music technology
and innovation.
stuart buchanan, communityengine.com.

story in three parts.

story in three parts.
1.where are we?

story in three parts.
1.where are we?
2. who brought us
here?

story in three parts.
1.where are we?
2. who brought us
here?
3. where do we go
now?

background.

background.
edinburgh festival fringe,
goldfrapp, depeche mode,
red hot chilli peppers, the
delays, kid confucius,
vassy, fbi radio, fat planet,
noise, australian music
online, community
engine.

1. where are we?

1. where are we?
for decades, the
music industry has
made large
amounts of money
selling physical
products.

question?

question?
what happens to
your business when
the products that
make you money
are suddenly
available for free?

answer?

answer?
change your
business.

how do we change?

how do we change?
we innovate.

how do we change?
we innovate.
innovation got us
into this mess and
innovation can get
us out of it.

what do we mean by
innovation?

the innovation and
revolution of the
early 21st century
has been the shift
from analogue to
digital.

why is this so
revolutionary?

participation.

participation.
the digital
revolution has put
the means of
production in the
hands of the
masses.

participation.
we no longer
passively consume,
we create & engage.

participation.
we all
fundamentally
expect the right to
paricipate.

put fans into the
picture:

put fans into the
picture:
fans consume.

put fans into the
picture:
fans consume.
fans create.

put fans into the
picture:
fans consume.
fans create.
fans engage.

put fans into the
picture:
fans consume.
fans create.
fans engage.
fans participate.

the number one key
point in today’s
session:

the number one key
point in today’s
session:
more so than ever
before, your fans
are your biggest
asset.

in the new world
order, power has
shifted.

no more top-down.

no more top-down.
it’s coming up from
the ground.

“the high
watermark of
corporate influence
has already been
reached.”

you can no longer
fake your own
reality.

two options:

two options:
1. fight it.

two options:
1. fight it.
2. embrace it.

some numbers.

some numbers.
by december 2008,
90% of australians
will be using
broadband.

some numbers.
84% of australians
have used web 2.0
to upload content.

some numbers.
78% of britons are
active on a social
network.

some numbers.
95% of australians
have a mobile, 25%
are on 3G network.

some numbers.
75% of americans
consume over 3
hours of online
video per month.

some numbers.
75% of americans
consume over 3
hours of online
video per month.
equivalent to 8.3
billion streams.

some numbers.
number of files
available globally
on peer to peer
networks:

some numbers.
number of files
available globally
on peer to peer
networks:
32 billion.

time to innovate.

2. who brought us
here?

social networks,

social networks,
blogs,

social networks,
blogs, media
sharing,

social networks,
blogs, media
sharing, preference
engines,

social networks,
blogs, media
sharing, preference
engines, podcasts,

social networks,
blogs, media
sharing, preference
engines, podcasts,
e-tail

social networks,
blogs, media
sharing, preference
engines, podcasts,
e-tail, peer to peer

3. where do we go
now?

david byrne asks
the question: “what
do record labels
actually do?”

the answer: “they
fund recordings,
manufacture
product, distribute
product and market
the product.”

the problem:

the problem:
“recording costs
are next to zero,
manufacturing and
distribution are
next to zero, and
touring can make
you a living.”

“with all these
changes, what
happens to the
label?”

there is a growing
school of thought
that major music
labels will not
survive the
revolution. why do
people think that
way?

1. sell your own
music.

2. pick your own
price.

3. treat your
recordings as a
‘loss leader’.

4. let sponsors pay
your dues.

5. build your own
networks.

6. get straight to the
hands of your fans.

7. make your own
rules.

8. raise your own
money.

what can we do now
to get ready?

be flexible, be
agile, ready to move
at any moment.

think the
unthinkable.

get to know your
fans.

get to know your
fans. intimately.

control your own
information.

be convenient.

free your music.

takeaway:

takeaway:
it’s your music.

takeaway:
it’s your music.
you have the power.

takeaway:
it’s your music.
you have the power.
so use it.

takeaway:
it’s your music.
you have the power.
so use it.
stuart buchanan, communityengine.com.
presentation and links available at
stuartbuchanan.com