Apple's Ping Music Network- Good, Bad, Genius or Evil? MySpace killer?

Comment

Comment by and on September 10, 2010 at 5:49pm

It's unclear how Ping is going to let independent bands create artist profiles. It's not going to be like MySpace where anyone can upload whatever they want. And we're still going to have to pay iTunes or Amazon or whatever to sell digital downloads.

I'm sure we can have some presence on Ping, though. It will be hard at first because Apple will probably integrate independent music slowly, while keeping a close eye on the content. They won't want to police a planet of millions of local bands, and they don't want the overall content to suffer. Remember, this site is marketed toward music listeners, not music makers. When Ping says, "Keep up to date on local concerts", it means that you can easily check to see when Lady Gaga is coming to your town. It doesn't mean it's going to keep you up to date on music that is made locally. I have a feeling that the most we're going to get out of Ping is that we can setup a normal user profile and add friends and post blogs and so on.

So, I don't think of it as a "MySpace Killer".

MySpace started to wither away as soon as people were presented with options in social networking. It's still good because independent bands can stream music for free, and both MySpace members and non-members can come listen (and it comes up on Google searches). The biggest complaint about MySpace regards the Spam. People got tired of robots trying to be their friends. But what I also think is that people got annoyed with Independent Band Spam (even though your band's friends won't admit it)

By organizing local music, we can show the masses what it's really about. MFT has the scoop on good local music and events. When I get an email or friend request or whatever from MySpace, I have a hard time taking it seriously. But, when I get an email from MFT, I read it.

Comment by Frankie Camaro on September 2, 2010 at 1:50pm

I'm all for MFT and the artists both making some money whether it's NP or not. I'm glad there is another way of getting us out there.

If I would have sold an album in the 80s, I remember most little labels and artists would be happy to sell their thousand or so Records or CDs. I think I've had more exposure, thanks to MFT, than I would have putting out a little indie record myself in the 80s. And yes, it would be nice to recoup some money for what we have done in the past, or our current songs.

I think musicians deserve to get paid. No one asks painters to just give them a painting or a chef to cook them a free meal (or maybe you all are next). And we don't mind that they sell their work. Of course, supply and demand are important, but I'm talking about the public perception, especially the young, that music should just be free and we should be happy to work at another job, to do our music "hobby" as opposed to a profession, as it used to be.

I'm a music publisher, affiliated with BMI, so yes, what ever money we can make is great. I still get my royalties from Dragstrip and Big Guitars on occasion.

And for what it's worth, I found Dragstrip CD's selling for between 75 and 125 dollars on ebay and amazon. What the? I think that is the great thing that I missed like with Moto-X. People remember the records that were put out so if you didn't, you'll only find them now on sites like this.

Comment by Jeb Banner on September 1, 2010 at 9:46pm

PJ- I thought of that too! I could use a new Ping hat.

We aren't too far down the road of the NP thing to turn back. But John is right, if we can find a way to funnel money to artists then I'm all about having MFT make some of that transaction. It can still be NP and enable us to do so many things that we currently don't have the money for. This will be interesting. I can't get iTunes to download, looking forward to seeing how it works.

Comment by John P. Strohm on September 1, 2010 at 6:52pm

You mean start doing deals for the archive? Wow, I'm biting my tongue on that one (or I should anyway). But I can think of some ways to do it - even if it is under a non-profit umbrella. I mean, BMI and ASCAP are non-profit, right? (right)...and they pass royalties through to their writer and publisher members while just "covering costs" pursuant to the non-profit status. But do they pay their executives? Fuck yes they do. As well they should. Writers are grateful to PROs - without them they wouldn't get paid a huge part of the revenue they're entitled to.

Re Ping: As we've seen, Jobs is always thinking a few moves...and a few years...ahead. I think this is brilliant, because if I'm a betting man I'd say he's going to re-tool iTunes to be more like Spotify - hence the Lala shenanigans. Ping might not make much sense in a paid download context, but it makes PERFECT sense in the context of the cloud of unlimited streaming. The biggest challenge in the unlimited world of digital streaming will be filtering, and that's a built-in, organic, fan-based filtering mechanism. The right thing at the right time.

Will it, and iTunes as it evolves, become as ubiquitous as FB and Twitter? Maybe. I have a queasy feeling about Apple. I don't like the feeling of the most important company in the music business not having music as its primary business (that would be personal electronics - much like what Sony was in a prior era). That's been a problem since the corporate consolidation (parent companies not understanding how to develop artists, etc., including Sony), and it will continue to be a problem. But - there are smaller companies that really do understand music, and they are the future - they can operate independently in that environment, so long as Apple gets its cut. Does MFT and its ilk have a place in something like that? Hell yes. It's crucial in something like that. If Ping takes off, there will be all sorts of sub-communities keeping the MASSIVE music archive active in every corner - and at that point there's no reason for anything to not be commercially available. I suppose there are those out there who really want their music to be truly non-commercial, but MOST of us will be happy to accept our $0.000001 per stream and laugh all the way to the fucking bank.

Comment by Michael Eugene Henry on September 1, 2010 at 6:08pm

"Once MFT starts promoting our huge catalog, we might be able to actually benefit the artist and monetize our own efforts."

I'm not sure you guys can do that with a non-profit status. Better to find out now before you finalize such a thing. Don't cut off your potential just yet. I still think you can turn a profit with the right distribution model. Hell, you could charge for downloads NOW if you wanted to.

Comment by PJ Christie on September 1, 2010 at 3:58pm

And then right on cue I had a phone call with iFanz in LA. It's a subsidiary of McCartney Multimedia.

I think Ping has a much greater chance of disrupting what they do. And Jeb does this remind you of us meeting at the Collins Library? I was working at a golf course that sold Ping golf clubs, and you were wearing a hat that said Ping. I told you I could you as many of those hats as you wanted. Still could.

Comment by PJ Christie on September 1, 2010 at 3:27pm

This would be awesome if it facilitated MFT members to be able to sell digital downloads through the itunes store bringing money back to the artist. Think of all the out of print and rare material that would be made instantly available.

Or alternately allow MFT to offer the digital sales as an added benefit of membership, where artists might allow their catalog to be available through our digital record label for a split. Once MFT starts promoting our huge catalog, we might be able to actually benefit the artist and monetize our own efforts.

Comment by Ryan Williams on September 1, 2010 at 2:57pm

It's still a walled garden if you can only access it through the iTunes software. It may work as a customized recommendation service, but on the same level as friends and recommendations in eMusic. Maybe if it connected to Twitter or Facebook, it would be more valuable.

Comment by Jeb Banner on September 1, 2010 at 2:49pm

I agree John. I don't think we will be looking at a real threat to this community/archive but I am curious how we can leverage this new tool for bands.

Comment by Jbarge on September 1, 2010 at 2:46pm

Talk about being too big. Why would I want to deali with a 160 million users? That's not a community, that's a planet.