#1 MUSIC x TECH x FUTURE: VR & Music, Tribal Leadership, AI, Stream Fraud & More
Hey everyone!
I’m truly humbled by the amount of initial signups. Thanks for joining me for the start of this journey.
Over the next few weeks, I will play around a bit with the format of these mailings to see what feels best. You can reply to this email to give feedback and ask questions to me personally - it’s much appreciated.
Let’s make something amazing out of this!
Virtual Reality: Music's Next Frontier
It wasn’t until last year that the potential of virtual reality (VR) really clicked with me. I saw a segment on TV where they demonstrated concerts filmed with 360 degree cameras and was instantly sold. It didn’t just convince me that VR was going to shake things up for music, but it’s the next frontier for digital.
And music really could do with some shaking up.
The new status quo
Let’s look at the online music landscape in the West. For streaming services we have Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and Pandora. For streaming on web we have YouTube, Soundcloud and Bandcamp. These players have been coming up for years and while many other services exist, they’ve been increasingly pushed into the margins. There is no shortage of new concepts for music services. It has just become incredibly hard to penetrate the status quo.
An admission
When I realized that Soundcloud could go the way of MySpace due to licensing and money issues, I was sad initially. A little angry even. Then optimism set in. For many services, their collapse would not be noticeable - consumers would just move on to a very similar service. Soundcloud is so unique however, that it would leave a big hole. That vacuum would create a lot of space for innovative startups to compete for audiences looking for a new home. While that fragmentation is confusing to the point that back in 2011 people wanted a ’Next MySpace’, it also makes things dynamic, exciting and experimental. Last month Soundcloud managed to strike a deal with Universal and secured debt financing, so that vacuum will not happen.
Well, it will not happen in that space, that is.
The VR vacuum
2016 is not the year of VR. Unless you go look for it, it will be easy to ignore VR completely. It is also a tremendously important year for VR. The devices are here, the technology is pretty accessible, and there will be enough people out there to test your products. Investors are ready, too. The foundations of this space are being laid right now, just like the foundations of the current online music landscape were laid in the late 2000s.
Music itself is hard to monetize. The monetization comes from context: live, background listening, merchandise for fans, active music exploration & discovery, or active listening like with vinyl. If you’re skeptical about completely immersive music experiences, realize that ultimately, the VR space will converge with AR; augmented reality, which places a digital layer onto our physical reality. It could be argued that listening to music while commuting already augments your reality.
This is something very exciting to look forward to and it’s going to completely change things and add new revenue streams for artists, entrepreneurs and the industry. Universal knows this and is launching VR concerts in collaboration with iHeartMedia this year. To get a feeling of how rapidly things could change beyond 2016, have a look at the below graph by forecasting firm Digi-Capital.
Get yourself acquainted with the space this year. If you can, further familiarize yourself by working on a VR or AR project in your free time. And if you’re a developer and excited about the intersection of VR & music, get in touch with me. ;-)
Tribal leadership in Music
Interesting reads on how to build, maintain and monetize fanbases.
How Patreon Works For Me (Indie Musician Nate Maingard)
A detailed guide of how you can utilize crowdfunding platforms like Patreon to create a sustainable income for yourself. If the only crowdfunding you’re familiar with is project-based funding like Kickstarter, you should really check this out.
Why are YouTube stars so popular?
“For those not in the target demographic, it can sometimes be difficult to grasp exactly what the creative value is of many YouTubers. But that generational inability to grasp the essence of YouTube talent is exactly the same dynamic that music always had when it was the spearhead for youth rebellion.”
Fan Engagement Basics #1: Don’t Engage Hate
Basic, but it bears repeating. Don’t feed the trolls, everyone!
Wide view
Spotify's Spam War Could Change How We Listen To Music
Interesting read about ‘stream fraud’, musical spam, phantom plays and how music services are combatting people who are trying to cheat the system.
The Music Industry Is Forcing Consumers To Choose Between Buying a Lexus And Taking The Bus
Music industry analyst Mark Mulligan explains how the music industry’s pricing standards for music services is akin to giving people the choice between buying a Lexus and taking the bus.
Robot Rock: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Musicians?
Cortney Harding explains how new music creation technology is trading artists for algorithms and why professional musicians should be paying attention to it.
Closing thoughts
Love,
Bas
Regular insights about the future of music, media & tech. Written & composed by @basgras.