Matt Kiser: The Blueprint: A Five-Point Plan for the Future of Media
At SPIN, we believe that magazine-grade music journalism on the Web is the future of our business; premium content pays in other words. If that sounds scary in a world of Demand Media and SEO wizardry, just look at what Bill Simmons has done with Grantland.
This post is inspired by a…
I couldn’t agree more with what’s said here.
Source: matt-kiser
Drawing the Line of Personal Privacy Online: Where is it?
The more that I work as a journalist and as a writer, the more I feel the need/desire to censor myself—even just for personal space reasons. I’m a public person for the sole fact that I work in journalism, so boundaries between personal and professional have to be in place to some degree…you have to maintain some level of personal and professional integrity.
The internet was born and came of age after I was born, so the compulsion to share everything and anything about oneself is something I thankfully lack. However, I have struggled at times in deciding what to share of my personal life on this blog and other social media platforms—what do you share that will connect with your readers? What do you share to build some sense of a relationship/friendship with said readers? After all, social media is about and is formed around community, is it not?
Still, I try to keep my personal life out of it…most of the time.
This doesn’t exactly happen when it comes to writing about music. Music is such a visceral experience and the joy in sharing music with others revolves around that innate relationship we all have to music—removing personal experience just isn’t possible. I have the wonderful consequence of listening to some amazing sounds, boomeranging conversations with some prolific songwriters and composers, and at the end of the day teem with an intangible resulting spark.
My work in the industry has undoubtedly led to relationships and friendships that I wouldn’t trade for anything…you find your people where you find your people. What I haven’t wasn’t prepared for (who knows why? It’s the music industry, right?) were groupies (theirs, not mine.) Groupies are different than hardcore fans (All groupies are fans, but not all fans are groupies.) and the lack of distinction between what is appropriate to share and what is far too personal to blast to “public” people IN PUBLIC has me wondering what the hell happened.
Am I just behind on a trend that I find appalling? Or am I the weirdo that looks at the trend of over-sharing personal information as a voluntary violation of personal privacy? Granted, it’s not just groupies that do it…I guess that everyone wants the fifteen minutes of fame that Warhol guaranteed all those years ago. Or perhaps I’m still wrapped up in Marshall McLuhan’s “the message is in the medium.”
So where do you draw it? How personal is too personal? How personal is not personal enough?
And what is the kicker in setting those boundaries?
The Continued Importance of Radio Play: It’s Not What You Think
Pre-internet days, getting major radio play was a big deal—it was the only way to reach a large audience all at once, save for getting a spot at one of the big music festivals. Obviously, getting a video on MTV or VH1 also meant global reach—a viable excuse for spending ridiculous amounts of money on headline directors, special FX, and whatever else might elevate those five minutes on a godlike pedestal. As a musician and from major label perspectives, you were a success if you landed a Top 10 hit.
For music snobs, however, getting instant replay on the radio was reason enough to abandon a previously unknown band/musician (or at least unknown to the masses) as you retorted, “Sellout!” because they suddenly weren’t considered “independent music.” Getting play on the college station or NPR was still cool and respectable and all of us music snobs still fished for new tunes at live shows/concerts/house parties, mixtapes, and digging around on forums like Discogs once our internet connections were morsels faster than dial-up.
So what happened when everything went digital and online?
Our listening habits went digital and online. Why listen to the radio in your car when there’s SiriusXM or your iPod or a mix CD of tracks you lifted illegally from file-sharing services like Napster? (Not encouraging illegal downloads here. Pay for your music.) If you’re hip, you know about We Are Hunted, Hype Machine, and music blogs in general—you don’t need the radio. College stations like Radio1190 started streaming online, podcasts were invented, Pitchfork launched, and YouTube allowed for an influx of DIY music videos. In short, the internet facilitated discovery of spectacular unknown music and made more accessible the coolness factor associated with one’s music taste.
Fast forward to early 2011 when Arcade Fire took Album of the Year at the Grammys with the distinction of not being signed to a major label. Surprising? No. It was only a matter of time. That so many people in the industry and general population were blindsided was surprising. Where on earth had THEY been and what were they listening to?
Point: Radio play remains important—if only to understand the overlap of popularity between the internet and whatever Clear Channel is slinging. Does that change the opinion of a band receiving “airplay” on both mediums? Maybe. Maybe not. For music snobs, however, it might prove enlightening about their status as music snobs. Oh, no. Heaven forbid you might enjoy some of the same tunes that the lowly general public likes.
Out of my head and into my ears
I can’t complain about how I make my living: I write…and I write mostly about music. I go to shows for free, I hang out with musicians, and I get to listen to some of the most spectacular tunes being composed right now. It’s not all good—sometimes I’m overbooked to the point that going to one more show makes me want to run to my bed, sometimes the venue management and security are morons (no heat during a show in November? When it’s 20 degrees outside? Seriously?), and sometimes the album is a horrible ripoff imitation of music that came out 20 years ago and I want to bang my head on the table…but don’t because it’s not headbanger metal.
Either way, the last year heard the good, the bad, and the “why on earth did I voluntarily put myself through that?”
The Good
Hands-down, these bands and musicians rocked my speakers and my ears.
- Blue Sky Black Death: For fans of instrumental hip-hop, it doesn’t get much better than this. Again, this was a group that has continually colored my speakers the last couple of years.
- Fotoshop: This was a serendipitous find during a night of blog-surfing—electronica that’s reminiscent of Brian Eno at certain points and then completely original at others.
- Beirut: See this band in person. Their studio work, while a treat for the ears, cannot compare to experiencing them live. Yes, it is an experience and one unlike any other.
- KMFDM: What better way to knock off a bucket list item than getting paid to photograph and review a band that you’ve wanted to see live for more than a decade?
By and far, however, the most spectacular band I’ve crossed paths with recently is Army of the Universe—an English-singing Italian industrial band whose debut album was produced by Chris Vrenna. There is something untouchable about this trio—the music alone is accessible in a way that most industrial music is not. There’s a strange nostalgia about the sound, but in no way is it dated.
The Bad
There’s been little music I’ve heard that has rendered itself a poor review. However, efforts from The Horrors, Ginuwine, and Off Color certainly made my ears bleed in a bad way and seeing Billy Corgan “cover” the Smashing Pumpkins live as “The Smashing Pumpkins” made my skin crawl. Maybe it’s time to retire the moniker since none of the other band members remain?
Again, though, I can’t complain.
I had the pleasure of Interviewing Mr. Hoffman earlier this year when this was obviously still in works… NBS is a great company with a tremendous amount of talent behind its doors. I’m thrilled to see its evolution to this -it’s going to entirely change how the business of the music business is played! Way to go David and team. :)
Source: davidhoffman
