Slicethepie Might Save Labels? Might Save Itself!

Wired.com just dropped a nice piece about Slicethepie's new SoundOut webservice, to be popped on Wednesday. Apparently it will crowdsource not A&R, but A&R-type ratings of music. Think of it as a market-tester for your music.

Now the article goes on about how this could save labels from disaster because they have a 5% success rate. This new tool will enable labels to (ha ha ha ha)...test the market prior to signing/recording/releasing an artist. Let me tell you this: Labels have a 5% success rate for three reasons: 1) it's impossible for 1 person to predictably predict success on an ongoing basis across such a broad spectrum; 2) A&R people- those people historically responsible for selecting future "success" stories - are people that may have found 1 band 15 years ago, and in most cases are no more aware of what will be successful than any other monkey running around (Except for the one person I've met in the 'biz' who actually has a demonstrated sense for success across a broad spectrum: Larry Little); and 3) just because labels act as gatekeepers doesn't mean they should be (and the music-blogosphere demonstrates they no longer have any credibility in this arena anyway).

So like the TuneCores, CDBaby's, and similar services of years before, will this company uncover a star? Sure. And if you believe that, please submit your CD to me with a check for $50...for all we know, you might be a star ;). Otherwise, keep in mind that of TuneCore's purporteldy $10,000,000 payout in royalties...how much of that money went to how many people and for how many songs? The average TuneCore user gets what? $2 per year? Yeah, there are sure to be artists rolling in high value on CDBaby and TuneCore, and I'm sure SoundOut will eventually be the platform for a future success story, but come on.

Like I've said in the past. The business model is pretty interesting, but let's get real...it's not going to save the music industry or labels or anyone important. It's going to make investors in Slicethepie pretty happy that they can get 100,000 "labels" (cough.."indie" artists...cough) to each spend $50 on maybe 5 songs each- That's $25,000,000, baby. Now that's saving the music industry, one pocket at a time.

Enjoy your latte,

Brock

Real Estate Website Leverages Copyright Law

There's something interesting about entertainment...it gets people sued, and suing. As a lawyer, my joy is doubled. I can watch a movie or listen to a song, then think about the litigation behind it...how exciting (cough..ha ha ha).

I just read about CoStar Realty which operates a proprietary website with real estate information. Apparently you can access their stash of info, photos, etc., for about $5,000 a year. [Note to self: start a website combining free information and charge ridiculous amounts of money in subscriptions...apparently there's a market for it.] Apparently some naughty kid accessed the data using someone else's login...shame on you.

So forget "

run-of-the-mill breach-of-contract and computer fraud

" claims...let's get smart. The music industry got some courts to determine that merely giving access to music (which was available illegally, and was- most certainly - going to be downloaded illegally) might constitute copyright infringement. Now the real estate industry is wiffing the $$$. It is, afterall, an economy in turmoil. New business models must emerge. Stupidity and entrepreneurialism may even merge.

This is a joke! Copyright law was never intended to work this angle. This is not a problem of "technology has changed and the Framers could not have envisioned..." This is about using the appropriate claim for the appropriate wrongful act. Just because you get tired of 'run-of-the-mill' claims, doesn't mean you should reach for the stars...or does it? If a judge let's that one in, it's another nail in the coffin.

Brock

Try Some Dim Sum

If you're in Rowland Heights or rolling down the 60 freeway and need a pit stop, try Happy Harbor Restaurant for Dim Sum. Good prices and good food.

Unlike your typical dim sum experience, here you order off a menu. They bring it to you hot lickety-split. Just in case all you know is BBQ buns and shao mai, here are a few things to try (entry level stuff here, so don't worry):

sticky rice in lotus leaves
baked shrimp
sticky yam
sweet tofu soup

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Dupri Leaves the Island

Jermaine Dupri may have built Kris Kross, but he just got booted from Island Def Jam- even with the likes of Jackson (if you're nasty) and Maria. Keep it up with Tag, though, because I'm still curious to see how body spray and music change the world one spray at a time. Keep it fresh, Dupri!

RiP: A Remix Manifesto

What better way to deal with the issues of remixing and copyright law than an open-source, video project with contributions from great minds and great 'users' of copyrights. Enter "RiP: A Remix Manifesto." Forget, for a minute, whether you're on the copyright right or the copyright left- I want information. I want angles. I want perspectives, and you should too. This project is one of those, so watch it.

Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis is in deep. His band's last album had more than 300 samples, and it turns out he's becoming a poster child for the remix debacle. Read Wikinomics and you'll know why. There's a shift that's a long time in coming. A culture built on overt use and reuse. Collaboration. We'll get farther as a society, but at what cost...that's the real question.

Blu-Ray for your iPod?

Cross-pollination. Only so many solutions come from within an industry. Farmers have something to learn from Pharma, just like the auto industry learns from aerospace. Will the technology behind Blu-Ray enhance your MP3 experience? That should be the tip of the iceberg.

Nico Stai Rocks the Rumble LA

I wasn't sure how they'd do...heard they had a huge guest list and "followers"...always an uncertain thing. Anyway, these guys tore it up. Convinced me that they're the real deal. Fresh sounds and a good mix across the four of 'em. Check them out: Nico Stai

Brock

Help Fight Human Trafficking

I'd Like to Rumble

You can choose SF, or you can choose LA, or now you can choose NY! Future Sounds and Stranded In Stereo are teaming up for the inaugural New York Rumble on January 28. Don't worry if you can't make the flight...the LA Rumble will go off tomorrow night.

Oh, the RIAA will stop suing you too

In case you missed it, the RIAA is changing its methods for bolstering the music industry (at least that's what they claim). For now, the word is there will be no more individual downloading lawsuits. After a 5 year battle, I think statistics showed that the program did little to stop piracy. It probably increased. It certainly made everyone hate and disrespect the RIAA.

Kind of reminds me of that cop that writes tickets for talking on the cell phone in the car...just saw him talking on his.