snapshot 5/14/08

Josh Rouse Launches Membership Only Digital Download Store
This month acclaimed singer songwriter Josh Rouse is set to release the third volume in his Bedroom Classics EP, series. With Bedroom Classics, Vol. 3, Josh continues to build upon the successful series of EPs that has allowed him to take adventurous leaps with his sound over the years.

The first Bedroom Classics EP (2001) was limited to 750 copies fast becoming a collector's item for his long time fans (currently going for well over $100 on Ebay). This new installment marks another groundbreaking chapter, as it is truly self released; only available directly from Josh himself, off his newly launched membership based digital download store at www.joshrouse.com

Now through June 1st, there's a premium membership package priced at $99.99, which includes a CD copy of the EP along with a 2 CD "Bootleg", set and, once it's completed, an early copy of Josh's next full length release. These are limited to just 750 copies and once their gone, a "digital only" membership will be offered for $29.99.


Betting On Mobile Phones Won't Save The Recording Industry
The recording industry hasn't had much of a strategy for dealing with the changing marketplace over the past decade (and, no, I don't consider lashing out and suing music fans as a "strategy"), so far be it for them to start now. That's why it's amusing to see articles about how the recording industry honchos are now betting on a new generation of mobile phones to save them. Funny how that works. This is the same group of executives who will claim that the phones themselves have no value without the music -- and yet here they are hoping and praying that the devices will save their industry.

But the real problem is that this isn't a strategy. It's wishful thinking. It doesn't involve any actual insight into what's happening in the market. It doesn't involve any proactive movement towards accepting new business models and changing the way business is done. It's merely the old way of thinking, trying to figure out what the "next" platform will be on which to sell music. It went from vinyl to cassette tape (we'll skip 8-track) to CD to computer... and now they want it to go to mobile. But they're missing the fact that the more popular mobile devices get, the sooner it is that we'll see file sharing apps for mobile devices pop up. Rather than waiting and praying that some new platform will be the savior, isn't it time that the industry started taking lessons from the past 10 years, and worked towards adapting to the age of digital content?


Developers Say Adobe Is Delaying Online Music Apps
Some developers of audio applications see online music mixers, studios and instruments as the next wave of music creation. The two biggest trends in music are online distribution and social networking... why not combine them further upstream

For developers working on online music creation applications, Adobe's Flash is the natural option, in part because it's installed on over 97 percent of internet-enabled PCs according to Adobe. However, the audio application developers behind Adobe, Make Some Noise say the company needs to get with the program, so to speak, if it wants Flash to be the go-to platform for online music creation.