Recorded music

on plastic

Past, Present, &

Future

By Dan Benyamindbenyamin@gmail.comdbenyamin@gmail.com

Presented to the University of

Montana Entertainment

Management Class

April 11 2008

For educational purposes

� This presentation was a response to over one

hundred questions provided by the students of

the Entertainment Management class at the

University of Montana

� A few of the best questions are addressed in this

presentation

Forward

presentation

� Check dan.benyamin.org for a written transcript!

� “With a contrived example you can prove

anything.” – Joel Spolsky

� I am an engineer, who likes to find patterns in

chaos, then make things chaotic again

Disclaimer!

chaos, then make things chaotic again

� This is informed opinion, you can prove or

disprove it in the privacy of your own mind

� All I ask is for you to question everything!

“Where I come from CDs

are quaint souvenirs”

“I come from the future”

Start from what the

consumer really

needs, see how

technology can be technology can be

applied to solve the

problem, then make

it “insanely great”

Consumers measure value using three metrics:

1. Convenience: instant access to any content, any

time, any place

Dan’s three laws of digital entertainment

time, any place

2. Quality: Analog Tape to CD, VHS to DVD to BD

3. Content: ?

In North America, Convenience is probably the

highest valued of the three!

Now that the battle

between Blue-ray and

HD DVD is over, Blue-

ray vs. Downloading has

begun. In the digital

side of entertainment,

including movies and

music tracks, will music tracks, will

downloading

completely conquer the

market?

YES, SEE RULE #1

With album sales no longer being a cash cow for production

companies and artists alike, where do you see the future of companies and artists alike, where do you see the future of

consumer entertainment money being spent? Live shows?

Merchandise, etc?

Do you think that there is something fundamental that record

companies could do (flashier product, different medium (mini

disk, flash drive)) that could help them begin selling albums

again?

Use new

technology

creatively

Stream of

consciousness

What is the future of the middle man in

entertainment positions? As artists become

more technologically savvy, will there be a need

for managers, producers, art dealers,

songwriters, engineers? Or will art go directly

from the creator to the consumer?

Technology squeezes distances,

time, weight, and cost

This disrupts many business’

“value chain”

Don’t get caught

Do you think more bands will take

on the grassroots approach of

releasing albums that Radiohead

adopted for their last release, In

Rainbows?Rainbows?

Did the recent release of

Radiohead’s new album destroys

something that the industry has

been fighting? Or could it have

caused a shift in how music will

eventually be distributed?

Trent Reznor: “Saul’s previous record was

released in 2004 and has sold 33,897

copies.

As of 1/2/08, 154,449 people chose to

download Saul’s new record.

28,322 of those people chose to pay $5 for 28,322 of those people chose to pay $5 for

it, meaning: 18.3% chose to pay.”

What kind of shift could be made using technology to

get people who are very interested in discovering but

have no resources, no names and no direction, except

ones that are globally known?

We’ve heard a lot about grass roots marketing, how do

artists use new media to get their point across?

stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com

Do you think technology changes

entertainment or just creates a temporary

uncertainty of business models and

distribution platforms?

� Smart business follows technology, but human needs always remain the same. Is there really a plot line for a movie that hasn’t already been done by Shakespeare? Are there themes of pop music not already explored by the Beatles? Can there be an animated sitcom any better than the Simpsons?

No!

� We will witness the rise of hyper-efficient entities that can move quickly and operate with minimal costs.

� Technology will shrink the human labor standing between artist and consumer.

� Technology also empowers both ends to do more.

� Where do you fit?