In the first of a five part series on how internet intelligence can be used to create new metrics for measuring music, we speak to Eric Garland, CEO of BigChampagne. Founded in 2000, BigChampagne started by monitoring filesharing activity but now works with record labels and movie studios measuring numerous types of entertainment usage.
Eric’s comments can be found as part of an extensive feature analysing the market for music metrics, alongside observations from other leaders in the field including executives from WaveMetrix and Nielsen BuzzMetrics. To read the feature, log in or sign up for a free trial of the Music Ally Report. And continue reading after the jump for Eric Garland’s fascinating insights into the world of digital music metrics.
Analyst firm IBISWorld has stuck its neck out and suggested that ringtones aren’t doing too well right now. Of course, they have some figures, predicting that ringtone revenues will total $750 million in 2009, down 15% from its $880 million peak in 2007. “Music ringtones practically boomed overnight, but with two consecutive years of decline it seems the industry is exiting just as rapidly as it entered,” says analyst Toon van Beeck.”And with the ringtone market already reaching its decline stage, its life cycle is only expected to last about 15 years.” IBISWorld suggests “surging” sales of over-the-air full tracks is responsible for the decline, suggesting that “Providers like iTunes and Amazon have revolutionised the way we buy and use music, driving consumers to hang-up on ringtones.” Apart from iTunes just starting to sell them, obviously.
Orange UK has announced that from today it will be selling DRM-free music downloads from its online and mobile music stores. As part of that change, it’s also introduced variable pricing – the same concession Apple made on its iTunes Store when that went DRM-free.
Orange has more than 700,000 DRM-free tracks available now, although it’s only signed up two major labels – Universal Music Group and EMI, plus various independents. No Warner Music Group or Sony for now, it seems. Meanwhile, Orange’s music store and overall music portal are being revamped to be easier to navigate around, with more information on events like Orange RockCorps, and handset offers like Nokia’s Comes With Music 5800.
That’s interesting, actually. Orange’s own music store is going DRM-free, but the portal it sits within will be advertising the still un-DRM-free Comes With Music handset. Is there potential for customer confusion there? Anyway, Orange’s director of products, portals and services Paul Jevons is talking up the changes.
“Orange is committed to providing customers with the widest access to music tracks and content. Upgrading the Music Portal and introducing DRM-free music helps customers enjoy music how and when they want. We look forward to enhancing the DRM-free music catalogue over the coming months.”
We’ve written a fair bit about promotional music apps on iPhone for artists like Pink, Snow Patrol, Lady GaGa and Soulja Boy. But what about iPhone apps that let you create music of your own? There are hundreds available, and as yesterday’s viral video from UK band The Mentalists showed, they can be put to innovative use.
We’ve put together ten of our favourites, based on our last few months of messing about on iPhone. They’re not all serious (Bebot – Robot Synth is marvellously silly), but they do hint at the potential for Apple’s handset as a music-making device. Each one comes with a YouTube video demo so you can see what we’re on about. Well, nearly each one.
1. technoBox (£5.99). It’s a 303 bass machine plus 808 and 909 drum machines in one app, with a tactile touch interface. As a technical achievement it’s hugely impressive, although if we’re honest, the appeal for us is simply blasting out squiggly acid bloops. Get it
The blogosphere has been buzzing this weekend following claims in the New York Post that Facebook is “plotting a possible push into the digital music business” in an effort to take on MySpace Music. That’s their comedy image montage by the way.
The report goes on to claim that the social network is in talks with Rhapsody, iMeem, iLike AND Lala over working more closely with one of them as Facebook’s outsourced music service supplier. While Facebook is apparently also talking to the major labels, it’s not planning to offer any equity in the company, unlike MySpace.
So is it true? The problem with the rumour is that iLike in particular is already pretty comprehensive as a third-party Facebook application, so what difference would any deal really make, other than promoting one music app at the expense of the others?
If you’ve not heard of BaseDrift, it’s a soon-to-launch online driving game, which from its urban racing theme sounds like it’s inspired by console games like the Need For Speed series. So, you’ll race round a bunch of whizzy 3D environments against other players, competing for real-world prizes. But there’s a big music angle too: players can build their own playlists for their virtual car’s stereo, and the company behind BaseDrift has set up its own music promotions agency, which will be accepting tracks from users to promote to the BaseDrift community.
Nokia has introduced its own-brand Music Store into Singapore. The service – for both mobile and PC downloads – is heavy on local reperoire following a few key deals with local Asian Labels (inc. Ocean Butterflies and RS Digital). Tracks will cost S$2 and are sold in DRM-protected WMA format. An unlimited (more…)
Executive reshuffles at Nokia suggest the company may have bitten off more than it can chew with its ‘Comes With Music’ plan. Nokia had earlier denied reports it has agreed to pay Universal Music $35 per handset sold. Now The Register reports the company has agreed to pay the wholesale per-unit price for (more…)
Another day, another new Nokia Music Store. This time it’s France getting the handset maker’s store, with 2.5 million tracks and a strong focus on French artists (an essential quality in a market where more than 60% of charting songs are local in origin). The store will sell tracks for €1 each, with albums starting at (more…)
Blues, schmues. We’ve got the yellows today. And startup Guitarati is helping us find some suitable music to match our mood. The site lets artists upload their songs to the site, then assigns each a colour. As a user, you decide which colour suits your current mood, and are then served up a list of songs, which you (more…)
