Marko's Blog .... en <![CDATA[a quick look at the long tail]]> Music is really long tail - in 2007, 450,344 of the 570,000 albums sold were purchased less than 100 times. 1,000 albums accounted for 50% of all album sales. -  The music industry had its biggest sales week since they started keeping records, with 58 million units sold in the last week of 2007. The previous record was 47 million during the last week of 2006. - 13% of all album sales come from American Idol and the Disney franchises.

for a much more in depth look, click here for the full pdf from your pals at NARM.

]]> Tue, 13 May 2008 10:10:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192809_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[into the wild...]]> three fold post today, back the content v conversation for a sec.

part one, content distribution.  the convenience of delivery of digital content via the web is an amazing proposition, that we are just beginning to see the impact (both positive & negative) on the creative economy.

there are certainly challenges - the old "if a tree falls in the woods" problem comes top of mind - but overall, the idea that i can decide to watch a movie while cooking up a plate of spagetti (with a side of pumpernickel bread!) at 8:05pm and at 8:11pm be watching my selection can only be good for creators and their audience.  and i can do that on my cable system (or satellite), on TiVo (to some extent), using netflix or blockbuster (provided you are a much less spontanious guy than i am) or on iTunes - which of course was my choice.  why you ask?  because you have a mancrush on steve jobs?  well, yes, i do have a mancrush on steve, but thats not why.  ever used the UI/UX on the cable box, not to mention the remote?  it sucks (and not well...)  find me a company better at UI than apple (please...i'd buy their stuff!)

part two, the content.  so, i had an itch for comedy, but as i browsed my options (which are still light to say the least...why the hell would "caddyshack" not be available, hello, long tail kids!!) i found a film i wanted to see because of the music.  i am a pearl jam freak - and by proxy, eddie vedder.  eddie was partially responsible for the soundtrack, and my pal charles gave me a copy of the record a while back.  its a lovely, sprawling record.  if you've ever felt like running away from this crazy world we live in, the film is a must see.  along with a great story, the cinematography is stunning!  I wont go into the details of the film beyond that, check the trailer, it will give you a good sense of the film.

part three, the conversation.  so i am watching this film (that i got in under 5 mins directly into my house) having a little dinner, just looking to unplug my brain and enjoy a little non-thinking time, when this little gem pops out of the content at me:

"The core of man's spirit comes from new experiences..."

and off goes my brain.  thinking about how relevant that is to me where i am.  we are getting ready to open an office in london in the next couple months, and as part of that, i am going to spend a couple weeks there (and in other parts of europe) helping to set the operation up, set the team on the right course, learn a bit more about the local landscape (including a few beers with Vito), and then, perhaps, take a week of vacation and do a little walking about.  that will be quite the new experience.  and in watching this film, it made me feel more excited about the possibilities as i watched him have his.  it also reminded me that the experience will be in the small things, not the big things.  stonehenge (a must visit if you are in the music biz) will be great.  but what will be greater will be a dinner with friends, a cafe near the hotel where the people watching will be fabo, or that unexpected connection with someone new.  there are no accidents in God's world in my experience.

So, all that to say this.  all this technology just creates more opportunities to put content into the hands of more people, more quickly, for less money.  and, that content creates more conversations than ever before.  and how can that be bad?

]]> Sat, 10 May 2008 14:25:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192784_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[the new paradigm]]> another reflection of the changing of the times.  and wow, a dream come true for tommy decarlo.  and if you love boston (the band) its good news for you in light of the brad tragedy.

]]> Fri, 9 May 2008 11:10:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192799_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[I am Freeloader]]> People in the music business are a bunch of freeloaders, and I may be the biggest one of all. I go through great trouble, spend a lot of time, and endure complicated multi-step processes to ensure that I get something for free: a record, a +1, a laminate, a parking space, and the list goes on.

I’d like to say it’s me railing against the establishment, a carryover from my high school days when my glove box was a cornucopia of modified IDs, sharpies, stamps, inks, and plastic bracelets-- tools to grant me free access into the 21 and up clubs where my favorite bands played, but I don’t think that’s it. There is nothing noble about it.  I am cheap and prone to a feeling of that nastiest of traits: entitlement.

Part of it may be vanity. There’s nothing like the powerful and self-assured tone one takes as they proclaim to the doorman or the will-call attendant, “I’m on the list. [State your name] plus [number of guests you’ve used your freeloading abilities to tow along.]” I don’t think Neil Armstrong sounded so bold when he planted his airtight booted foot into that fluffy moon dirt.
 
If we aren’t making money selling records and if performing is the new bread and butter for both artist and industry, then what does it mean when we don’t want to buy our own stuff, our own concert experiences? What are we supporting, who are we supporting and is it really us in the music industry who are the biggest hypocrites in this panicked world of “why won’t people pay for music?”
 
Did we stop taking care of the fans to tend the industry freeloaders like me?  Have the fans ever been taken care of or are they getting smarter, more sophisticated, and expecting more?
 
A couple of years ago, I spent an entire summer in the UK bouncing from festival to festival (for free of course). I noticed a big difference in the way the different festivals were handled.
 
One festival was particularly well run. The Green Man Festival, a fledgling affair in the Welsh countryside. In spite of a week’s worth of rain leading up to the festival, it was still clean, there were clear pathways, tidy, well-organized campgrounds, polite but firm security and willing-to-help volunteers seemingly everywhere.
 
Everyone mingled. Artists, big ones, like Robert Plant walked freely. Musicians, fans, industry folks: everyone celebrated this weekend of true democracy or socialism depending on how your boat floats. No one was chasing level after level of exclusivity. No one felt excluded. We all felt like friends invited to a party put on by the organizers and promoters. We felt like we mattered, we felt like a part of something, but most of all we felt like we were being taken care of.
 
On a smaller scale, this happens every night here in Nashville. House bands pass the hat to their non-paying audience that might have been turned around by a $3 or $5 cover charge. If the band has done their job, you’ll usually see a healthy pile of $5s and $10s (and maybe a $20 or two) given gladly by a crowd grateful for a good time.
 
Maybe instead of burning time and energy getting something for nothing, maybe we (read “I”) could invest those resources in figuring out how to look after the fans, how to create an experience that you’re thankful to pay for?

]]> Wed, 7 May 2008 15:05:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192785_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[a smattering of news...]]> so its not a brutal day of news, so i spent a little time trying to unearth some work by bob cesca (because of the first story in the post...) check it out, its freakin hilarious...and BTW, i LOVE metallica...

Metallica's outspoken drummer talks embracing the Web - but this is what lars use to say!

Does She Look Like a Music Pirate? - this is a pretty interesting article, do you think she'll win?

Coldplay to give next single away for free - i'm sensing a pattern here...

Labels Sue Project Playlist On Copyright - and another pattern!

and now, for some good news:

Broadband 2.0 Poised to Reshape Web, TV - we can solve any problem we put our mind to solving.

iTunes May Capture One-Quarter of Worldwide Music by 2012 - build a better mousetrap!

its quite lovely reading...for all your spare time! happy monday!

]]> Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:40:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192723_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[old media fun]]> business booya!" and its co-hosted by rob hill & kimberly lexow.  i was not familar with the show, which is basically a 1 hour free form talk radio bit, where they bring in interesting entrepreneurs to chat about the challenges of running a business.

the conversation was lively, and both rob and kimberly asked great questions.  its challenging to explain concepts that seem so natural for me to others.  i see conversations like this as an opportunity to sharpen my listening and speaking skills, as well as a great way to practice "the message" of the business and my personal philosophies.

the show is in an odd slot time wise, guessing the size of the audience was pretty light, but often i have been an audience of one and heard just what i needed to hear...so, hope it was helpful.  the show aired live, dunno if it will be available online or as a rebroadcast, check WLAC's site for more info.]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:00:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192706_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[raise your hands!]]> the past couple days, we have had some clients in town doing some heavy lifting around a project we are about to launch. to help that little group of echopeeps (laura, sloane and their minions) and their counterparts (pam, charmaine, sandy, & sara) blow off a little steam (and to perhaps plant a couple of business seeds for the future) we decided to take the crew to the Bon Jovi show at the Sommet Center in nashvegas last night.

i don't think i will ever take for granted how much fun it is to go to a show, but for me the reasons are different than they use to be as a pure fan. once you've been to the other side of the world, you never look at things the same way. that being said, to go with people who to whom live music is a rarity rather than the norm, their excitement is contagious, and for a little while, i am returned to that pure fan place that is so cool to be...

and this group of ladies (and a good sized echo crew) was particularly fun for a couple reasons. first, we had a couple hard core Bon Jovi fans in the group, and they were FIRED UP about the show (the pic above was provided by Sara...) second, charmaine had NEVER been to a concert - in her life! she got quite an induction to the live experience!

the Bon Jovi team was very kind to us, and provided great access to the show, and the ladies were treated to the VIP experience, an experience by the way, that pure fans pay big money for - and in my mind, its worth it. there is a fair amount of debate in the music world these days about these kinds of VIP packages, but from my experience, there is little to debate about - its valuable to people or they wouldn't pay. so our friends got to see the show from good seats, with a slight buzz on (ok, maybe more than slight for a few), catch the side stage view (the band may have sweated on a few of us!) and got a view of the "business" of putting on a show backstage. i was shuttling the crew back to the bowels of the operation, which to me is the new buzz to replace the "pure fan" i use to get. knowing how to navigate backstage is an art in itself, and to wheel them around and have them so excited, was, well, exciting!

bon jovi is the new rolling stones (i know i will hear about this one...) there are very few acts going forward that are going to be able to fill an arena going forward, but this will be one of them. the joint was full to the roof, and the band gave the people who came a stellar show. jon is a frontman extraordinaire, the band is tight, great staging, and the run the entire thing as a well oiled machine.

and everyone was able to forget their troubles, work, spats, and put their hands in the air and sing "You were born to be my baby...and I was made to be your man...we’ve got something to believe in even if we don’t know where we stand...only God knows the future and I guess he must have had a plan, you were born to be my BABY and baby I was made to be your man....na na na na na na....na na na na na..." and everything was right with the world for a couple hours.

and that, is the power of music.

]]> Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:20:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192705_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[thought for the day]]> "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."

- Hunter S. Thompson

]]> Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:25:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192666_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[short and sweet]]> click here.

and, unrelated, a great interview with an old school music biz kneecapper. its quite funny!
]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:20:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192663_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[life is not a straight line...]]> i often here something (or overhear something) that i email to myself or toss on the notepad on the iphone, it ends up as a blog title (headlines baby!) that sits until i get inspired to finish it...

as of late, this idea of life not being a straight line seems to be front and center. in life, in total, there are many forks in the road...personally, professionally, physically...and it seems like there are more forks in the road as of late.

so how do you deal with it? how i deal it is with a couple simple mantra's: "you are right where you are suppose to be", "how important is it?", and "don't take yourself so g*dd@mn seriously - or its shorthand rule 62." thinking about getting a tattoo of rule 62 to remind myself that its just not that important, any of it.

our job on this planet is simple really, to enjoy life one moment at a time. if you've figured out how to do that, please, share!

]]> Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:10:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192522_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[the second hello]]>
Okay, I'll say it... Up until now the Web wasn't anything terribly new. To say that that the Web, as a whole, was interactive before 2007 is like saying that the remote on your television made it interactive (and that happened over 50 years ago). Up until about a year ago, the Web as the masses knew it was basically a series of interactive posters and videos that had a remote control built into them. Was it more convenient than a TV, a remote and a copy of TV Guide? Absolutely. But not a legitimate two-way medium. Not even close. The key was even in the mantra of the early Web -- "Content is king."

So what has changed? What's new? It isn't access to content. That's just scaling and it's been happening for years (networks to cable TV, AM to FM to satellite radio, etc.). Being able to generate and distribute your own content isn't really even new. Again, that's just publishing from the other perspective. The serious change -- the real revolution -- is in the timing. And the motivation. For the first time in history, you can react IN REAL TIME to what is being said. And you can realistically expect the creator of the original post and others to hear you and react. You can be a part of a conversation. Or you can start your own. An actual honest-to-God conversation. WIth anyone in the world. In real time. Is that frickin' amazing or what?

When Kanye posts about that pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses he loves and you comment on it, he reads it. He really does. Maybe not always, but often. Ask Keith Urban a question and he may answer it that night in a video he shoots on the bus after his concert. Or Dierks Bentley may decide to ask you what tracks he should put on his Greatest Hits CD and alter the track list based on your input. Will any of those conversations change the world? Probably not. But that connection is real. For you and for them. And for the thousands of others who either join the conversation or listen in quietly.

So when we talk about "the second hello," that is what we're talking about. The power of conversation. The Web is no longer about talking, it's about listening. And, together, we all decide where the conversation goes. And how it evolves. If the conversation goes somewhere that people don't find interesting, they'll change the topic. And if they can't change the topic, they'll leave. And make no mistake about it, they have a million other places they can go. Places where they can be heard. Because the revolution is real -- it isn't just about content, it's about conversation.



The Second Hello. (Part Two of Two)

It's happening all around us. The focus of the Web is shifting from content to conversation. And not only is it happening, but the shift is fundamental. And irreversible. Conversation is such a simple pleasure. An ancient art. How could such a basic, natural and human interaction revolutionize the leading edge of technology? The answer is shockingly simple. And what at first seems like irony is actually the pivotal truth. The simplicity and humanity aren't the disconnect, they are the answer.

Though it tends to get lost in the fervor, technology isn't the point. It's the tool. The point always comes back to our most basic primal needs. That list includes tangibles like food, clothing and shelter. And it also has intangibles like security and connection. Technology that lasts does so by answering a core need. It gives us better access to food, clothing or shelter (or access to better versions of those). So we use Tyvek™ to waterproof our homes. We use herbicides to grow more corn. Those things (or versions of them) aren't going anywhere. But things that don't address those core needs -- Furby™ for instance -- fade away. In this case, technology enables conversation. Conversation is connection. And we need connection.

Need. That's the difference. We want content. But we need connection. Content is nice, but connection is necessary. The latest music or TV show or blog post (yes, like this one) is great. It engages us. It informs and entertains us. But if it doesn't address a core human need, it's nothing more than a passing amusement. You can live a perfectly happy life without television. Same with the Web. But we are social animals. And at a time when we are physically farther apart than we've ever been, the Web is enabling us to reconnect, to have an ongoing conversation with someone half a world away. Someone from our past or someone whom we might've never met. The experience may be virtual, but the connection is real. We even use the virtual connections to reach out in the physical world. We go on the Web to buy tickets to a concert where we and our friends stand next to 15,000 other people who share that passion and that experience. And that shared experience drives the connection even deeper. And makes it more real.

So when someone talks about the trendiness of Web 2.0 or the passing fad of social networks, think of the bigger context. MySpace and Facebook are not the revolution, but they are benefitting from it. And long after they and their offspring have become footnotes in a high school history lesson, the fundamental truth will remain. We have found a new way to use technology to have a conversation. That conversation addresses a core need we have to connect to one another. And that need isn't going anywhere.]]> Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:10:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192656_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[know who wrote this?]]> this is a little piece of brilliance that i feel compelled to bring back to the top of the heap of brilliant things written or said every once in a while (mostly for my own benefit!)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you.

We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just some of us. It's in everyone.

And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.


nuff said, go get em!
]]> Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:20:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192567_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[the promise of digital]]> so i heard a great story over a cup of coffee with my pal and cohort, brad henderson. he was relaying to me his new world digital music experience that happened in the - wait for it - dentist office! not where you think you'd have your brave new world experience, but that is part of the beauty of the process...

while waiting to be drilled in the chair, a spot of reading commenced. while browsing his favorite music mag, the article about REM intrugued our hero. after a couple paragraphs, interest in the new record Accelerate was peaked. sitting next to him was his iPhone, with the iTunes store on the phone. and the dentist had a high speed wi-fi connection. eureka!

while reading the rest of the article, he previewed tracks, and after hearing a couple, bought the record. when he got back to his computer, he synch'd his phone, and Accelerate moved to his laptop, and when he got home, he could stream it on his wireless network, burn it to a CD, share it with friends (gasp!), whatever he wants...

think about it. 5 years ago, that scenerio would have played out more like this: after reading the article, a quick stop by the local tower. but because he was crunched for time, tower would have to wait until the weekend. arrive at tower, have a punk with a nose-ring look sideways and say "the new REM? really? ok, lemme check..." to find out it was out of stock (or lets say it was in stock...) now, pay, unwrap, and put the disc in the car. and behind that transaction, there was a pressing plant, a distribution center, freight, stocking (and eventually un-stocking), accounting, hell, a ton of moving pieces. and, time...weeks and weeks of time...

today, you can record a song and release it the next day. or, if you want to put it on the DSP's, might take an extra week. and many of the processes listed above (an incomplete list btw) are eliminated. a problem for those who provided all that infrastructure? yup! a problem for content creators going forward? nope! rather, its the opportunity for the creative community...

the ability to hear or read about an artist, song, whatever, in one medium...and in a matter of minutes, to own that content and be free to use it to enhance your life and the lives of others around you...that's what its all about...it is the promise of digital!

what a great time to be in the music business!

]]> Wed, 9 Apr 2008 20:45:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192566_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[little big town]]> so i almost never gush (ok, i do, but thats beside the point) about a specific band, but you have to check out the track "Vapor" by Little Big Town...man, what a killer track and killer band...

]]> Tue, 8 Apr 2008 10:55:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192546_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[a smattering of news...]]> so a little news from the web...last week was moving so fast, nice to see things at a trickle for once!

Amazon Accelerates Its Move to Digital - and who isn't doing this? come on kids, insight!!

iTunes Gains Popularity As Online Music Brand, MySpace Wanes - so lets see, many traditional players are now finally hip to myspace, and are trying to punish apple for their success...feels like 99' all over again!

Imeem Confirms Snocap Acquisition - as the article says, "with no other buyers" the snocap play was a great experiment, but proved that very few folks on myspace were actually interested in purchasing anything off the site (distribution is now the easy part, its the demand creation that will be the real trick!)

enjoy the day, its the only one you got!

]]> Tue, 8 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192545_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[come on, just one bite?]]> ]]> Sat, 5 Apr 2008 19:35:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192538_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[pretty hot day around the news desk]]> so its a busy one today, some of its pretty interesting, right to it:

MySpace Announces Online Music Business - interesting, wonder how they are going to make sales of downloads work where snocap failed? do people really buy stuff (or look at ads) on myspace?

In Rapper’s Deal, a New Model for Music Business - this reporter has no idea that this is not the new music biz, its the old business in a new wrapper (pardon the pun!)

Apple passes Wal-Mart, now #1 music retailer in US - funny, i was just talking about this with someone today and we were betting when...i think i just won a steak!

read a nice little Q&A with EMI's new digital geek here - he's saying all the right stuff, and very little bagagge to carry to his new office! and for you fans of mole-esque thinking here, what if this is just a temporary job placement so google can get the ship in order before they buy EMI?

apple owns 29% of the laptop market - as a steve worshiper, i felt compelled to post this (rubbing it in feels good on this one...) great design and UI triumphs

happy reading, i'm done!

]]> Thu, 3 Apr 2008 13:40:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192521_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[nice move mr. hand]]> here.
]]> Wed, 2 Apr 2008 21:15:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192520_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[why i do this]]> so last night i got a great reminder of why i am in this business. one of echo's flagship clients dierks bentley hosted a "town hall meeting" on a cool little service to talk about his new album (and whatever else the fans wanted to chat about...which was quite a bit...) and to sit in the room and watch it unfold was too cool.

the rules have changed, and while we are very early into the new game, its good to be sitting where we sit. engaged, curious, excited, seeing no limits (except our own time...)

this becomes less and less about speed, UI, and platform, and more and more about communciation (one of our motto's internally is its not about content, its about communication) not that UI and platform aren't important, but those barriers are coming down all to quickly for the old guard.

the ability of the fan of a brand to talk directly to that brand exists today. what we do with it will define an (our) organizations success in the next 5 years. we are failing all the time, and throught those failures, we will succeed. last night was a great example of an attempt that succeeded. there were several "favorite spots" in that moment in time...but if i had to pick one, it was the calls for DB to "play a song." so we grabbe a little Maton guitar (a Keith Urban favorite) and Dierks took requests on the fly...too freakin cool...and the fans loved it!

to quote my favorite bald guy:

Music is social. Music is current and everchanging. And most of all, music requires musicians. The winners in the music business of tomorrow are individuals and organizations that create communities, connect people, spread ideas and act as the hub of the wheel... indispensable and well-compensated.

connecting the artist to the audience. its the place to be. check out the archive.

]]> Wed, 2 Apr 2008 12:15:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192502_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog<![CDATA[ahh, the plot thickens (more...)]]> click!
]]> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:40:00 -0500 http://www.helloecho.com/?em2214=192494_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&content=markos_blog