I hadn’t heard about the Depeche Mode iTunes Pass fiasco:
Just recently, Apple introduced its iTunes Pass program with Depeche Mode, only to find the proposition dismantled by the internet itself. The Pass builds extras around a formal album release date, and packages everything into a multi-week program.
But all of that is predicated on scarcity and control. What happens when the album leaks? That is exactly what happened with Depeche Mode, to the surprise of few. Buyers were left holding the bag on an $18.99 extravagance, while those paying $0 were granted access to the entire album – and various extras as well.
(via Resnikoff’s Parting Shot: Not Your Father’s Release Schedule… — Digital Music News.)
Interesting attempts to innovate and consequences in the music industry right now. I’m just realizing I didn’t blog here about the Leadership Music Digital Summit Karsten and I attended a few weeks ago, and what my impressions of that were. This was basically it: there’s so much disruption in this industry right now, and some very bright minds are trying many different approaches to make something new work, find a new model, build out lucrative side businesses from that model, etc. But it seems that the disruption is happening faster than the innovation, and that’s really freaking everyone out.
I mean, truly, that was my overriding impression from that conference: not one of hope and excitement, but one of a general anxiety and fear about what happens next.
But the flip side of that is, it’s just about anyone’s game right now. Anyone with an idea could come along and innovate on behalf of music makers, and on behalf of music lovers. There certainly are innovators already. It’s just that there’s so much room for more.