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November 8, 2007

The Selling of An Album: Jay-Z's American Gangster

When Jay-Z (née Shawn Carter), the rapper turned music mogul and top Forbes hip-hop money maker (banking an estimated $34 million in 2006), first announced that he was inspired by the film American Gangster and was coming out of retirement, once again, to record an album -- like many of his true fans, I was excited. Others brushed it off as a marketing scheme. To come out of retirement because he knew that the movie, of the same name as his album, based on the life of Frank Lucas, an infamous Harlem drug lord turned snitch, played by Denzel Washington, was going to be a smash.

If that is the case, it proves Jay-Z's business acumen all the more. Where's the bad in timing a record release to a sure-to-hit movie? Though it's not the official soundtrack, best selling movies usually have best selling soundtracks, and since this is a soundtrack by extension -- ah, well, you get the math.

There's a few other things that Jay-Z understands about the music business, but I'm not too sure he's on point with some of his thinking. Long a target of the black market, in which bootleg CDs of official CDs are sold on the street, Jay-Z has always been cautious about leaks (in fact Jay Smooth of illdoctrine vlogs about what Jay-Z could learn from Radiohead's distribution of their own album in a digital format in this instance).

In that regard, weeks ago I preordered Jay-Z's album from iTunes. But the day of the album's release, Nov. 6, the album was not available on iTunes. In fact I had to check my preorders in my account in order for it to start downloading. I couldn't understand why the album was on sale at Amazon and not on iTunes. This required further investigation on my part.

While the album is available as both a CD and MP3 download on Amazon, the MP3s are only available if you purchase the entire album. On iTunes, on the other hand, the album is not available at all, which means only people who preordered as I did were able to purchase from iTunes. Here's a bit more about why.

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has announced that the LP will not be for sale through iTunes -- not because of disputes over DRM or pricing like the usual iTunes-related complaints. Rather, he doesn't want the album to be broken down into individually-purchasable tracks.

"As movies are not sold scene by scene, this collection will not be sold as individual singles," Carter said in a statement sent out earlier this week. Instead, eager listeners will need to purchase the full album from other retailers like Rhapsody and brick-and-mortar stores. [ars technica]

Now of course this can only work if the album is actually an album. In the case of Jay-Z, at least this time around, it is. It's a concept album, chronicling the rise and fall of a successful drug dealer. But unfortunately for Jay-Z, iTunes is in the business of selling singles. And I'm going out on a limb to say that even if he wanted to sell the album in its entirety as we see on Amazon, it wasn't something that Apple was willing to do.

What Jay-Z seems to be forgetting here is that P2P and Torrent sites haven't ceased to exist, and that people will make individual tracks available to friends on sharing sites such as these and other online storage sites. In fact, they might even make at least streaming of the songs available on imeem, a media sharing site for audio and video that uses a media player.

The music industry's understanding of how social media is affecting consumer behavior continues to elude me (Club Monaco -- yes the clothing company -- is hosting a conversation on this very subject in New York on Monday, with Ian Schafer, CEO and Founder of Deep Focus, an entertainment marketing company). On one hand, when they stop threatening sites like YouTube and imeem and partner with them, you think they get it. Then when they make moves like Jay-Z's recent move, you understand that the need to control comes from an understanding that there really is no control. At the end of the day, the consumer is in control, and ultimately, entertainment companies are going to need to listen to the consumer.

Once the final digital sales roll in, they definitely won't reflect the true number of fans who have acquired this music digitally. In fact, many fans will be upset when the album isn't available in formats they're used to. Those fans will be the very ones who seek other means -- or simply write the album off altogether.

Related Content:

Now, That's Entertainment Technology
When media and tech collide, the consumer wins. Prepare for a media world of unimaginable freedom and endless choices. By Chris Dannen

Slideshow: The Latest and Greatest Innovations in Entertainment Technology
The new wave of technology has the big names in entertainment cozying up to the new kids on the block. Look for significant shakeups in the music and television industries and small steps toward less conservative approaches infilm and radio. Plus, Web 2.0 finally clicks with Internet titans, and companies catch the gaming bug. By April Joyner

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 6:17 PM | 7 Comments

September 21, 2007

Education: Reality TV -- It's Visual and Kinesthetic Learning!

CBS's new reality show "Kid Nation" has sparked outrage, or at the very least, strong concerns that:

1. the child participants were exploited, and;


2. this violated New Mexico's child labor laws.

But in a recent twist, which came just before the show's Wednesday night premiere, it turns out that the show is actually...educational programming.

Or at least, as reported by The New York Times, CBS took at least one step toward spinning the show's message in that direction by screening it for schoolchildren in seven cities nationwide. Reportedly, the show received an enthusiastic response. (Click here and here for two local reports.)

Continue reading "Education: Reality TV -- It's Visual and Kinesthetic Learning!"

Posted by April Joyner at 12:52 PM | Add Comment

June 29, 2007

A Fast Company Exclusive: Phil Knight Goes Hollywood

Nike's founder hoped his sons would come work for the multi-billion-dollar empire that he started in the 1960s by selling sneakers out of the trunk of his car. Maybe they’d even run the company one day. But that was not to be. “They made that clear from the beginning,” Phil Knight told me recently. They had to find their own passion.

Time passed, and life took a painful turn. And now, following the death of his older son, Phil and his remaining son Travis are working together for the first time. But not in athletic shoes. Despite the fact that neither has ever made a feature film, they're creating what they hope is the next great animation studio -- Steve Jobs, are you paying attention? -- called Laika Entertainment. Between production costs and a sprawling Nike-like campus that's in the works, Phil has committed about $180 million so far.

Fathers and sons. Legacy and tragedy. Grand ambition and a high-stakes gamble. The story of how Phil and Travis Knight wound up in the movie business is a surprising and intimate portrait that explores a number of universal questions. How much should a parent push or help a child? How does a child balance independence and the opportunities created by his parents?

The story -- The Knights' Tale -- appears in the July/August issue of Fast Company. It hits newsstands tomorrow.

Posted by Chuck Salter at 4:47 PM | 1 Comment

June 13, 2007

The Music Industry: No Longer a One Trick Pony

There was a time when all a record label had to worry about was making hits. Good hits paved the road to successful albums, and then the label got paid--really paid. As holder of the majority of the publishing rights of music artists' songs, label executives where in a perpetual phase of not having to think about how to make money. But that was then, and this is now.

Now is the time when the recording industry is truly embattled. With CD sales on the costant decline and the surge in digital musical sales making very little impact on the overall bottom line, the recording industry could use a saviour.

The savior du jour happens to be Chris Lighty, CEO of talent management firm Violatar, and most notably, manager of superstar rapper 50 Cent. As reported in the Wall Street Journal today, later this month Lighty goes into business with Warner Music Group to launch Brand Asset Group, a consulting firm that will aid record labels in structuring product endorsement and equity deals--like the ones Lighty brokered for 50 Cent with Mark Ecko Enterprises for a clothing line and with Vitamin Water for the Formula 50 sports drink. The money an artist made on branding, touring, and licensing deals normally went to the artist and his management team, similar to the way it works with an athlete. But now, companies like the one Mr. Lighty proposes, will cut record labels in on a piece of the action.

"If the next 50 Cent comes along and the label that signs him doesn't get a part of all that brand extension, shame on them," Mr. Lighty recently told Samantha Marshall of Crain's New York Business.

Lighty isn't the only one hoping to change the recording industry into the music industry. Mark Pitts, president of urban music at Zomba Label Group, is always thinking about how his artist's music will fit into advertisers' youth marketing plans. Warner Music Group is also calling itself a music-based content company nowadays, with plans on foraying into film and video production. Other labels are venturing into network series and reality shows based on their artists. Long gone are the days of being hitmakers. Labels are in the business of entertainment, where today entertainment means making a hit that works well for radio and the club, as well as for ringtones. It also means making videos not only for MTV and BET, but for the YouTube and MySpace generation as well. What it mostly means, is thinking about new and novel ways of doing business and creating excitement about an artist.

It's sort of like the deal Prince brokered with Verizon Wireless recently. The artist's new single "Guitar," from his upcoming album Planet Earth was made available for free download on V CAST, as a direct-to-mobile release for anyone who participates in an online demo of Verizon's new Song ID music identification service. This was weeks before the single was available on radio and before the album picked up Columbia as a distribution partner, as reported in Billboard.

Related Links:
Why the Music Industry Needs A Makeover
Branding the Music Artist
The Long Tail of Music
Music Marketing 2.0
The Future of Music
Way Behind the Music

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 7:34 PM | 2 Comments

June 11, 2007

Eulogy to Tony Soprano or HBO?

HBO once again succeeded with last night's Sopranos au voir in architecting the water cooler moment to trump all water cooler moments. As the Washington Post's Tom Shales dubbed it, "the greatest double-take--by the audience--in the history of American television." The anti-climactic, pick-your-own-adventure, visually and narratively impotent ending that left us all banging on our DVRs, thinking we were the ones who kaboshed missing Tony & co's final moments. But thanks to the show's creator, David Chase, he did it for us.

Whether you believe it was an artful existential statement, a cheap exit strategy, or just a cynical wink to insult Chase's evangelical audience, it achieved buzz-worthy heights (HBO's website crashed last night) any marketer would whack a member of the Lupertazzi clan for. But, as Hollywood blogger Nikke Fink suggests in her incisive analysis of the episode, fans are feeling so betrayed (myself included), "HBO could suffer a wave of cancellations as a result." And, after the network's recent Chris Albrecht fiasco and their scurry to ressurect more original programming magic now that iconic hits like Six Feet Under, Sex and the City, and The Sopranos, are now, well, six feet under, that's not exactly a cozy position to put themselves in.

The beauty of The Sopranos has always been its nuance: its elaborate storytelling, visually provocative images, behind the curtain access to the inner-life of despicable characters. HBO knew that. And they had to know that giving their audience--their customers--none of that, would piss us off. It's like a dating: no matter how many moonlit conversations you have over pinot and blue fin tuna, if on the fifth date the guy stands you up that's all you'll remember him by. HBO, we loyally stuck with you for eight years and you stood us up. Was it really worth all the buzz?

Posted by Danielle Sacks at 11:36 AM | 1 Comment

June 5, 2007

In Hollywood, Jail is the New Rehab

Since Paris Hilton checked herself in to a Los Angeles County jail on Sunday night to serve her 23-day sentence for violating her probation, it seems that every media outlet is weighing in on what will become of the heiress during her time behind bars. Will Paris learn her lesson? How will jail change Paris?

Her lawyer, Richard A. Hutton told the AP that Paris will be using the time to "reflect on her life, to see what she can do to make the world better and hopefully in my opinion, to change the attitudes that exist about her among many people." Hah. Just because Paris will be spending a few weeks in solitary confinement devoid of all her Hollywood comforts, doesn't guarantee that she's going to emerge with a new outlook on life or suddenly decide to pursue a career with deeper meaning.

Continue reading "In Hollywood, Jail is the New Rehab"

Posted by Tamara Schweitzer at 3:40 PM | 4 Comments

June 1, 2007

Sgt. Pepper and John Q. Public

Tomorrow is the fortieth anniversary of the Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. While many consider it the best rock and roll record ever made, it is a crime that it isn't more popular. Due to legal reasons, the Beatles' albums have not been released on iTunes or any other music download service. EMI claims the legal hurdles have been cleared and it will happen soon. But will that make a difference?

Continue reading "Sgt. Pepper and John Q. Public"

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 1:29 PM | Add Comment

May 31, 2007

EMI's New Business Models: YouTube Viewing and DRM-free Music

EMI is testing out new business models and attempting to improve its relationship with consumers at the same time. Recent partnerships with iTunes, Amazon, and YouTube could prove successful for the record label's brand as it cozies up to some of music aficionados' favorite digital services.

The music giant's latest move will enable YouTube users to watch EMI artists' videos and also incorporate elements of the videos into their own user-generated content to create a mashup. As part of the deal, YouTube is required to track EMI content so that artists will be compensated. In some cases, the record label may still request the removal of copyright content from YouTube's servers.

EMI's YouTube partnership follows closely on the heels of Apple's release of iTunes Plus, where music buyers can now purchase songs without copy protection. Apple's new service currently only makes EMI music available without protection, but the rest of the music industry is expected to follow. iTunes purchasers will no longer be limited to listening to their downloads only on iPods as they'll now be able to play the music on any MP3 device.

EMI will also be Amazon's first partner when the online retailer launches it's DRM-free music store.

The music company could be taking a really big risk here, but with the dire straits that the music industry is in overall its better that the industry figure out what its consumers really want instead of blocking how they interact with music and music artists on every front.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 3:58 PM | Add Comment

May 17, 2007

Amazon Takes on iTunes

Amazon.com has announced they are going to provide a music download service later this year featuring songs without Digital Rights Management. With this move, Amazon joins Apple in selling DRM-free music that has no restrictions and can play on any computer and any media player. The press release mentions over a million songs from 12,000 record labels. Interestingly enough, the one label quoted is EMI, the same company that Apple launched DRM-free iTunes with. The press release does not mention pricing or the quality of the songs.

Amazon would only do this if the online retailer believes it can provide something that iTunes can't. Will the songs be cheaper? Encoded at a higher bit-rate? Will Amazon's store have exclusive bands and albums that iTunes does not? Will MP3s be bundled with the purchase of an actual CD? My first impression is that Amazon is late to the game and can't possibly compete with iTunes. But then again, all the details are not revealed. Maybe Bezos et al. will surprise us.

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 12:19 PM | Add Comment

April 26, 2007

"Idol" Empire Shares Fortune

If you weren't one of the 30 million people that typically tune into "American Idol" every week, then maybe you will be pleasantly surprised to hear that the show's executives are giving back some of their good fortune. Finally. For the first time in the show's six-season history, this week's broadcast was dedicated to a charitable cause. The special two-night "Idol Gives Back" segment was a huge, star-studded fundraising effort to help children living in extreme poverty in the U.S. and Africa.

On Tuesday, the night of the contestants' performances, "American Idol" teamed up with its sponsors -- Coca-Cola, AT&T and Ford -- who pledged to donate a certain amount of money for every vote cast. Last night, host Ryan Seacrest announced that over 70 million votes were tallied. On Wednesday night, the show was filled with singing performances by Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Earth, Wind and Fire, Annie Lennox, among others, along with video messages from celebrities and segments showing the Idol judges visiting some of the most impoverished places in Africa and the United States, including New Orleans.

There were many opportunities for viewers to donate money--some as easy as downloading the contestants' performances on iTunes, another brand that was giving proceeds to the number of charity funds designated on the show. By the end of last night, the show had raised a reported $30 million.

So, now is the time to confess that I was watching, and as I was sitting in front of my TV last night, I couldn't decide whether I was annoyed or genuinely moved. Watching Simon Cowell in the video montages of the suffering children (while an inspirational song played in the background) I couldn't help but feel that the message was a little sensationalized. It's hard not to want to bash "Idol" for tooting its own horn sometimes. But then I think, so what? If a brand as influential -- and with as much voting power -- as "American Idol" wants to build itself up even more by doing good, who is really going to fight that?

It's not like the American public doesn't know that there is suffering in the world, we just choose to care more about other things, like a singing talent show. Regardless of their methods, recognizing how much influence their show can have on people's actions is exactly where "American Idol" went right. As much as we don't want to admit it, sometimes we need that extra push, and "American Idol" is exactly the kind of show that can make people feel empowered.

Did you watch? What did you think?

Posted by Tamara Schweitzer at 4:56 PM | 9 Comments

April 24, 2007

Office Space: The Shwag (finally)

A mere eight years after the blockbuster movie, ThinkGeek brings us "The Office Space Kit." Included: One red stapler (of course); one Initech mug; 5 TPS Report cover sheets; a "PC Load Letter" copy machine sticker; a starter flair; and various other stuff.

One has to wonder: Did it take 20th Century Fox this long to figure out it had an underground hit on its hands? Its lawyers spent eight years working out the licensing terms? Does this mean that a sequel might finally be in the works? (Please, no…)

Posted by Keith Hammonds at 9:38 AM | 2 Comments

April 3, 2007

The Wizard of iPod--Jobs' DRM Deal Is Smoke and Mirrors

Pay no attention to that man in the mock turtleneck behind the curtain. Too much fanfare, Apple's Steve Jobs and British music giant EMI Group announced that for an extra $.30 they will sell songs on iTunes without copy protection. But this is all smoke and mirrors--Jobs and EMI are simply selling you the rights they took from you in the first place.

Now you can buy the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction and play it on your iPod or your…wait a minute. What else is there?

Instead of protecting copyrighted music, Digital Rights Management (DRM) has been the device by which Apple has put the strangle hold on the digital download and music player industry. Ask the fools who bought Microsoft's Zune. Until yesterday, DRM dictated that when you downloaded a song on iTunes it could only be played on an iPod. And iTunes has more than 70 percent of the market for music downloads, according to market research firm NPD. So who's really benefiting from DRM? Apple.

Continue reading "The Wizard of iPod--Jobs' DRM Deal Is Smoke and Mirrors"

Posted by Alex Pasquariello at 1:29 PM | 18 Comments

Steve Jobs Makes Good -- EMI Music Now DRM-Free

Yesterday, Apple announced that they would being offering songs on iTunes that will not have DRM (Digital Rights Management). Without DRM, songs can play on music players other than Apple's and can be shared an unlimited number of times. EMI records, publishers of Kanye West and Good Charlotte, is the first company to offer the DRM-free music.

Continue reading "Steve Jobs Makes Good -- EMI Music Now DRM-Free"

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 11:56 AM | 2 Comments

March 20, 2007

LiveMansion: An Unfortunate Attempt at a Movie

Last night I went to an event hosted by Ckrush, an entertainment company, at Pressure Bar near Union Square. The company is developing a horror movie, LiveMansion: The Movie, using the American Idol model of doing business. While in theory, this sounds like a great idea -- letting the public pick the cast and director via internet voting -- there is definitely a reason why this is someone's job when a movie is made. I thought the concept was pretty cool. It's great to see media companies using the technology of the times (in this case, social networking) to really connect with an audience, but it also has its flaws. The American public doesn't always know what a talented individual looks like. I mean -- Clay Aiken -- need I say more.

The event consisted mostly of watching terrible interesting audition tapes and then listening to John Leguizamo and two unknown actors (Michael Rappaport wasn't able to make it) critique the performances. Let's just say, this doesn't look like this movie is going to be winning any Oscars. Funnyman Leguizamo seemed to agree that there wasn't a talented one in the bunch.

But judge for yourself. Cast your vote at LiveMansion.com.

Posted by Lisa LaMotta at 10:16 AM | 17 Comments

March 13, 2007

The Wisdom (and Wit) of Crowds

On the heels of our recent music industry panel (watch video highlights here) with Musictoday and John Legend, I attended the Digital Music Forum here in New York to hear more about how the industry is coping. There were some fascinating conversations about digital rights, mash-ups, iPod fatigue, and how Korea is light years ahead of Americans when it comes to integrating music and cell phones (they download music to play in the background -- still not sure what you call it, calltones?). But the conversation that intrigued me the most was the one taking place on a big screen adjacent to the panelists.

Audience members could text-message questions or comments for everyone to see. This was the first time I'd seen this in action, and I hope it represents the future of conferences. The message board gives the audience a voice, which can be constructive, provocative, or disruptive, depending how good the panel is. When the speakers replied to a question on the screen, we in the audience felt like active participants. Other times, the board commented on the panel or offered a real-time critique, much like Stephen Colbert's The Word, the split-screen graphic that has a mind of its own, satirizing his commentaries. When a speaker mentioned that McDonald's is experimenting with music kiosks, the comment board shot back, "Would you like emo with your fries?"

Continue reading "The Wisdom (and Wit) of Crowds"

Posted by Chuck Salter at 5:19 PM | Add Comment

The Google Backlash

Poor YouTube. It seems that this innovative idea that once attracted the world's amateur filmmakers to put their work out there for the world to see has become a target since it's purchase by behemoth search-provider Google, dooming everyone's favorite at-work pastime to fall prey to the insecurities of media giants trying to bring down Google before the quirky search company can dominate every realm of the Web.

In recent months, Google has been the target of everyone from Microsoft to Viacom to The American Association of Publishers, with a host of others trying to edge in on Google's (what used to seem inevitable) takeover of everything Internet.

Google's latest (and on-going) thorn in its paw has come from Viacom in the form of a $1 billion lawsuit. Just a month after Viacom asked Google's YouTube to remove all of its content from the site, Viacom says that the video-sharing site is participating in "massive intentional copyright infringement."

Despite YouTube's efforts to comply with the plethora of complaints that have been ushered in throughout the last few months about copyrighted material, it seems that the site is not policing its content adequately enough for its attackers. (YouTube has a policy to remove copyrighted material when asked.)

YouTube's original appeal came with the freedom it allowed the world to share content, much like the once-popular Napster, it seems that YouTube will eventually be destroyed by the legal ramifications that the openness of the Web allows. As a frequent viewer of YouTube, I feel that the site has already been tainted and lost that special something that once made it so interesting to visit. The mass appeal of the site has brought out a slew of other companies posting their own content to the Web in hopes of competing with the traffic that YouTube generates.

Did Google's acquisition of the company bring unwanted attention to YouTube's copyright issues? Or was YouTube doomed to follow the path of Napster from the start? Will all content eventually go the way of sites like iTunes, making the amateur filmmaker just an amateur once again?

Posted by Lisa LaMotta at 12:08 PM | 1 Comment

March 7, 2007

Why the Music Industry Needs A Makeover

A recent article in Crain's New York Business (subscription required), titled "Music Labels' New Leaders," explores the music industry's shift to hiring the hippest hitmakers to man the helm of many top -level positions in the business.

This trend is just one play -- of many -- in the book of record labels trying to turn the business around. The fact that record labels need some assistance is no secret. Just look at EMI's recent rejection of Warner's bid ($4.1 billion) for acquisition -- because it was reportedly too low. Further proof of the dire straits that the music industry is in comes from the aforementioned Crain's article itself:

"Overall album sales in 2006 were down 1.2%, to 646.6 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- despite a dramatic rise in legal digital downloads. Analysts predict that the market will weaken further this year."

Surely hiring the hottest producers of the moment isn't going to be enough to make up for those sales, mainly because the music business isn't just about music sales. Here's an insider's view on the measures the music industry can employ to better connect their artists with the artists' fans, and hopefully to even garner some new ones for them.

On February 21, Fast Company held a roundtable discussion with leaders in the music industry to discuss the future of music. Panelists included, Grammy winner John Legend, Musictoday CEO Nathan Hubbard, VP-A&R Capitol Records David Wolter, OK GO's viral marketer Jorge Just, and associate chair of the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music Jason King.

Click on title links to watch video clips from this discussion:

Branding the Music Artist

Long Tail of Music

Music Marketing 2.0

The Future of Music

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 12:27 PM | Add Comment

March 1, 2007

Need A New Wardrobe? Shop TV

I am a self-professed "Grey's Anatomy" junkie and every week I look forward to that Thursday night fix when I'll find out what will unfold next in the show's thrilling plot. I'm certainly not alone when it comes to having a primetime obsession, but this week, after reading an intriguing article in the New York Times Style section, I found out about a new breed of obsession: fans who watch shows to get the latest fashion and accessory looks from their favorite TV characters.

We're talking about consumers who want to own the same pair of jeans that Meredith wears on "Grey's Anatomy" or a dress that was seen on Gabrielle's character on "Desperate Housewives." The Times dubs this new phenomenon "shopping-enabled entertainment," a rapidly-growing marketplace now aided by several new websites selling the most popular and fashionable of the as-seen-on-TV products to consumers.

Shopping enabled entertainment gives a whole new meaning to product placement where viewers no longer have to be persuaded by advertisers to buy their products, but instead their brands are being actively sought-out by a celebrity-obsessed culture.

Continue reading "Need A New Wardrobe? Shop TV"

Posted by Tamara Schweitzer at 3:50 PM | 3 Comments

February 26, 2007

Green and Gold

On Friday, I blogged about the celebrity initiative to be more environmentally conscious (or maybe just be part of the trend) by arriving at the Academy Awards via a fuel-efficient vehicle. But apparently that wasn't the only way the noms showed their support for the green movement.

Best Actor Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker was sporting a bracelet made by Simmons Jewelery Company from their Green Initiative Collection. The bracelet; made of stainless steel, green rubber, and diamonds; was worn by Whitaker to show support for the The Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF). About 25% of sales of the Green Initiative Collection go to the DEF to fund educational programs in Africa.

Heard of any other cool green initiatives celebs were supporting on the big night?

Posted by Lisa LaMotta at 12:03 PM | 7 Comments

February 15, 2007

Move Over Batman, Make Room for Bauer

I swear I'm not the type to watch a television show just because everyone else is watching it. I’ve never even seen any of Carrie’s ubiquitous dating foibles on Sex and the City, nor have I paid attention to all of the plot twists and cliffhanger hysteria on "Lost." Yet when it comes to 24, I am completely hooked.

No, I'm not just watching 24 because every media outlet and worth-her-weight-in-gold blogger is talking about it. Nor am I here to put my two cents in about 24's “meaning” for the larger anti-terrorism effort and whether real-life agents are more likely to torture suspects because they’ve seen Jack do it on the show. Really, truly, I watch "24" as an escape from my real life, which some could say is torturous, but is nothing compared to the 24/7 non-stop rollercoaster ride that is Mr. Bauer's.

Continue reading "Move Over Batman, Make Room for Bauer"

Posted by Ruthie Ackerman at 10:48 AM | 2 Comments

January 24, 2007

SpiralFrog: Is it Over Before it Begins?

SpiralFrog, set to launch in Q1 2007, was supposed to be a new model of digital music distribution. The plan is an advertiser supported model, where users get to download music for free -- as long as they watch advertising.

It sounded like a great plan, especially since Universal Music Group and BMI had both signed on to offer songs for free. And though the song may not entirely be over yet, industry reports reveal that things with the company have definitely gone awry. According to sources, Robin Kent, SpiralFrog CEO, was ousted, and at least five members of his executive team have resigned.

Given the findings of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's report released last week...

However, despite this success, digital music has not yet achieved the "holy grail" of compensating for the decline in CD sales. Meanwhile, digital piracy and the devaluation of music content are a real threat to the emerging digital music business.

...whether SpiralFrog continues or not, the company's business model could be a boon to the music industry. Though money wouldn't be made in made music sales, there would be advertising revenue to consider. Do you think an free music download service that's ad supported would work?

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 10:30 AM | 1 Comment

January 11, 2007

Commissioning a Symphony

This news is a bit old at this point, but I just learned about it, and it might still merit mention. While companies such as Symantec are experimenting with the idea of adverbands, another company -- Nike -- is foregoing promoting fake bands in order to commission original music from already active musicians.

Last fall, Nike commissioned a 45-minute workout mix from LCD Soundsystem. Earlier in the year, Nike had commissioned a mix from the Crystal Method.

Both commissions were less advertisements as such but marketing tools to encourage people to use Nike's Nike+ system, which helps people track workouts using their iPods.

This effort also differs from the formerly popular practice of commissioning company theme songs or using pop songs in TV adverts. But does the resulting music stack up? Reviews seem to indicate so.

Were you to commission music for your customers, what would you aim to accomplish?

Posted by Heath Row at 11:07 AM | 2 Comments

December 22, 2006

Dick in a Box

Can you say that on T.V.? How about on the Internet?

It's the chorus to Andy Samberg's most recent mock music video, which aired last week on Saturday Night Live, and has been all over the Internet ever since.

Samberg, the comic mind behind the SNL skit "Lazy Sunday" (better known as "The Chronic-What?-cles of Narnia"), infused the late night show with a burst of energy when he joined the cast in September of 2005 and started making mock music videos.

His latest is a holiday jingle called "A Special Christmas Box", in which he and pop star, Justin Timberlake, sing a song about giving their girlfriends a "dick in a box" for Christmas.

When the three-minute video was originally broadcast, NBC omitted the four-letter word every time the chorus came around. But in the version put on their website (see it here), the network decided to leave the video unedited.

The FCC, of course, has no jurisdiction over what NBC puts on the Internet. Still, the decision marks the first time a major network has done something like this.

Do you see this as a creative way for NBC to maximize viewers and show their content in its purest form, or was this an ill-advised stunt to show off their ability to skirt censorship? After all, they still have a brand image to uphold, and offering instructions (which JT does) on how to make a "Dick in a Box" isn't exactly family-friendly.

Posted by Peter Hoy at 4:28 PM | 16 Comments

November 22, 2006

Not Everyone Loves MySpace

At a time when most music artists are embracing MySpace as an extension of their marketing plan, Jay-Z wasn't too delighted that MySpace served its site members a sneak preview of his entire new album last week. Kingdom Come, the artist's first album, since retiring three years ago, went on sale yesterday. On Friday, Jay-Z's record label, Universal Music Group, filed its lawsuit against MySpace.

Leading up to the album's release, there has been a heavy marketing push, including an exclusive sneak preview on Clear Channel's site. Apparently, the MySpace leak wasn't part of that plan.

Universal, fearing widespread illegal downloading of one of it's biggest artists' comeback album, decided to sue MySpace and its parent company News Corp. for $150,000, in federal court in Los Angeles. The copyright infringement is for every unauthorized Universal song and video that MySpace has on its servers, and seeks an injunction from future infringement. According to MTV.com, the UMG claim states:

"UMG also claims that MySpace — which it referred to in the suit as a "vast virtual warehouse" of pirated material — is aware that its many members have posted illegal bootleg videos and pirated recordings of Universal acts; among those cited are works by U2, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, and the Killers."

Coincidentally, around the same time the suit was filed, MySpace announced plans to launch a tool that will make removal of copyrighted content easier and faster for its owners. Copyright holders will be able to digitally flag the unauthorized content, and it would be deleted from MySpace. Last month, MySpace also announced plans to utilize fingerprinting technology that would block the posting of unauthorized music on the site.

UMG and MySpace had been negotiating a deal for News Corp to pay a licensing fee for Universal content that has appeared on MySpace, but licensing talks between Universal and MySpace had reached a dead end recently, reportedly. The copyright infringement claim will not affect a deal that Universal's Interscope Records has with MySpace to distribute albums from its artists.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 1:19 PM | 2 Comments

November 21, 2006

Kramer's Racist Remarks Not Funny

Michael Richards, best known as Seinfeld's Kramer, entertained sitcom audiences for ten years as a zany, outspoken character who would do or say pretty much anything. This weekend at a famous Los Angeles comedy club, fans were shocked at his ability to do just that. During his show, Richards launched into a racist rant, confronting black members of the Laugh Factory audience with repeated use of the N-word and various other epithets.

Richards said he was prompted by the heckling of audience members who were disrespectfully loud and told him he wasn’t funny. He called black hecklers the N-word and told them that 50 years ago, they would have been "hung upside down" for such comments. A tape of his tirade can be found on TMZ.com.

Last night on the Late Show with David Letterman, Richards issued an apology stating that his outburst was a result of anger, not bigotry.

Check out the tapes. Is Richards sincere, and did he just let anger get the best of him? Or is he really racist? What about his career? Will it suffer?

Posted by Kathryn Tuggle at 4:18 PM | 24 Comments

October 10, 2006

What We Want From Movies

The number-one movie in the country this week is Martin Scorsese's The Departed, which is based on a 2002 movie from Hong Kong called Internal Affairs. For a remake--and of such a recent movie--the public and critical response could not be more exuberant, for the actors and Mr. Scorsese. The buzz is that Scorsese may finally win the Best Director Oscar, the prize that's eluded him in his illustrious career. And it's really all because of the devious original script from Felix Chong and Siu Fai Mak.

Meanwhile, if you follow Oscar buzz, Scorsese's prime competition is already shaping up to be Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers. What's most interesting about this project, which tells a story of heroism at Iwo Jima, is that Eastwood also filmed Letters From Iwo Jima, a Japanese-language exploration of the same battle from the Japanese perspective. It comes out in February. This is a big step beyond shooting a film series simultaneously, as Peter Jackson did with Lord of the Rings, or doing two sequels back-to-back, as Pirates of the Caribbean did, because it's more efficient.

Intricate layered stories, multiple perspectives--these projects (neither of which I've seen yet) seem to represent the ideal storytelling for our times. Top screenwriters, directors, and performers are stepping up to give us entertainment that challenges us in our multitasking, overstimulated lives. We live in a lean-forward world now, and these are lean-forward movies.

Do you embrace these new storytelling styles? Do you think they're an evolution of what we want from movies? Are you attracted to movies that you know offer novel storytelling techniques?

Posted by David Lidsky at 12:05 AM | 2 Comments

September 12, 2006

I Want my Bud.TV

Last week I read that Anheuser-Busch will launch its own Web entertainment network, Bud.TV, in February. Instead of spending money on loads of advertising next year, the brewer will launch an online network aimed at the 21 to 27 market.

Already on tap, are channels reminiscent of other Web video properties. There'll be Bud Tube, for user-generated video, including homemade ads for Bud or Bud Light, as well as sports, reality, comedy, and happy hour programming.

Is this a sign of what's to come for the entertainment and advertising industries? Will more businesses start bypassing advertising on traditional television and cable networks and opt to launch their own online networks instead?

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 11:03 AM | 3 Comments

August 28, 2006

The Earning Power of Star Power

The New York Times today examined the effect of big-name movie stars on the box office success of their films. The question was inspired by Paramount Pictures’ decision last week to cut ties with that high-earning, bad publicity machine Tom Cruise.

The conventional wisdom is that putting Halle Berry or Brad Pitt in your movie will fuel additional ticket sales. Now, academics are disputing "Superstar economics"--the idea that some people are more talented, and deserve to be paid more because of their unique ability to bring in more money. Recent data shows that star power has a negligible monetary effect on film projects. Movies can exist without stars but, even in this tabloid era, stars need material.

But there aren’t just superstars of the screen; each profession has its own best and brightest. Do these superstars matter to their respective fields? In baseball, can one star player make a losing team profitable? Does Barry Bonds deserve his massive salary if fans spend millions more on souvenirs featuring his name than Randy Winn’s? In the business world, does the CEO deserve a multi-million dollar salary while some workers are paid hourly? Or do superstar CEOs deserve the same treatment that Cruise got?

Posted by Josie Swindler at 4:03 PM | 7 Comments

August 24, 2006

Brand Tom Cruise for Sale

Whether Paramount Pictures cut off Tom Cruise as a result of his recent conduct--bouncing up and down on Oprah Winfrey's couch, attacking Brooke Shields for taking prescription drugs, publicly speaking out against psychiatry, zealously advocating Scientological ideals--or because he was no longer providing and optimal return on investment (ROI) is moot at this point. It really doesn't even matter whether Paramount shut the door in his face or if his Cruise/Wagner Productions company opted out in favor of going independent with the backing of $100 million from two unnamed hedge funds. What does matter is that the brand that is Tom Cruise is for sale, and financing it may prove risky business.

Today, The Wall Street Journal reported just how risky that business could be. Citing examples of failure at generating returns at the box office for hedge funds that backed such films as Poseidon, V for Vendetta, Lady in the Water, and Ant Bully, the article explains how hedge funds are starting to pull away from Hollywood.

As various forms of new media services push to the fore, video download services, Netflix, and DVRs in particular, Tinseltown isn't always cashing out huge at the box office these days. The cost of movie making continually increases, while the ROI appears to remain flat.

Big Hollywood studios could take some advice from Star Circle Pictures, a motion picture company covered in the September issue of Fast Company. According to that film company, there exists strategies for reducing the risk associated with movies. Perhaps even Cruise/Wagner should heed that advice.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 1:12 PM | 3 Comments

August 23, 2006

Heiress Airwaves?

Paris Hilton’s self-titled album came out yesterday, and our prediction from March was partly right. It sounds… better than I’m comfortable admitting. Tolerable even. Which can only mean she has some talent? Or perhaps our note on the timeless importance of the music producer was right on the money, and Scott Storch (the self-proclaimed “Meyer Lansky of hip-hop”) and the gang sprinkled a little studio fairy dust on it. It could be the placebo effect, but I thought I could hear a hint of Auto-Tune in there, which leads me to think it's the latter.

Either way, there’s nothing authentic about the promotional footage of Hilton recording posted on YouTube.com – little more than a slick music video with Hilton posing next to a mic (with spit guard, mind you). The high quality content stood in stark contrast from the usual lo-fi video most users post. But some genuine clips – or at least genuine-appearing ones – of the heiress actually laying down tracks might have assuaged audience and critic doubt (that’s assuming a lot). Was that a brilliant move by Warner Bros. or an incredibly stupid one? Does it matter? As it is, we may never know for sure.

Posted by Joseph Manez at 5:28 PM | 15 Comments

August 16, 2006

Brands the New Record Labels?

It's no secret there has never been a more empowering moment for musicians. Instead of the old model where The Strokes wannabes aspired to have a major label come salivating to them with a record deal (only to sign away most of the creative control, rights, and bucks made off their music), musicians are savvily cobbling together a new model: crack the MySpace code where you can incubate your following, sell your tracks on CD Baby and iTunes, and retain total ownership of your music.

On the flip side, you also have brands clamoring to become part of pop culture. Surely the marriage of music and advertising is nothing new, but the perfect storm brewing points to a hypothesis: will brands become the new record labels?

Check it out. In the past few years, Toyota Scion launched its own hip-hop record label. Starbucks co-produced and exclusively broke the band Antigone Rising. Retailers from Old Navy to Restoration Hardware are hawking their own brand of CDs and game developers like Take2Interactive are licensing hundreds of songs for videogames, giving indie artists the opportunity to reel in some cash and insert their music directly into the ears of teenage boys everywhere.

For musicians, working directly with brands means retaining financial and creative ownership of their music, and exposure they would never get on the radio or MTV; for brands, it means a direct-ticket into pop-culture (assuming it's done authentically).

Will brands become the new record labels?

Posted by Danielle Sacks at 12:28 PM | 1 Comment

August 10, 2006

MTV has a Race Problem

MTV2's broadcast of an animated version of rapper Snoop Dogg accompanied by two bikini-clad black women in neck collars and chains squatting on all fours and defecating on the floor has drawn the ire of leading African-Americans and media watchdog groups, who label the show racist, misogynist, and irresponsible.

The episode was first featured on a July 1 airing of the entertainment network's series "Where My Dogs At?" a half-hour show lampooning real-life celebrities and pop culture as seen through the eyes of two wise-cracking stray dogs--Woofie and Buddy--voiced by comedians Tracy Morgan and Jeffrey Ross, respectively. Because the show airs on Saturday afternoons it has become popular with youth.

Viacom, the cable network's parent company, whose president Christina Norman is African-American, defends the show as social satire, stating that the "Woolfie Loves Snoop" episode was a parody of an MTV Video Awards Snoop Dogg appearance, where he was flanked by two women on leashes. A spokesman for the company stated that the media conglomerate doesn't condone Snoop's actions "and the goal was to take aim at that incident for its insensitivity and outrageousness."

The network has not yet decided if it will ever air the episode again, and also remains uncertain whether the series will return for a second season.

My guess is that Viacom may also soon face criticism for the premiere of VH1’s “Flavor of Love 2,” a reality show where a group of women vie for the love of 1980s rapper Flavor Flav. The episode featured two women fighting and another woman defecating on the floor.

Do you think that MTV2 and its parent company Viacom are handling this situation appropriately?

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 10:10 PM | 10 Comments

Google Games

With all of the Google Maps mash-ups being made, it was just a matter of time until someone created games. The link being shared lately is for
Goggles, a simple flight simulator that uses satellite photographs to create backgrounds.

There have been other noteworthy games created using Google maps (a scavenger hunt game, a golf game, and even a Carmen-Sandiego-eque geography game), but none of them have captured the Internet by storm yet. One could guess it will only be a matter of time until someone uses the Google Maps API to create a really huge time-waster.

What kind of games would you like to see on Google Maps?

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 3:18 PM | 2 Comments

August 9, 2006

"The Long Tail" Exists Beyond Amazon

Author Chris Anderson is building an empire from one clever catchphrase, The Long Tail. According to Anderson, the unlimited shelf space of Internet merchants like Amazon and iTunes allows a broad product offering that generates lots of revenue from "non-hit" titles. In two recent columns, The Wall Street Journal’s Lee Gomes says it's wishful thinking. He’s been talking to execs at the major e-commerce portals, who report that the bulk of their revenue comes from the hits, just like the old brick and mortar days.

The stakes in the Long Tail debate are high, as the discussion resonates in the halls of film studios, record companies and publishing houses. Should they spend big bucks on chasing hits, or put out lots of niche titles? The answer to these questions determines what kind of content will be available to consumers in the future.

Listening to Anderson on KCRW recently, I wondered if his focus on Amazon, iTunes and Netflix is too narrow. Anderson speaks of these "aggregators" as offering "convenience" to the customer, compiling everything together in one easy place so that the customer can buy hits and niche titles at the same time.

But what if the consumer of left-of-center media doesn't want to browse it within a mega-space? I posed this question to Louis Posen, President of punk/hardcore label Hopeless Records.

"When you buy toilet paper on the Internet, all you are looking for is convenience and price. Not so when you are consuming punk rock," he explained. "Kids will drive an hour or two to attend a concert, and get there early to stand in line just so they can hang out with other fans. When it’s part of your identity or lifestyle, expressing yourself and being part of a community is more important than convenience."

Posen told me that his target audience likes to shop at online merchant interpunk.com, rather than at Amazon. "Amazon carries every one of our releases, but their sales are modest at best, maybe 3-5 units per week of each title. Go over to interpunk.com, and each title sells 20 units per week, sometimes more. We do presales at interpunk that can reach 600 copies before street date, something we could never achieve on Amazon."

Continue reading ""The Long Tail" Exists Beyond Amazon"

Posted by Greg Spotts at 3:48 PM | 4 Comments

August 2, 2006

Disney's Mad Mel Dilemma

Amid all the sturm und drang over the drunken, anti-semetic MELtdown in Malibu last weekend, Disney, which is supposed to distribute Mel Gibson's next movie, "Apocalypto," has been conspicuously silent, according to the L.A. Times. The same company that opted against releasing Michael Moore's incendiary documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" must now decide what to do with another controversial film.

As offensive as Gibson's tirade was, Disney might be in a forgiving mood. Not because of Gibson's two apologies, the first of which was pathetic and the second of which reeked of desperation and damage control. Disney might distribute the film anyway because of a far more compelling number: $611 million. That's how much his controversial "The Passion of the Christ" raked in worldwide. Disney could be banking on the public's propensity to eventually forgive or forget. After all, directors Roman Polanki and Woody Allen came back from high-profile scandals.

Right now, though, just days after Gibson's arrest, during which he blamed the Jews for "all the wars in the world," it's hard to imagine any company that cares about its reputation wanting to get anywhere near Mad Max. As for "Apocalypto," Gibson has described the main character as someone who "has to overcome tremendous odds to preserve what he values most." Sounds like Gibson's plight. Well, minus the Hollywood ending.

What do you think Disney should do?

Posted by Chuck Salter at 6:10 PM | 12 Comments

July 10, 2006

Gold on a Dead Man's Chest

With the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel grossing approx $132 million over the weekend, Disney's doing just fine in the post-Eisner era. Perhaps a media company can be run without a mega-ego at the helm.

Not long ago, industry wags lamented what looked like a rigged succession process at Disney, designed to replace larger-than-life Michael Eisner with his buttoned-down deputy Robert Iger.

Now, nobody's complaining. Since taking the CEO spot on October 1, 2005, Iger's made some big moves and raked in major box office cash. During his final years as CEO, Eisner's personality clash with Steve Jobs threatened to send Pixar to another distributor. After Eisner's exit, Iger crafted a deal to acquire Pixar outright. A strategic triple play, the deal put Jobs on the Disney board, placed Pixar's John Lasseter in charge of Disney Animation, and will bring innovative digital media ideas inside the mothership.

Now, with Pixar's “Cars” still in theaters and “Pirates” breaking “Spider Man's” opening weekend box office record, Iger is poised to control the summer's two top-grossing films.

Not bad for a CEO who took over for a media-business legend.

Note: watches of HBO's “Entourage” are loving the parallel: in the show, the fictitious movie “Aquaman” breaks Spiderman's opening-weekend record on an episode broadcast just three weeks before Pirates does the same thing in real life.

Posted by Greg Spotts at 12:41 PM | 1 Comments

May 16, 2006

Digital Music's Fickle Fans

Tomorrow, MTV and Microsoft unveil their new digital music contender, Urge. MTV is digging deep into its vault to capitalize on its strengths, adding original live performances to its inventory along with an onslaught of celebrity playlists, customization, and editorial content. The two-tiered subscription service--$14.95/month if you want to download songs to a portable, non-iPod device; $9.95 if you don't--includes access to CD-quality radio stations and the ability to play and download songs to your PC. The system is tied up in Windows Media Player 11, and MTV has cleverly re-introduced an emphasis on cover art as a way to sort and play albums. Urge will also include "Auto Mixes," which take the artists and songs users like and continously find similar ones, refreshing its inventory with every new sign-in. Having interacted with automated playlists that left me more insulted than enlightened, it will be interesting to see how well this one works.

Lately I've been testing out different music services to see if their vast inventories include songs that, for whatever reason, aren't on iTunes (Napster scored well). Music fans are incredibly fickle when technology stops working to our advantage. Just look at the set-up our parents had compared to what we use now. Whenever music is wrapped up in something fashionable, it's even more ephemeral. We're moving closer to a point where iPods are going to s