When Syco Entertainment boss Simon Cowell keynoted at the MIPCOM conference this week, there was a quick reference to smartphones’ potential for music. He’s since expanded on that in an interview. “What is happening on our phones, and obviously iTunes is setting the way, particularly for younger record buyers, it’s probably the most exciting thing that’s happened since I’ve been in the music business,” he told the Guardian. “When you’ve got 40 million people all effectively carrying a record player in their back pockets, and the ability that they can hear something and buy it within 30 seconds? We would be total idiots to mess that up. You’re going to see more people buying tracks immediately after our shows, and this is something, if we’ve got the shows in 50-odd countries, we’ve got to do this properly now.” Also interesting: Cowell’s next big TV format may not be delivered through traditional TV broadcasters. “We’re going to announce something soon which is quite a big show, and it’s not on a cable network, and not on a major network. It’s somewhere else,” he said. Where? Well, the question was about possible deals with companies like Netflix and Amazon, who are investing in original TV shows, so our bet is on one of those two.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…