MySpace is Dead? (2): Rich's Rebuttal

At least this graph is more credible than the last one Rich sent me:


Yes, obviously Facebook is winning the race, but this actually shows that for the most part traffic has stayed steady on MySpace over the last year. Mere fluctuations. For MySpace to die they'd have to experience a little more dramatic drop in its 60 million (!!!) monthly visitors.

Besides, of course Facebook is leaving MySpace in the dust. Everyone and their grandma has started joining. Seriously, someone's grandma added me the other day!
Love you Rich.

-Tooth

MySpace is Dead? (2): Rich's Rebuttal

Kevin's Top 5 (#1)

Finding new music is a passion of everyone's especially here at 50e!
This will become a weekly gathering of my top 5 picks for upcoming and
coming songs / artists to watch out for. Enjoy music enthusiasts!

1. "3 Little Words" - Frankmusik
2. "Prom Queen" - Lil' Wayne
3. "Sound of Love" - We The Living
4. "Razoreyes" - Elevation
5. "White Winter Hymnal" - Fleet Foxes

Kevin's Top 5 (#1)

MySpace is Dead?

My friend and I had an intense argument the other night (somewhat alcohol induced) about MySpace . He thinks it’s “dead” and I felt he had no support for this claim, so he sent me this overview of the site's users today:

The picture it paints is sort of funny and only partially true, but I still hold that MS is in the top 3 (far from dead) behind YouTube and Facebook as far as social sites that intro people to new music. So Rich, quit hatin:) Thoughts?

-Tooth

MySpace is Dead?

Spotify, A Blessing in Internet Music Streaming

I was reading on cnet news about a new music streaming source called Spotify. This full-service tool allows users to search and stream as their hearts desire instead of a typical music streaming service that works similar to radio broadcasts; once the song is over it’s gone until the next time around. Not only does Spotify let us listen to the same song over and over until we throw up (which I am shamelessly guilty of), but it can find playlists off of Last.fm and allow the users to share them. This is very cool.

This service has gained support from the major labels. It seems that they are learning from the mistakes they made with Napster by embracing complimentary music and playing “nice”. It’s good to know that they are opening their blind eyes to the fact we are educated music lovers that will support what is good and it’s not about being free. This is about control; our control. One of the creators is Ludvig Strigeus, who created the popular uTorrent. Strigeus has proven that he understands the resources needed to operate a successful P2P environment. NIN has publically released their music in torrent form as a symbol of being tuned into what the public is doing to get their valued music.

Have I sold you on this new music service that treats the consumer well and is getting amazing reviews from the important players? Now, everyone that lives in the UK, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Spain and France, go get it! As for me, who lives in the free democracy of the USA; it looks like I still don’t have control when it comes to my music. ☹

-Jodi

Spotify, A Blessing in Internet Music Streaming

Why Should I Care about your Music?

I’ve been getting bombarded recently by MySpace bands telling me they are the "best" I’ve ever heard (and a few saying they are the worse). As well as at my job where I cashier I had a customer tell me that he knows a great rap group. So I listened to him talk about them, but he said nothing that was out the ordinary, just shit I hear on a regular basis. So I ask you, the viewers of my blog, why should we care about your music or anybody’s when everybody and they mama is now doing music? Just speak your mind and I’ll keep this short.

PS- No spammers

From the mind of
Keveeno Reeverts

Why Should I Care about your Music?

'09 Tour W/ Jane's Addiction to be Last for NIN?

Nine Inch Nails

The following letter was posted by Trent Reznor on NIN's website:

Towards the beginning of my career in Nine Inch Nails, our biggest break came in the form of an invitation to perform a series of shows with Jane's Addiction. These performances essentially created and defined the term "alternative" rock in the US, created an ongoing festival franchise that is still thriving (Lollapalooza), set the stage for Nirvana to shift popular taste a few months later, and were really fucking FUN to play and attend - truly the best times I've had. The shows were epic. So epic, they propelled NIN to the "next level" (whatever that means), but caused Jane's to implode. The band broke up at the end of that tour.

Fast forward to the present. Corporate rock STILL sucks. A friend tells me they saw the original Jane's lineup play a tiny show in LA that was unbelievable. I break out my Jane's records and am amazed by how vital they sound. These guys were the real deal and in this current climate mostly dominated by poseurs and pussies it was refreshing to hear something that sounded dangerous, volatile, beautiful and SINCERE.

Emails were sent, phone calls were made, dinner was arranged, ideas were discussed and the next thing I know we're in the studio experimenting. We laugh, we get to know each other, we cry, we yell, we almost quit, we record LOTS of guitar solos, we discuss, we actually begin to all communicate, we yell some more, we become FRIENDS, we laugh again and we do some great things. I get to see first hand why they broke up all those years ago but I also get the chance to see four distinct personalities that become an INCREDIBLE band when they're in the same room.

In NIN world, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of our first releases. I've been thinking for some time now it's time to make NIN disappear for a while. Last year's "Lights in the Sky" tour was something I'm quite proud of and seems like the culmination of what I could pull off in terms of an elaborate production. It was also quite difficult to pull off technically and physically night after night and left us all a bit dazed. After some thought, we decided to book a last run of shows across the globe this year. The approach to these shows is quite different from last year - much more raw, spontaneous and less scripted. Fun for us and a different way for you to see us and wave goodbye. I reached out to Jane's to see if they'd want to join us across the US and we all felt it could be a great thing. Will it work? Will it resonate in the marketplace? Who knows. Are there big record label marketing dollars to convince you to attend? Nope.

Does it feel right to us and does it seem like it will be fun for us and you? Yes it does.

Look for tour dates soon and I hope to see you out there.

Trent

'09 Tour W/ Jane's Addiction to be Last for NIN?

Elevation Press (Welikeit.indie)

Elevation was featured on the Welikeit.indie blog on 2/12/09. Check it out for a free download of "Razoreyes".

Elevation Press (Welikeit.indie)

Making Money Off of What has Become Free

In what is slowly becoming a free market, music executives and musicians are finding themselves in need of finding new ways to make money. They have tried everything from Kanye West vs 50, to Radiohead's "In Rainbows" with modest success. Kanye West outsold 50 cent 957,000 to 691,000 (Wiki), while Radiohead sold 3 million copies worldwide in physical and digital sales.

In 2007 Saul Williams attempted to use the same strategy as Radiohead. The following is from his wiki page:

“154,449 people had downloaded 'Niggy Tardust'. Of that number, 28,322 people chose to pay the asked price of $5 USD ($141,610 USD Total)”


Let's compare these numbers to Williams' previous self-titled album, which sold 30,000 copies. His recent "pay what you want" release helped expand his exposure. He made less money, but reached more fans than his previous release by using the "In Rainbows" model.

All that is old news, but where has the next "big marketing idea" been for the masses? People come up with ideas for their niche markets, but worldwide sales have declined along with pop artists' talent.

As a former hater of Lil Wayne I have learned to respect him. While he has not the best talent in my opinion, he shows emotion in his music and when he is serious you feel what he is talking about. With a constant onslaught of material for fans (mixtape after mixtape) he doesn't give them a chance to give up. His last album, "Tha Carter 3" sold 2.88 million copies by New Years Eve in 2008 making it the largest selling album of the year. Wayne has built a broad fan base over a long time.

So in an era of music where the value is lost, how do we make money in this industry?

Don’t give up, keep making contacts, and always make content for the fans. Money is not something you can make overnight and if you have true talent, don’t hold it in. You have to let the world hear it.

For those in the business world: Just because you can’t find “marketable artists” as available as before, it does not mean that the industry is dead. We just need something new, so find artists that sound different. As I told many people recommending artists who sound similar to Lil Wayne, “when his career is dead so will yours be”. Artists have to make their own sound and they’ll make their own path.

It’s not about strictly talent or marketing anymore, but drive as well. Never give up. For every person that does quit there's somebody who hasn't.

From the mind of
Keveeno Reeverts

Making Money Off of What has Become Free

Joaquin Phoenix Busts a Freestyle

Joaquin Phoenix Busts a Freestyle