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  Nick 7:21 pm on January 31, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Grammy Awards Are Tonight 

  Break out the ostentatious outfits because it’s that time of year again. Tonight is the music industry’s annual self-aggrandizement party which celebrates the most commercially successful artists by branding them as the year’s “Best.” This year, the Black Eyed Peas’ saccharine “I’ve Got a Feeling” and Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with me” both garnered nominations for “Record of the Year,”–a thought many music lovers might find hard to swallow. But the Grammy Awards aren’t only about handing out prizes to undeserving nominees; they are also about spectacle, and the ceremony tonight has what seems like an amazing one on the card. Tonight the organizers have planned a 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson that definitely sounds worth watching. Love them or hate them, the awards ceremony always provide memorable moments. The Village Voice is doing a live blog of the festivities, so check that out here.

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  Nick 7:01 pm on January 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Charge Less, Profit More 

  It’s basic economics; when you charge less for a product, more people will buy it as long as everything else remains constant. Setting the price of music too high means more people will choose not to purchase it, and that more people will download it illegally. Setting the price too low means losing out on profit unnecessarily. It’s simple stuff that people who study economics in college learn at 8am while drawing pictures of the person in front of them in their notebooks.

  Apparently, music execs spent too much time doodling and not enough time listening because according to a new study, the price of music has been set unnaturally high causing labels to lose out on consumer dollars. According to the study, conducted by the world renowned Wharton School of Business, the optimal price for music is somewhere between 60 and 70 cents per song, and labels would profit by lowering costs. Sometimes high prices cause consumers to associate value with an item which can drive sales, but in the case of recorded music people are already aware of its actual value- LOW! Check out more info on the study here.

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  Nick 9:02 pm on January 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Tom Windish Q/A on Billboard’s Site 

  Tom Windish is the founder of the Windish Agency, an independent booking company whose clients include Animal Collective, The Antlers and Hot Chip. Check out this interview with Windish, in which he discusses the state of the live music business, shares his personal philosophy, and describes the increased responsibility artists have in marketing themselves.

  “Q: How has your role in developing artists changed over the 16 years you’ve been booking acts?
  A: In many cases, the record company used to have a bigger role than it does now. These days, an artist is looking to develop their brand and market themselves more so than selling a record. And the live side of things is such a key component to helping an artist develop their brand.”

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  Nick 8:55 pm on January 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Just Blaze’s Baseline Studios Closes 

  In the early to mid 00’s, Just Blaze’s Baseline Studios was the capital of Hip-hop. Blaze’s beats fueled the Roc-A-Fella roster at its apex with hits like Jay-Z’s “Girls, Girls, Girls” and Cam’ Ron’s “Oh Boy.” Now that era is over. Blaze closed Baseline yesterday, with a celebratory “funeral,” a bittersweet but fitting end for a studio that defined a decade in Hiphop. The Village Voice has a video of the festivities here.

  Though the studio he called home is gone, Blaze will continue producing, including for rising star Jay Electronica. Blaze’s soulful production style invairably strikes a chord with listeners and rappers alike and has made him one of the most sought after producers in Hip-hop.  Perhaps the best is yet to come.

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  Nick 9:48 pm on January 28, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Stephen Merritt to Score 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 

  Recent years have seen a resurgence in the previously discarded movie technique of 3-D films. 3-D movies were big in the 50’s but vanished from the public eye only to make a comeback in the 00’s with films like My Bloody Valentine and Avatar. Now Magnetic Fields mastermind Stephen Merritt hopes to revive another retro film style: silent films. Merritt will contribute a film score to a silent version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Merritt’s score will sync up his music with those of characters talking on screen. The project will debut at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre during the city’s annual film festival. Check out more information here.

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  Nick 10:06 pm on January 27, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  “Hope for Haiti” Becomes First All Digital #1 

  Things are getting kooky in the recorded music world. Last year, middle aged virgin Susan Boyle was a close second in the race for #1 selling album of the year. This year, rockers Vampire Weekend trounced major label marketing departments and A&R staffs by hitting #1 on an independent label. Now “Hope for Haiti” is a #1 record without selling a single physical copy, a feat never accomplished before. Last year, Comscore predicted that digital sales would eclipse physical sales in terms of total revenue in 2010. With “Hope for Haiti” hitting #1, digital music has passed a surprising milestone. Will Comscore be proved right come December? It is hard to say now, but it’s certainly a possibility. All proceeds of “Hope for Haiti” are going towards the Haitian relief efforts. Check it out here

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  Nick 10:25 pm on January 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Franz Ferdinand Pissed Over McDonalds Commercial 

  Music licensing is one of the most consistent revenue sources for the recorded music industry in the digital age. Getting a song placed in a commercial or on the sound track to a movie can net a band tens of thousands of dollars. But when a label makes licensing deals, things can get a little shady; such was the case when Epic made the decision to license a song by Franz Ferdinand to McDonalds without the band’s consent. Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos exploded via Twitter, clearly unhappy his music was used to sell burgers. Just another reason to pay attention to the contracts you sign and the people you do business with.

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  Nick 10:18 pm on January 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Sweden Turns Away From Piracy 

  Recorded music sales are decreasing world wide, thanks in part to illegal downloading on sites like the Sweden-based Pirate Bay. Despite the best efforts of their countrymen at Pirate Bay, music sales in Sweden bucked that trend last year with more Swedish consumers buying music than in 2008. Even CD’s, the product hit hardest by the digitalization of music, saw a 1.8% rise in Swedish sales. The New York Times has an article about Sweden’s new found desire to pay for music here. Check it out!

  
  

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  Nick 9:16 pm on January 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Social Networking Titans to Reminisce at Grammy Panel 

  From #musicmondays to showing us that video of a Korean kid playing “Hey Jude,” social media has been a hugely influential tool in music marketing. This Friday, the Recording Academy is hosting a panel at the Grammy Museum with some of the most powerful people in social media. The panel, entitled The Social Media Rock Star Panel, will be a discussion on the effects of social media on fan engagement, and the unique possibilities and problems social media poses. Amongst the panelists are MySpace CEO Owen VanEtta; MySpace Music President Courtney Holt; YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley and Tumblr founder David Karp. No doubt hilarity will ensue with that wacky cast of characters! Check out the official press release here.

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  Nick 9:04 pm on January 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Win Your Own Damon Albarn Song 

  Damon Albarn clearly doesn’t like following convention. Instead of milking his success with Blur as far as it could go Albarn  started a virtual band, Gorillaz. Now Albarn is using that unconventional style to raise money for Haiti. Albarn is participating in an auction organized through Oxfam with proceeds going towards Haitian disaster relief and instead of donating a signed instrument, Albarn is auctioning off a song. The song will be an exclusive, unheard, original composition which Albarn will write specifically for whoever wins it. The bidding ends February 2^nd, so if you want to buy the song you’d better start saving ASAP. Check out more info on the auction here.

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