Future of Music Business

I have to preface this post with , I have been back in NYC for about six weeks now and by far my favorite place to hang out is not Soho House, and not Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca or any thing hip like that. It's TEKSERVE. I have been in there at least twice a week since I have been back. And that's cool. TEKSERVE is the Apple store equivalent to a strip club. Everything in there is real sexy and they are happy to see you, but if you want a table dance you better bring your wallet. So I did. I picked up a Mac Pro Quad and I think I love it more than I love pie. Seriously.

Last night however TEKSERVE gave back a little. They held a seminar called "The Future of the Music Business". Which coincidentally is the name of the book that Music Attorney Steve Gordon was hawking. That's not why I went. This event was free AND they had free Brooklyn Lagers. But that's not why I went. The panelist was the draw for me. Anyone of these guest alone would have been worth the trip however to have Harry Allen Media Assassin as the moderator. Hank Shocklee ( Public Enemy), Bob Power ( if you don't know who this guy is pick up any major label release from the last 20 years and he probably mixed it) and Nick Sansano who produced DayDream Nation. In 2006, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. (Most of you people still pronounce it li-berry).

My point is this was a room full of greatness. So yeah, I'm in. The topics ranged from Technology of home studios to the Death of major studios. The future distribution platforms, will large labels be needed if artist can sell directly to their fans on myspace? If everyone has the technology to do cd quality records in their home does that level the playing field? Nope.
Just because you can make a record at home does that mean it will be any good? Just because you have a website and myspace page does that mean you are going to sell any music? Skill and talent will always be needed to create great music. Not so much to create "good" music. There is plenty of "good" music out there. Is it going to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up?
Bob Power made an excellent point regarding technology and music, he said rock & roll was "discovered" by people doing the wrong thing. So if that's the case we have yet to discover what the potential of the bedroom rockers could truly be. Also the Music industry in it's desperate attempts to catch up with the itunes store and myspace and blah blah needs to see a bit more in to the future and realize that some kid in some dorm is coming up with ANOTHER platform/distribution/ media format that they won't have anyway to stop or figure out how to capitalize.


And there was cake.