That is what a 17-year-old teen from New Jersey is getting in return for the iPhone he modified so it can be used with cellular networks other than AT&T. It took George Hotz 500 hours - or about 8 hours a day since the iPhone's launch in late June. not bad for a summer job!
Click here to read the complete article.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Happy Birthday
On August 17, 1982, the first CDs were produced - containing Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony. Which means the CD just celebrated its 25th anniversary. The CD's progress was amazingly fast, though - by 1986, CD players were outselling record players, and by 1988 CDs outsold records. It also provided a huge boost for the recording industry during the 1980's as music fans replaced their aging cassettes and vinyl LPs with compact discs.
And althought CD sales have sharply fallen over the past few years, and other, newer formats are poised to take its place, it will be a while before we have seen the end of the CD - I, for one, still like having the physical CD in my possession and uploading that into my iPod - as opposed to just relying on iTunes (even though I spend more money than I would like on Apple's digital download service).
And althought CD sales have sharply fallen over the past few years, and other, newer formats are poised to take its place, it will be a while before we have seen the end of the CD - I, for one, still like having the physical CD in my possession and uploading that into my iPod - as opposed to just relying on iTunes (even though I spend more money than I would like on Apple's digital download service).
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Classical music concert in Second Life
On September 14, The Liverpool Philharmonic is to perform a concert in the virtual online world of Second Life. Audience members from across the world will "sit" in a three-dimensional virtual version of its home venue in the north-west England city and listen live as the real orchestra plays.
Vasily Petrenko, the youngest Principal Conductor in the Philharmonic’s 165 year history, will lead the orchestra as they perform works by Rachmaninov, Ravel and two contemporary Liverpool composers. Petrenko, singer Kate Royal and composer Kenneth Hesketh will be represented during the cyber event by animated Second Life characters known as avatars. The ticket winners, also represented by avatars, will watch the concert live as audience members.
Radio Play
Just read an excellent article by Sheena Metal about the role radio can play in an independent musician's career - instead of copying it I'd encourage you to read the entire article here.
Radio remains, to this day, one of the best ways for musicians to promote their music and their projects in their area….and now, thanks to terrific technological advancements, nationally and worldwide. But most indies focus too much on the almost-impossible-to-crack Top 40 station market, and don't realize there are more effective ways to use radio instead: independent radio, specialty shows on local stations, and college radio.
Radio remains, to this day, one of the best ways for musicians to promote their music and their projects in their area….and now, thanks to terrific technological advancements, nationally and worldwide. But most indies focus too much on the almost-impossible-to-crack Top 40 station market, and don't realize there are more effective ways to use radio instead: independent radio, specialty shows on local stations, and college radio.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Margarine, not butter
I read a great music business blog - The Secret Music Life of Kat, and I read such a good post on there today (it's from last month - I am catching up after being out of town most of July) that I wanted to re-post it here.
Basically, it's about butter and margarine. No, really. The analogy being that margarine, even though most people prefer the taste of butter, is more often used because it is easier to use.
Here's part of Kat's post:
I imagine your music fans are somewhat like me. If you want them to spread the word about your music, you need to be spreadable. You need to make it as easy as possible for them to promote you AND you have to give them something to promote. Don’t just create a great CD. A great CD alone won’t make people talk about you for long.
1. Create a great CD - definitely a good place to start.
2. Give away a free song (to give them something to talk about and promote).
3. Make graphic badges, logos and buddy icons and make it easy for them to use (post the code, host the images on your server)
4. Have a story to tell. Give them some background on one of your unique songs or a particular experience you’ve had.
5. Offer bios and copy of various lengths so that journalists and bloggers can easily get and use the information they need.
6. Post YouTube videos of your live show. Encourage your audience at each show to video your set and post it to YouTube.
Put yourself in their shoes and try to think of any way you can make it easier for your audience to spread your music.
Be spreadable. Like Margarine. Not Butter.
What I love about Kat's music blog is that it is practical and insightful at the same time, and I, for one, need that in the busy-ness of everyday music life.
Basically, it's about butter and margarine. No, really. The analogy being that margarine, even though most people prefer the taste of butter, is more often used because it is easier to use.
Here's part of Kat's post:
I imagine your music fans are somewhat like me. If you want them to spread the word about your music, you need to be spreadable. You need to make it as easy as possible for them to promote you AND you have to give them something to promote. Don’t just create a great CD. A great CD alone won’t make people talk about you for long.
1. Create a great CD - definitely a good place to start.
2. Give away a free song (to give them something to talk about and promote).
3. Make graphic badges, logos and buddy icons and make it easy for them to use (post the code, host the images on your server)
4. Have a story to tell. Give them some background on one of your unique songs or a particular experience you’ve had.
5. Offer bios and copy of various lengths so that journalists and bloggers can easily get and use the information they need.
6. Post YouTube videos of your live show. Encourage your audience at each show to video your set and post it to YouTube.
Put yourself in their shoes and try to think of any way you can make it easier for your audience to spread your music.
Be spreadable. Like Margarine. Not Butter.
What I love about Kat's music blog is that it is practical and insightful at the same time, and I, for one, need that in the busy-ness of everyday music life.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Pay for play - performance royalties & radio
In the US, performers do not receive royalties for their recordings that radio stations broadcast over the air - unlike in Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Last week, on July 31, the MusicFIRST coalition (more than 150 recording artists and nearly a dozen organizations including the American Association of Independent Music and SoundExchange) kicked off an attempt to convince Congress to eliminate the exemption for terrestrial radio broadcasters.
In every other developed country worldwide, copyright law grants performers (artists, musicians, and vocalists) and producers (copyright owners such as record companies) as well as songwriters and publishers the right to receive royalties for the public performance of their recordings and compositions. And in most countries, those that broadcast sound recordings via digital and analog transmissions are required to license and pay to play that music. But in the United Stated, only digital broadcasters have that requirement.
Obviously there are two sides to this argument - and a sudden change in the copyright structure for radio broadcasters would have consequences, in some cases very serious ones. But at the same time, performers who do not write songs but help make them hits should receive something when radio broadcasts the song they recorded.
In every other developed country worldwide, copyright law grants performers (artists, musicians, and vocalists) and producers (copyright owners such as record companies) as well as songwriters and publishers the right to receive royalties for the public performance of their recordings and compositions. And in most countries, those that broadcast sound recordings via digital and analog transmissions are required to license and pay to play that music. But in the United Stated, only digital broadcasters have that requirement.
Obviously there are two sides to this argument - and a sudden change in the copyright structure for radio broadcasters would have consequences, in some cases very serious ones. But at the same time, performers who do not write songs but help make them hits should receive something when radio broadcasts the song they recorded.
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