The Tuesday AM reading list
The album is dead (part 2,454). The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Fry ponders what’s next.
Paul McGuinness blames the technology hippies for the music industry’s woes. Mmm, is this the same Paul McGuinness who inked a deal for his charges U2 with well-known technology hippy Steve Jobs? Anyway, the full speech is here and it is well worth reading:
There is some excitement about advertising-funded deals. But the record companies must gain our trust to share fairly the revenues they will gain from advertising. Historically they have not been good at transparency. Let’s never forget the great CD scam of the 80s when the majors tried to halve the royalties of records released on CD claiming that they needed this extra margin to develop the new technology even as they were entering the great boom years that the CD delivered. It’s ironic that at a time when the majors are asking the artists to trust them to share advertising revenue they are also pushing the dreadful 360 model.
The “Falling Slowly” saga continues. The Academy apparently will give their decision on the fandango today.
From the Qtrax oooops department: they’re still talking to everyone. Question: is this the new Spiral Frog?
The FT hearts Cat Power
And finally: what do you call two chaps from the North sitting down yakking to each in Trinity College Dublin? You call it The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon talking to Lyric FM’s John Kelly about life, the universe and everything inbetween. It’s on tonight at 7pm in the college’s Walton Theatre, admission is free and all are welcome to come along to stroke their chins. More info here.
An expensive way to stand out from the mainstream masses
11:20 am
Qtrax have made their beta client available now but say they’re “activating accounts in stages”. Whatever that means.
Comment by Catherine