I had the opportunity to present the ideas behind the Musicians for Music 2.0 Venture Fund ( http://musiciansformusic2.com ) at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies ( http://www.cmstudies.org/ ) held in Boston, Massachusetts from March 21-25, 2012.

1. it’s time to build a better music ecosystem
Presented at the Society for Film & Media Studies
conference, March 21-25, 2012 in Boston, MA
Charles McEnerney, founder

2. Who is Charles
McEnerney?
• Media marketer with 25 years experience from
ArtsBoston, Fast Company, HBO, MovieMaker
magazine, Seattle International Film Festival,
WGBH, and in film, TV, and audio production.
• Principal at Layers Marketing . Current + recent
clients include The Arts Fuse, Rick Berlin, Boston
University College of Fine Arts, Future of Music
Coalition, The Haven restaurant, Jamaica Plain
Music Festival, Over My Shoulder Foundation, Song
Sparrow Research, and Yoko Miwa Trio.

3. Who is Charles
McEnerney?
• Since 2002, I have been the Host + Producer of
the music interview audio podcast series,
Well-Rounded Radio, where I have interviewed
70+ musicians and music industry thought leaders.
• Find a resume + 44 recommendations on LinkedIn
at linkedin.com/in/charlesmcenerney
• Also at Facebook.com/charlesmcenerney and on
Twitter at @wellroundedradi

4. the music business has
changed
• musicians no longer need record
labels, radio, or magazines to become
known by music fans

5. the power has shifted
• labels or record stores will not have
the exclusive distribution channels
• iTunes, Amazon, and Facebook are the
new power brokers

6. a new era of music
discovery
• there has never been more access to
music and more ways to discover new
music than we have now

7. a new kind of
relationship
• through the internet, musicians have a
direct relationship with their fans, through
CD/mp3 sales, ticket sales, donations,
merchandise, and licensing, cutting out
“the middle men”

8. fostering a middle class
of musicians
• if musicians receive the majority of profits
from their work, they could live more
comfortably making music they want to
make vs. aiming for mainstream appeal

9. music discovery is
changing
• sites + services like Pandora, Spotify,
Rdio, Pitchfork, music blogs, etc. are
showing there is a hunger from both
active and passive music fans to discover
something new

10. discovery tools keep
coming
• from mp3 blogs to podcasts, music
recommendation engines to mobile apps,
live event tools to music social networks,
curated mixes to internet radio, this is the
future. (visit http://bit.ly/musicdiscovery
for a list)

11. music discovery is
changing
• what happens to the larger music
ecosystem, with the decline of music
criticism, journalism, record store clerks,
and DJs who have long turned music fans
onto new music?

12. music fans need
guidance
• future generations will likely look to
blogs, podcasts, music recommendation
engines, mobile apps, etc. to help discover
“their next favorite artist”

13. many genres are
suffering
• the shift away from radio, magazines, and
record stores is having a negative impact
on jazz, classical, and other genres which
are not well served online

14. on the web, there are
hundreds of new methods
to discover music
• but nearly all of these projects will not get
funding from foundations or venture
capitalists

15. current projects are
relying on self-funding
• and many others are started or produced
by people as a hobby or funded
personally, but will they continue to
produce them over the long haul?

16. we need a new kind of
organization
• we need to fund the best of these new
ideas until they can generate their own
revenue from advertising, grants,
sponsorships, merchandise, memberships,
fundraisers, and donations

17. these new tastemakers
will help musicians make
money
• aiding music discovery projects will help
fans discover a wider array of music,
directing them to musicians’ web sites
where musicians can engage financially
with fans

18. it’s time to build a better
music ecosystem
• such an organization would incorporate
the best practices of how angel investors,
venture funds, tech incubators, and
advertising networks work

19. and so an idea was
born...

20. a new idea for a new
reality
• this new organization will be part non-
profit, part venture fund, part incubator,
and part advertising network

21. Musicians for Music 2.0
Venture Fund
• taste maker sites and technologies can
apply and receive funding and turn part-
time pursuits into full-time jobs—and help
more people discover more new music

22. every 12 months, new
taste maker sites can
apply
• editorial sites and technologies will be
evaluated based on their concept,
execution, impact on diverse genres, and
ability to direct traffic to musicians

23. the reach is endless
• if 10 web sites were each to endorse/
critique/promote 200 artists per year,
these 2,000 artists would reach millions
of music fans around the world

24. successful musicians as
angel investors
• musicians who succeeded through the
business models of the last 50 years can
help launch the Musicians for Music 2.0
Venture Fund and foster the business
models of the next 50 years

25. these angels will benefit
musicians, too
• by donating 100K each one time, 12
musicians each year can change the music
ecosystem for the better and receive
positive public relations coverage in web,
print, TV, and radio media

26. each year, new musicians
would take their turn
• The Musicians for Music 2.0 Venture Fund
would be sustained by a one-time
contribution by each artist to cover
investments for that year

27. these are guardian angel
musicians like
David Bowie Yo Yo Ma
Russell Simmons
T-Bone Burnett Dave Mathews
Sonic Youth
David Byrne Jessye Norman
Bruce Springsteen
Bob Dylan Pearl Jam
Sting
Phillip Glass Tom Petty
U2
Jay-Z Robert Plant/
Paul Van Dyk
Jimmy Page
Madonna Wilco
Prince
Bob Marley's Brian Wilson
Estate Bonnie Raitt
Neil Young
Wynton Marsalis R.E.M.
John Williams
Rick Rubin

28. Musicians who succeeded through the models of the past 50
years donate to the Musicians for Music 2.0 fund
Developers, bloggers, podcasters, and technologists create
new music discovery channels and apply for funding
Musicians for Music 2.0’s Board of Advisors review ideas and
applications, granting bridge funding
Musicians for Music 2.0 will manage a music advertising and
sponsorship network that serves as a revenue stream for music-
related entrepreneurs
Advertisers reach music audiences through display ads across the
whole network or just specific sites and demographics

29. fund, educate, and make a
profit—faster
• in addition to revenue from ads and
sponsorships, Musicians for Music 2.0 will
also serve as an incubator, with trainings
that help funded ideas become profitable
faster

30. educating musicians
• Musicians for Music 2.0 will also provide
free online text, video, and audio
resources to help independent musicians
learn how to manage their own branding,
marketing, and careers.

31. what if Musicians for
Music 2.0 is not started?
• without funding to create sustainability,
independent musicians will be at the
mercy of venture capitalists and fans who
produce music discovery platforms as a
“labor of love”

32. what if Musicians for
Music 2.0 is not launched?
• while Pandora, Pitchfork, and Stereogum
may now be turning profits, it will be
better for musicians and fans if there are
many different perspectives and opinions,
not fewer

33. what if Musicians for
Music 2.0 is not launched?
• Given the potential of the web, we don’t
want the power to just shift from one set
of companies in the analog age to a new
set in the digital age.

34. next steps
• build a group of 6-8 forward-looking
Board of Advisors from the music, tech,
and entrepreneur sectors
• secure a financial commitment from 12
angel investors from a variety of music
genres

35. for more information
• Charles McEnerney
• 617.233.6613
• charlie@wellroundedradio.net

36. visit our site to see the hundreds of people from
around the world who already love this idea:
http://musiciansformusic2.com