Future Of Music

Musicians of the future need to know the reality of the business today and seek the tools of tomorrow that will enable them to participate and prosper in the creative industries and carve out a niche and an audience that can sustain them.  These are the underpinnings of the Music Power Network and what we hope to accomplish by helping to guide musicians, songwriters, managers, producers and business people seeking careers in the music industry.

Music Power Network is a new online information service that I started for independent musicians, songwriters, producers, artist managers, and people starting new music companies.  It is a framework with which you can plan your future in the music industry. MPN provides online lessons, exclusive video interviews and advice, career and business planning tools and thousands of hand-picked resources designed to help you achieve success in the new music industry.

Here is an sampling of some of the in-depth video interviews I did over the past year with industry luminaries including Terry McBride, Derek Sivers, Mike King, Phil Ramone, Kelly Cha and many others leading the way.  More interviews are being collected and added as I seek out the people who are helping to transform the music business and light the way into the future of music.

As a result of publishing The Future of Music, many people have asked me to help them with their careers. MPN is the system that I developed to help people get organized and make money in the new music industry. With MPN you can learn from industry experts, set your goals and realize your vision.

The successful artists and writers of the future will start independent and stay independent. They will create businesses around themselves to suit their ambitions, personality, and style. They will connect directly with their fans and control their own destiny.  MPN can show you how to do it.  Make a 360 degree deal with yourself and find ways to generate revenue from your writing, performing, brand, name, activities, and interests that suit you and what you stand for.

Join MPN and get immediate access to:

• Online music lessons that will help you understand the new music industry.
• Exclusive video interviews with industry experts on the latest strategies.
• Custom business planning tools to help organize and guide your career.
• Thousands of hand picked career and market resources to help you build your team.

Here’s what people are saying:

Terry McBride / Nettwerk CEO – “Dave Kusek has an amazing grasp of where today’s music business resides, where its been and where its going. He has a unique ability with factual analysis to cut through the hype and buzz and give us all a clear picture of what is actually taking place in today’s environment.”

Corey Smith / Artist – “It is safe to say  that the “Future of Music” was very much the catalyst we needed to quantify our intentions instead of it being assumptions and guess work.  I thought hey, this is possible. And that, alone, made a huge difference. It’s amazing what you can do once you realize that something is possible.”

Milan Kovacev / MPN Member – “MPN’s services are remarkably well suited for 21st century independent artists. As a songwriter, producer, artist, and music publisher I wear different hats every day and that requires a clear focus and goal-oriented approach to my music business endeavors. MPN’s online course, video interviews, resources and practical tools for building a business plan helped me move fearlessly and confidently in this new dawn of the music industry.”

Debbie Cavalier/ MPN Member – “MPN is the best resource for independent musicians who want to take their career to the next level. My goal for “Debbie and Friends” is to connect musically with as many families as possible via national tours, while maximizing my catalog’s potential through music publishing, licensing, distribution, merchandise, and music teaching opportunities. MPN has all of the resources I need to help me achieve my goals. It’s exactly what I have been looking for.”

Fernando Grecco / MPN Member - “Music business today is not for beginners. It is an open field where there are lots of opportunities for artists and professionals, but where there are very few right answers. MPN is the best way to go from beginner to pro in this brave new world of possibilities. Designed by Dave Kusek, who foresaw this new scenario more than 5 years ago, in his book about the Future of Music, MPN was key for me to choose and develop the 360 degree label business model for Borandá.  MPN helps turn inspiration into action for serious people who want to thrive in this new reality, regardless if you are a musician or a entrepreneur.”

Debra Latimer / MPN Member – “Terry Mcbride is a genius. He articulated some of the most dynamic and innovative concepts pertaining to the music industry that I have ever heard. This video has opened my mind to new models of thinking about producing and distributing music.  Just a wonderful and insightful video.”

See for yourself how Music Power Network can help you.

We posted last December about Corey Smith, a clever artist who is blazing a new trail through the music business using entirely new ways of thinking. Corey’s whole business model is based on giving away lots of music for free and building relationships with his fans.  He does it primarily through touring and developing seriously close relationship with his fans. And it was this giving away of the music that was Corey Smith’s tour support. They didn’t have any label support, but grew their fan base. Because once people heard Corey’s music, they had to see him live. Which they did. In 2007, Corey Smith grossed $1.7 million. Last year Corey’s gross $4 million. Free music built the base.

Corey Smith made headlines when his independent music career slowly grew into a multi-million dollar business, selling out large venues normally reserved for those with chart topping hits. Corey toured diligently and worked hard to make honest connections with his audience. As his fan base grew, he stayed focused on building that connection and being intentional with his business decisions.

Get more at Music Power Network.

Bruce Houghton posted a positive view about the music business at Midemnet that I think paints a realistic picture about our short-term future. Its a good read and uplifting.

My friend Bruce Burch teaches at UGA and recently had musician Corey Smith in to guest lecture. I have written about Corey before. Here are three clips from the class where Corey talks about his life, his music, his career choices, the influence of The Future of Music book on his business and more. Enjoy.

Corey Smith – Part One

Corey Smith – Part Two

Corey Smith – Part Three

Here’s a Song

Bob Lefsetz posted in December about Corey Smith, a fantastic artist who is blazing a new trail through the music business using entirely new ways of thinking.

Corey’s whole business model is based on giving away lots of music for free and building relationships with his fans. Last year he grossed $4.2 million with a team of seven people. He does it primarily through touring and developing seriously close relationship with his fans.

Lefsetz said “Corey was a high school teacher. Playing gigs on the weekend. Marty Winsch (now his manager) was booking a venue. Was there any way to make headway, for Corey to support his wife and two kids playing music?

Absolutely said Marty. But first they had to release the equity in Marty’s recordings. They had to make them free on his site. To everybody.

And it was this giving away of the music that was Corey Smith’s tour support. They didn’t need a nickel from a label or a fat cat. Because once people heard Corey’s music, they had to see him live.

Which they did. In 2007, Corey Smith grossed $1.7 million. This year, not even half a decade into Marty’s management of the act, Corey’s going to gross $4.2 million. Free music built the base. Fan rabidity blew the act up.

You can buy the tracks on iTunes. They’ve sold 420,000 so far. When they experimented last summer, and took the free tracks down from Corey’s site, iTunes sales went DOWN! So, they put the free tracks back up. Actually, people e-mail Marty every day, asking for a track. AND HE JUST E-MAILS THE SONG BACK!

Not everybody’s ready to commit right up front. The free music allows people to try Corey out.

They don’t want radio play. They gave a station in a city sixty tickets to give away, but only on the condition that they DIDN’T play the songs. Marty wants people to experience Corey Smith live. That’s where it happens.

And Marty wants it to be easy. So therefore, he sells FIVE DOLLAR TICKETS! Yes, he rewards fans. Tickets are CHEAPER on the on sale date. And let me ask you, how many people are going to tell their friends they scored such a deal? And maybe drag them along with! That’s your marketing. Your fan base. It isn’t about hiring a PR firm or using Twitter. Actually, Marty pooh-poohs most technology. He says you’ve got be wary that the technology doesn’t get ahead of, doesn’t overwhelm the act. He doesn’t use Google Analytics to find out where each and every fan is. Marty goes on feel. He, and his uber agent Cass Scripps just go into a new territory, and although the first gig might be soft, the one after that never is. Because Corey delivers.

Actually, that’s important. Marty has tried releasing the equity, giving away the music of other acts. But they haven’t succeeded. Because they’re just not good enough.

If you’re truly good, you don’t need anybody else’s money, your recordings can be your tour support, they can put bodies in the seats, you can build a career.

Whenever anybody e-mails Marty and asks if they can meet Corey, Marty always says YES! He tells them when to show up for the meet and greet. This is the new paradigm. Eliminating the gulf between the act and fan. Trusting your audience. That if you’re damn good, they’ll give you all their money.

You don’t have to play by the old rules. You don’t need any money. You just need good music. And good management.”

—-

Corey recently gave a lecture at a UGA Music Business class and talked about his philosophy and career. He mentioned that he has been influenced by “The Future of Music” book. Yeah Baby!

—-

Check out Corey’s Website here and be sure to get one of those $5 tickets to see his live show. This is the future of the music business.

Our book is available in various forms.

You can listen to the book on iTunes as a podcast for free. Go to the iTunes store and search “Future of Music” podcasts and subscribe.

You can buy the book on Amazon for $11.53 or less.

You can purchase the audiobook from Audible for $7.49.

Here are a few of the reviews.

Publishers Weekly
Two innovators in music technology take a fascinating look at the impact of the digital revolution on the music business and predict “a future in which music will be like water: ubiquitous and free-flowing.” Kusek and Leonhard foresee the disappearance of CDs and record stores as we know them in the next decade; consumers will have access to more products than ever, though, through a vast range of digital radio channels, person-to-person Internet file sharing and a host of subscription services. The authors are especially good at describing how the way current record companies operate – as both owners and distributors of music, with artists making less than executives – will also drastically change: individual CD sales, for example, will be replaced by “a very potent ‘liquid’ pricing system that incorporates subscriptions, bundles of various media types, multi-access deals, and added-value services.” While the authors often shift from analysts into cheerleaders for the über-wired future they predict – “Let’s replace inefficient content-protection schemes with effective means of sharing-control and superdistribution!” – their clearly written and groundbreaking book is the first major statement of what may be “the new digital reality” of the music business in the future.

5.0 out of 5 stars THE FUTURE OF MUSIC IS NOW
Gian Fiero (Hollywood, California)
This book is so brilliant that it makes the vast majority of music industry books that are being published seem irrelevant. It discusses in detail, the reasons why the future of the music industry is headed into the digital/mobile entertainment era. It also provides statistical information that professionals, marketers, entrepreneurs, and educators can use constructively. Both Dave and Gerd (the books co-author), have their fingers firmly planted on current music industry activities and trends. They also possess and display a clairvoyant eye toward the future that offers beneficial insight and foresight to those who may not be aware of what this whole digital (i.e. independent) revolution is about, and most importantly, what it will entail to prosper in it. The book is easy to read, easy to understand and simply brilliant. If you buy just one industry book this year, this should be THE one. Buy it now!

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible
Stephen Hill “Producer, Hearts of Space” (San Rafael, CA USA)
A stunningly candid source of concentrated, up to date insight about the music business and its turbulent transition into the digital era. This book tells it straight and will make the dinosaurs of the music industry very unhappy.

Like Martin Luther’s ‘95 Theses’ nailed to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral, Kusek and Leonard drive nail after nail into the sclerotic heart of the old-fashioned music business. Their rational vision of the future of music rests on the idea of unshackling music from the hardcopy product business in a yet-to-be-realized era of open content licensing, facilitating sharing and communication among users, and growing the business to its full potential.

It provides as clear a vision of the future of the music industry as you will find, from two writers with a rare combination: a solid grounding in the traditional practices of the music business, an up-to-the-minute knowledge of the new technologies that are changing it, and the ability to think through the consequences.

I’ve dreamed about a book like this, but thought it would be impossible in today’s hyperdynamic environment where every week seems to bring a breakthrough technology, device, or service. But by digging out the underlying trends and principles Kusek and Leonard get under the news and illuminate it. Along the way they provide a brilliantly concise history of the evolution of digital media.

I can’t think of any book more important for artists to get the full re-orientation they need to survive and prosper in the digital era. It’s no less critical for members of the music and broadcasting industries who need to consolidate their thinking into a coherent roadmap for the future. In a word: indispensible.