns of distribution formats, sales and costs, 
and the six career models.  There are benefits to be gained in the more 
freewheeling, multi-layered market of the near future as opposed to the 
major-label Svengalis of the past, but only for those with the savvy to exploit 
it, like Radiohead seems to be doing.  The Doherty's and MC Hammer's will 
probably face more difficulty now.  A collapse of control and protection can 
empower or give you rope to hang yourself.  The current situation reminds me of 
the breakup of the Soviet Union:  some will adjust and thrive, and others whose 
abilities and foibles were tuned to the former regime will suffer.

Since I'm curmudgeonly I have to find a bone to pick, and it's the flippant 
claim that anyone can make a record with the same laptop they use to check 
their email.  Yeah, for some people and some types of music it can be done with 
good-but-not-great sound, and we all know Springsteen's 'Nebraska' was recorded 
on a 4-track cassette deck.  (Of course it's a lo-fi acoustic guitar/vocal 
album... the same equipment probably wouldn't work too well for an Iron Maiden 
album.)  A surgeon could perform an emergency appendectomy with some whiskey 
and a rusty pocketknife too, but he'd probably prefer to work in a nice 
hospital.  Given a choice between laptop recording and Abbey Road, I think I'd 
choose the latter, and most of your mid-to-high-profile artists go that route.  
If the laptop is what you can afford and you insist on maintaining 100% 
creative control, it's good that approach is at least feasible now.  But I 
don't think professional studios and qualified engineers are in much
 danger of becoming as redundant as Byrne suggests.

Also, digital downloads have taken away a lot of share from physical media like 
CDs, and that will probably continue for a while, but does anyone think that it 
will go to 100%?  I don't have an iPod and don't want one, only CDs.  I used to 
read WIRED a good bit but got tired of their overly optimistic slant (exhibited 
here with Byrne's interview I think) toward technological utopian revolution 
that's always just around the bend.  I've been waiting for my videophone and 
personal jetpack since the 70's...

Brian

Allen Welty-Green <agmedia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Discuss - 



 
http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/magazine/16-01/ff_byrne?currentPage=all




       
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