Some random thoughts and ideas on music 2.0 November 7, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, DRM, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, music piracy, technology, technopreneur, web 2.0.4 comments
1- Bands should go Indie, and treat their music as water, yeah a resource which should be managed and marketed in volume, not per copies, bundling and cross selling their products as an “experience” is the way to go
2- Telcos and brands should start exploring the dance community as another untapped market, the demographics are just right for aggressive product cross selling
3- Mobile advertising is an interesting idea to explore
4- A flat music subscription fee for unlimited music downloads is another solution against music piracy in Asia
5- According to Gerd Leonhard, mobile devices are the new Internet platform, companies should harness this new territory NOW!
6- I strongly urge Major labels to work together to develop a competitor portal to itunes, this time, instead of developing another ipod, venture into mobile devices and interoperability
7- I think there is no passion in the music business anymore, well, at least in Malaysia. The executives don’t even know what the band sounds like, its just dollars and cents talk. So angry.
8- Events and concerts should start selling mobile content of their featured artist and bundle it with other merchandise. My personal case study on this is with the recent Global Gathering. 1146 ring back tone downloads in 2 days is not bad at all..
9- Mr. Sandy Monteiro, thank you for the new RBT model, now THAT new model really makes sense. I apologize for the bashing, I received info from very bad sources. As for Maxis, this new model makes more sense and on behalf of the music industry, I totally support it. I can only publish the new business mode after it is made public. Just watch out for this space!
*This is subject to changes from Maxis
** I might be removing this info if Maxis feels that it is inappropriate for me to publish this
10- I think Maliq & D’Essentials’ new album is totally AWESOME!!
DjDownload.com Mobile : First time ever in Asia! October 23, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, dj, downloads, events, mp3, music, music business, music piracy, technology.add a comment
Here ye, here ye!
I’m proud to present my latest project: djdownload.com Mobile.
Ok now for some brief history…
It all began when I found out that I had run out of stuff to play for my Dj sets…
I discovered DjDownload.com but the prices were quite painful for a once broke student like me, so I had a plan, to bring these guys available with prices adjusted to suit the local market, so there begins my journey
I’ve imagined Djdownload.com to come to our shores (Malaysia) 3 years ago and I have been emailing the guys from Djdownload for an exclusive Djdownload Asia site to be set up thus enabling us deprived Asians to buy Dance music at a cheaper “Asian” rate. Things were really slow as DjDownload felt that piracy was the utmost concerning factor, plus they didn’t see why they should lower down their prices, my angle was cheaper prices equals volume and the much cliche’ d ‘educating the public’ phrase written all over my plan. They requested tons and tons of marketing plans, business plans and sales forecasts, I was bashed up, but I soldiered on to convince those guys that there is still hope at the end of a very bleak tunnel.
Fast forward. The boom of mobile content in Asia marks a dawn of a new beginning to sales of music related products, Telcos were investing a lot in advertising, promotions and marketing initiatives, and the Major labels were still clueless as always. There! Thats my angle! I prepared a new marketing plan and proposed revenue shares between Maxis as the official Telco, DjDownload.com, Metadome as my mobile partner and myself as the consultant.
The rest is history….
So, I present you, my first pilot project with dance music, this time, with a partnership with Pervert designs for the Global Gathering event (Btw, the flyers will be distributed at the door of the event and mobile cards containing the download codes, so be a part of this history, you might never know whom you might charm at the event…HA!):
I want to believe that this is the first event in the world that features mobile content exclusively for a rave, well, at least in Asia. I don’t want to sound too excited, sheesh, I’m always excited with new stuff…To add more to my glee, Maxis is now offering DjDownload.com’s chillout selections for a new (well, not so new) product called ‘background music’, how cool is that!
O god, I need to stop this, my post is starting to sound like a marketing pitch!
p/s: Point to wap.musicunlimited.com.my on your phone’s browser and click on the music tab, you may not find naked photos of Angelina Jolie, but hey, gems come in all shapes, sizes, formats, bit rates, bla bla bla
RIM to block illegal download sites- Scapegoating at it’s best September 24, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, General, Malaysian music scene, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, music piracy.3 comments
The music industry heads here wants the government to block internet users from accessing illegal download sites. Blaming the sites for the fall of CD sales in Malaysia.
“We are feeling the pinch from foreign websites offering illegal downloads to Malaysians,” said RIM chief executive officer Tan Ngiap Foo. (The Star, 21 September 2007)
The association has proposed to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to look into this matter and they are currently preparing a list of potential sites that offer illegal downloads and plans to work closely in barring the sites, naming music.bluehyppo and bimbit.com as solutions to legal digital downloads.
According to Tan, nobody wants to buy CDs anymore, not even pirated CDs
Honestly…I think he must be out of his mind
My take:
1- Those illegal music sites that you were referring to, has got nothing to do with the plunge of CD sales
2- Digital music is the way to go, move on please
3- The more you weed them, the more they thrive from the free buzz, business case: When Russia decided to shut down AllofMp3, the site received more than a million hits in its final weeks
4- So are you saying that pirated CDs are one of Malaysia’s credible source of income for the music industry?
5- Why don’t we support more legal online retailers? Cut the dodgy MACP collections for a change
Pffft!
www.ukgmp3.co.uk- The answer to cutting edge UKG tracks without breaking your bank! September 14, 2007
Posted by ashz in Dj Gear, Music 2.0, dj, downloads, mp3, music, music business.3 comments
I’m excited, very…Why? because I just stumbled across a dedicated UK Garage MP3 store. Ah Finally! An online store which caters to a very niche genre. The site doesnt look that great but further exploring shows that this basic designed site is functional easy to browse. Labels are neatly listed on the left side and ala itunes tab makes exploring new sounds a breeze. My favorite sub genre is 4×4 or four to the floor or four by four, whichever you prefer, sounds more or less a housey version of the unmistakable skippy snare sound of 2-step garage….Well, at least through my personal interpretation of what 4×4 UK Garage is all about.
Labels such as Prolific recordings (Mj Cole’s label), Stereohype recordings and Riddler graces the categories, Juicy Joints and other labels with quality releases are covered. Gone are my days of illegal downloading! To be honest, there is not much offering of the freshest UKG cuts even on bigger MP3 stores such as DjDownload.com and not even one release under Beatport. Now this breaks my heart…Until this site which I just discovered recently from Duncan Powell’s website.
And a brief history of the site, which was nicked from the ‘About us’ section:
The site is owned and operated by Ultimate Dance Music Ltd and was launched in September 2007. Many of you will know us as UDM Records or www.udm.co.uk, an online & onland DJ Store based in Enfield, North London.
For those of you who dont know UDM, here’s a brief history. UDM has been trading as a DJ Equipment & Vinyl store since 1995 and has been at the forefront of Music & Hardware retailing, specialising in Leading brand DJ Equipment & Uk Garage & House Music.
From the owner [a dj since 1986] through to the staff [including DJ Kanga - sales manager & nu skool ukg dj] we have an extensive knowledge of UK Garage Music and through this webstore we will be bringing you not only the finest music, but un-released & exclusive ukg from the hottest producers on the planet - the biggest music makers & tastemakers the UKG scene has to offer!
Options for beatmakers to sell their music via the site is also apparent, this is really encouraging for bedroom producers to sell their tracks rather than just leaving your beats rotting in your hard drive.
Check out the site and lose yourselves!
Now I just have to save those extra pennies…..
6ixth sense is number 4 on the ERA.FM local chart! September 3, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, General, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, technopreneur.6 comments
I received an SMS from my boss last weekend. I was still groggy from the whole Malaysian Independence Day celebration, my head was still dizzy and good news is always welcome. Our project band 6ixth sense is at number 4 in the local charts now. I swear I can hear my boss screaming with joy on the other end. Unconvinced, I browsed the site and Lo! I was in tears. Our hard work is really really paying us off. In fact, further internet discoveries showed that the single has been receiving very positive feedback indeed. Oh by the way, look out for the video clip which shall be aired via Hotlink’s TV spot soon!
Crazy innit?
Notice that last week the song was at number 13 and shot straight up after the video clip was released in Youtube. My assumption is that users whom viewed the video clip were really into the song, thus, spreading the virus even further to their mates? Or perhaps our viral newsletters affect users in some way that it created alot of buzz? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure
Okay here are my action plans to boost up the song in the chart:
1- Send out more viral newsletters
2- Mention about this achievement in our weekly tabloid insertions
…And we shall see whether this goes as planned!
Nitrus- Another cool band signed under Metadome! August 29, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business.1 comment so far
Metadome has signed another band. This time, its Nitrus. Another undiscovered band whom reeks with potential. We are coming up with another cool concept for Ramadhan and I really hope it works. I have this feeling that its going to be another crazy quarter for my company. I am trying my very best in cooking some sort of a viral marketing plan. I hope it works, because to tell you honestly, the concept is very new in Malaysia and I don’t know whether it will work. As it stands, the band has already started recording their songs and shall be launched after Ramadhan. The execution is going to be intense and we are devising something for the Indonesian market. I hate to tell you more because then you guys will feel that I’m bragging. The truth is, I’m just so very excited of this new project. For some info and snippets of their songs, goto their Myspace page.
The project is going to be similar to the project band that we’ve helped to launch to critical digital download success, I hope to achieve the same thing, oh did I tell you that 6ixth sense is about to penetrate the Indonesian market now? The funny part is that they had to be rebranded as ‘Tirta’ because there is already another Indonesian band with the same name! Talk about competition!
It has been a very hectic month for my company, with Malaysia’s Independence Day celebration and all. My work is really piling up and I’m drowning very very fast. I just need to get myself organized. Today would be a half day at work for me as Peter Pan (the Indonesian band, not the mythical character!) is coming down for a photoshoot in Kuala Lumpur and I’m in charge to babysit them. Benny, their manager asked me to take him to some motorbike shops around town to source out parts for his Gilera DNA, so I bet its gonna be very very hectic with the traffic jam and all.
I have to get myself a Gilera as well….
Universal music drops D.R.M- I Told You!! August 13, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, DRM, General, Malaysian music scene, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, music piracy.add a comment
Yup, you heard it right! Universal, the biggest major record label has dropped its copy protection. Well, not entirely. They’ve agreed to drop DRM from a significant amount of content from their existing repertoire. This move is an Industry experiment to see how does this affect the consumer market and if thing look promising, they might drop DRM entirely.
But the music will not be offered D.R.M.-free through Apple’s iTunes, the leading music service. I think this is to level the playing field and would also be a litmus test to gauge downloads from other stores such as Realnetworks or Wal-Mart. In fact, Universal has notified Apple that it would not commit to a long term agreement to sell music through iTunes. As for the pricing, I’m not sure, they might price it US1.29 per download, something similar to EMI’s move, but nevertheless, this shall pressure other record labels to follow suit. Based on predictions, DRM will be dropped entirely by end of this year.
I would really like to see the progress of this, now with the shackles removed, lets put money where our mouth is!
Will digital music downloads affect CD sales?- Some people just dont get it! August 9, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, DRM, General, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, technology, web 2.0.add a comment
I read an article in Berita Harian covering the effects of digital music on CD sales. The article mentioned Metadome Sdn Bhd as the pioneer CP that embarked on releasing our very first digital release band. The article also interviewed Mr Sandy Monteiro on his take regarding digital music and his views on the plunge of CD sales in Malaysia. According to the article, he mentioned that CD sales is not and will not be affected by the advent of digital releases and new technologies which should be embraced as part of our consumer lifestyle on how we should view music. Big ups to him for highlighting the effects of blogs as a formidable marketing tool and that veterans in the industry should step down thus giving way for new blood to run the business. This is the first article from Malaysia that suggests to embrace technology rather that going against it.
I have a feeling that the reporter (Farihad Shalla Mahmud) didn’t really understand what he was writing about and it showed his lack of research of digital music and the advent of this new industry buzzword. One of his questions was whether digital music will directly contribute to the “death” of physical releases. I strongly feel the he still thinks digital music as a threat rather then an advancement. Bollocks.
Another “interesting” question from Farihad: How would the masses respond to digital music?
Blardy har har. He failed to grasp the concept of what digital music is all about. Its not a genre or a product, it’s a delivery format. This is so embarrassing coming from a so called entertainment reporter.
Mr. Sandy, if you are reading this, even if there are still demand for cassettes or CDs like you mentioned, then why on earth did Tower records has already went out of business in the States? You mentioned that the digital music format can co-exist with Cds and Cassettes, but don’t you think in less than 10 years time, CDs and Cassettes would be as dead as Vinyl records or hey, remember the cartridge format? My view on this is that digital releases wont “kill” the latter format, it’s what you call evolution of the way consumers consume, view, discover, and experience music.
So here are my queries and suggestions:
1- Why haven’t major labels setup an online music store? This would balance the competition with Steve jobs…heh
2- When will the major labels offer music subscription services?
3- If CD sales are still promising, then why on earth is Eminem suing Apple?
4- Mr. Sandy, RM29.90 for a CD is still expensive. I have an idea for you, if you still feel that CD sales are the way to go, then lets do this: A store which offers consumers to pick and choose their own tracks which is priced according to song popularity or market demand, and on the spot burning facilities. Users will then may have the option to choose how many tracks they want on their CD, design their own cover art, or print the album cover complete with tracklistings, lyrics, images and probably other customization services. Its simply similar to a buffet style store selling music. Perhaps you might want to consider selling on the spot mobile content as well, bla bla bla…My 2 cents
What do the rest of you think?
6ixth sense’s the making of the album video on youtube August 8, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, mp3, music, music business, web 2.0.add a comment
For all of you who has been wondering what has been happening behind Metadome’s closed doors has been pretty crazy with the launch of this band. To be honest with you, this band is my company’s pet project and I was the one hired to manage the entire production. Super crazy when you had to do everything by yourself. I’ve learned alot in the process and I discovered that to really launch a band is pretty hard indeed, the preparations, planning bla bla bla, but it has been worthwhile. I wish I could post up more behind the scene videos but truthfully, this video is the result of the best shots and candids compiled into one. Hopefully this is my first step to virally infect the masses.
The video for their hit single ‘Tak Bisa Memilihmu’ will be up soon! So stay tuned!
6ixth sense- Top Download on Musicunlimited.com.my! August 6, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, General, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, technology, web 2.0.2 comments
This is some good news! remember my industry experiment with a band called 6ixth sense? Well, I basically just discovered that they are one of the top most downloaded band on musicunlimited.com.my! Horrayy!
So…
Will this be the dawn of music marketing in Malaysia/Asia? We shall see. More updates coming. Watch this space!
