![]() The Weeknd has clearly figured out the end-user experience part – so many people rushed to download Echoes of Silence that the server crashed – but he's yet to figure out how to turn the demand he's created into a windfall. Figuring out how to monetize that experience comes later. Or perhaps a better comparison would be the social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, both of which grew out of the idea that providing a unique, valuable end-user experience should always be the primary focus. It's the album equivalent of a trendy nightclub with no sign outside. Instead of devaluing the product, offering the music for free has lent it an aura of reverse prestige. The Weeknd's model is the next step in that evolution. ![]() In 2007, Radiohead released In Rainbows via a voluntary donation system in which fans and bandwagon-jumpers alike could download the album for as much or as little as they saw fit. Why should musicians?"Įven then, Ulrich's argument sounded like one that would seem fusty in 10 years, and while no one is arguing that musicians should work for free, The Weeknd's approach is proof that musicians are increasingly accepting the idea that albums, even great ones, are a means to an end. "The argument that music should be free must then mean the musicians should work for free. "It is clear, then, that if music is free for downloading, the music industry is not viable," Ulrich testified in July of 2000. ![]() The sea change has been so dramatic that it's easy to forget it was only 10 years ago that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was testifying before Congress, explaining the band's decision to sue the game-changing, peer-to-peer file sharing service Napster. ![]() The Weeknd's rapid ascendance demonstrates how drastically the approach to disseminate music and building an audience has changed in the first decade of the 21st century. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |