May182008
"In an age where engagement is the new metric influence is about distribution of content, ideas, and opinions with group based validation. It’s true that people value information from trusted sources, but what is missing here in the analysis is that influencers create conversations which in turn drive information based output - meaning group work together to form opinions and analysis."
— John Furrier - Influencers Have Clout - Problem is What Does Influence Mean
"The trouble is, somebody went and built a whole distribution model on the past practice, and now it’s being imposed on a digital environment where it’s completely unnecessary.
Digital “content” has zero transmission and reproduction cost. Any attempt to control the release of digital content, across geographical areas, at different times, is tantamount to creating artificial scarcity. And when this happens, people will find ways of getting around the artificial scarcity, creating an artificial abundance.
"
—
JP Rangaswami on artificial scarcities and abundances.
First Law of Scarcity and Abundance:
If you create an artificial scarcity, then be prepared for someone else to create an artificial abundance
On Internet hype (not machine)
Does Internet hype destroy bands? Does it reward bands that offer immediate gratification without lasting value? Will we only hear about new bands that fit with the active Internet publishing demographic (the vocal minority)?
These were recurring questions I’ve heard in the past few days, and they are worth asking.
The answer is not nearly as exciting as we wish. The Internet isn’t destroying anything or irreversibly altering culture (for worse), it’s removing stopgaps and middlemen that previously held the passionate and talented people back.
Among the requirements for an artist’s success is the ability to navigate the cavernous music industry, negotiating, talking and eventually teaming up with the right set of people. This process has nothing to do with their talent or style and everything to do with them as an entrepreneur. This is still a huge help for a successful musician or band (or is it actually a “team”?) today, but the web allows music to bubble up if it resonates within certain, very real, communities.
Hype is a rare opportunity for an artist to communicate their message and art and reach a large number of people – something they could have only done in the past with the help of a label marketing team and thousands of dollars.
That said, if what the artist created doesn’t last, it doesn’t last. This is where little has changed with the arrival of the web. If your music doesn’t start an ongoing dialog or stay relevant over a period of years, things still don’t work. This is noone’s fault but your own. The fix here is to keep creating, practicing, sharing and thinking.
Reblogged from FASCINATED.
"For the Rolling Stones, there’s simply too much money to walk away from - which is why there are so many bands now that have been together 20 years or more and will never break up: Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, etc
This has nothing to do with fans’ expectations. It has to do with fans’ gullibility and their refusal to open themselves to anything new.
"
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Greil Marcus quoted in All Shook Down
this is so true. last month when i saw the listing of all the shows at Jones Beach this summer i just laughed. it’s like the old geezer’s tour. nothing new on the bill at all.
(via fred-wilson)Reblogged from Fred Wilson Dot VC.