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This daily email, compiled by ASCAP Board member, music publisher and songwriter Dean Kay, cuts through the media clutter to bring you links to the most relevant news and commentary on the rapidly evolving music industry and how it affects your future livelihood. Now the ASCAP Daily Brief can be accessed on the Headlines page of ASCAP.com and in the ASCAP RSS Feed.
Tech companies have made billions supporting the illegal exploitation of our cultural past
while ruthlessly pursuing the dismantling of incentives creators need to fashion our cultural future.
Reports of the Death of Major Labels Are Greatly Exaggerated
By Glenn Peoples -- People I talk to seem to be split between two opinions: the majors are doing OK; and the majors are doomed. If people come from the world of independent music they tend to be biased against the major labels or downright distrustful of them. If they have some experience with major labels they tend to recognize the degree to which the majors have changed and have greater faith (or hope) they will carry on.
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!
By Sandra Aistars -- In case you missed it, a prominent member of the German "Pirate Party," Julia Schramm, recently published a new book. And, like most published authors today, she became the victim of pirates, with illegal copies of her book available on the web. According to Spiegel, a number of takedown notices have been filed by Ms. Schramm (or on her behalf), enforcing the very intellectual property rights Schramm and her party advocate against.
Facebook's 2012 Slide Looks A Lot Like MySpace's 2008 Demise
By Dave Copeland -- Shareholders pushed Facebook's stock up slightly last week after reassuring comments from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In the process, they overlooked a significant decline in two key areas reported by comScore: U.S. desktop usage, where Facebook has traditionally sold most of its ads, is down 12 percent among younger users (12 to 24 years old), who have always been seen as Facebook's core users. Could Facebook be heading into a MySpace-like dive?
The Bizarre Dance of the Unlimited iPhone Data Plan Gets Even Weirder
By Eliot Van Buskirk
How Shazam Plans To Make Money On TV's Second Screen
By John Paul Titlow -- No longer content to just help you confirm that, yes, the song you're hearing is the new Justin Bieber single, Shazam is branching out. The music identification and discovery app is expanding its social TV capabilities and solidifying its role in the second-screen space. Unlike many new-media initiatives, it might even have a viable business model ready to go.
Why Is Apple Still Holding On To iPods? Because We Still Need Them
By Christina Ortiz
Amanda Palmer Estimates That Volunteer Musicians Would Cost $35,000...
By Paul Resnikoff -- As the criticism continues to mount, Amanda Palmer is firmly defending her decision to court volunteer, unpaid, 'professional-ish' musicians on her current tour.
Occupy Amanda Palmer?
By David C. Lowery -- For the last week, I've tried to avoid joining the anti-Amanda Palmer internet pile-on that has captivated many in the music business and tech world. Why? For one simple reason. I believe in the artist's right to monetize their songs and performances in any way they see fit...However, I do agree with the criticisms of others on nearly every other count.
The Perils of Successful Crowdfunding
By The New York Times -- Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGogo are letting designers and other creative people connect with audiences who want to finance their dreams, Jenna Wortham reports on Tuesday in The New York Times. But for the creators of these projects, getting the money is sometimes the easy part. They then have to turn their dreams into reality, with a crowd keeping an eye on their progress.
Apple Released iOS 6 on Wednesday; Here Are Features We like
By Salvador Rodriguez -- Apple is set to release its latest operating system, iOS 6, on Wednesday, just a few days before the launch of the iPhone 5. Here are a few of its best features and why Apple users may want to update their devices.
Does Your Device Support the Upgrade to Apple iOS 6?
By Salvador Rodriguez -- Apple (has) released iOS 6...with several changes to the mobile operating system. But is your device up to date enough to use it? Here are the devices that will be able to download iOS 6, including notes on which features of the operating system they can support...
UAE Call to Ban Hypnotic Music as Illegal 'Digital Drug'
By Martin Croucher and Thamer Al Subaihi -- Dr Sarhan Al Meheini, deputy director of the Police Sciences Academy in Sharjah, believes audio files called "binaural beats" should be dealt with like cannabis and ecstasy. [People are willing to pay for illegal drugs, perhaps we now have a hook of monetizing music! DK]
Lyrics Videos Offer An Effective Yet Low Cost Music Video Entry Point
By Clyde Smith -- Lyrics videos used to cluster around a continuum that ran from low budget art projects to fan videos. In recent years, top charting artists have used lyrics videos to produce a high quality stopgap while they're waiting to release more expensive promos. With the current state of digital video equipment and software, it's now possibly for indie artists and diy'ers to create lyrics videos that are low budget yet high quality.
VIDEO: Visua Musio: a Lovely iPad App That Lets Kids Make Experimental Songs with Shapes
By Harrison Weber -- Visua Musio is a new iPad app, surfaced by Creative Applications Network, which lets you make "visual music animations" by adding shapes to an empty canvas. That canvas becomes your song.
15 of the Most Unusual Albums From The Depths of Our Catalogue
The Orchard News -- Sounds freaky. And it sure is...
DEAN KAY
Dean Kay has been at the helm of some of the most highly respected and forward thinking music publishing companies in the world, first as COO of the Welk Music Group, then as President/ CEO of the US division of the PolyGram International Publishing Group, and now as President/CEO of his own precedent setting venture, Lichelle Music Company. Prior to his involvement in publishing, he was a successful songwriter, having had hundreds of his compositions recorded - including "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra. Mr. Kay has been a member of the Board of Directors of ASCAP since 1989 and is Chairman of its New Technologies Committee. He is also on the Board of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA).
The ASCAP Daily Brief-Powered by The Dean's List is intended as a guide to direct music professionals to key articles about issues facing the entertainment industry. Recipients are encouraged to read further about the issues by accessing the complete article through the links provided. Author attribution is provided with each article, and none of the links allow readers to by-pass subscription archive gateways. Please note that all editorial comments are indicated in brackets. Questions? Comments? Please Contact Us