The Future

ofMusic

Haeyeon Choi Mackenzie LestanAnalyzing Trends

Fall 2014

How has music changed?

Most users are using internet streaming websites to listen to music.

There is a revival of the physicality of music. While vinylism and cassette tapes are booming, it is also changing due to technology.

The listening experience.

There has been many innovations due to technology that is evolving the live music show experience.

Streaming music online

There has been a decline in digital and album sales over the course of 2013-for the first time since 2001.

The music industry is ever more dependent on streaming outlets such as Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, and many others.

Streamed music sales has surpassed sales of physical music, mostly CDs which stand at 28%.

Streamed music is accounted for 27% of the music sales. Spotify has 28 million subscribers all around the world while Soundcloud hit 250 million registered users.

"Will subscription and access models be the de facto way that the majority of people will end up consuming music at some point in the future? Yes, 100 percent, I'm absolutely convinced that that will be the case.”Rob Wells, the head of global digital business at record label company, Universal Music Group.

Digital evolution

Youtube revealed Youtube Music Key, an upgrade that includes high-quality audio for most songs and gives users the opportunity to pay 8$ a month for extra features, one is being able to remove ads. It hopes to reform the reputation of music, promote songs, but one that pays pittance in royalties.

Bandcamp has a new subscribe feature that allows fans to commit to a year to support their favorite artists. Not only does this guarantee the artist a loyal fan for a year, but money is directly handled by the artists.

Drip.fm has a similar subscribe feature as Bandcamp, it is a service that allows fans to subscribe directly to record labels and artists. Drip is curated and expects artists and labels to put out new content routinely. Some well known labels include Sub pop and Ghostly.

“As recently as five years ago, free was entirely about piracy; now free is widespread and completely within the legitimate sphere. But we still have the exact same challenge we had in the golden age of piracy, which is, how do you compete with free?”Mark Mulligan, an analyst.

Throwback to vinyls & cassette tapes

Six million vinyl albums were sold in the US in 2013 and in the first six months of 2014, there has been four million sales. At this current rate more than seven million records will be sold by the end of this year.

There is a day called RecordStoreDay which was found in 2008, that celebrates independently owned record shops each year. It also inspired to have a CassetteStoreDay.

A record company named Penniback Records was found. They gear to releasing music on cassette tapes. The label has produced three albums which sold over 750 copies.

The experience

In 2011 more than 65% agreed that it is important that they own music rather than stream or rent.

Bohrman, who helps a label called Burger Records that releases many cassette tapes says, “You’re more likely to take a chance on music if it’s just costing you 5$ a tape.”He also states, “These are the people who let music come to them. You can sit and let Spotify or Soundcloud or Facebook tell you what to listen to, or you can work to find music.”

When consumers decide to listen to MP3 files or CDs they’re missing an entirely different music listening experience.

“It’s a media extravaganza because you’re actually looking at it, touching it, reading stuff on the back or inside, as opposed to turning on the computer and touching a button. (With MP3s or CDs), sound is coming, but it’s just sound to be sound. You’re listening, but you’re not hearing it. Records are a whole different experience.”Stuart Kolnick, owner of Backtrack Records.

Value

There is great sentimental value to vinyls and cassette tapes. There is a great romantic nostalgia, with music lovers that grew up with tapes in the 80s and 90s that made thematic mix tapes on double deck cassette players.

“I just like to look at them. Maybe a big part of this is that it takes me back to my youth.”Chris Pantelino, a customer at Rough Trades.

One another reason is the old school sound that tapes bring, as well as the warmer sounds vinyls bring out.

“The hiss and flat tones are part of the ‘auditory experience’ that makes cassettes a superior source of acoustical sound.”Billy Sprague, owner of Sanity Muffin a boutique tape and vinyl based in Oakland. “For young people, it’s definitely

a cultural, fashionable trendy thing to do – that’s definitely some of it. But it’s also for people that are really into music and want to really experience it and appreciate it. Whether it’s something they’ll continue to do I don’t know, but they want to discover what the hype is about, I think.”Ryan Larsen, owner of Roots Music store.

In the media...

Artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Jack White has helped the vinyl sales pass the one million mark with their new albums. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) released their

soundtrack on cassette tapes just like in the movie. Submarine (2010) and Electrick Children (2012) cassette tape music plays a recurring role throughout the movies.

Technology

Oana Croitoru designed a hand cranked vinyl player which is designed by using a 3D printed device which can play records by hand. Glue, 3D printed parts, tape, piece of paper and a needle for the amplifier is required for this vinyl player to work.

A record by vocalist, Bobbie Gordon was printed by a 3D printer by using Amanda Ghassaei’s algorithm that converts the audio data to 3D geometry data. “It’s really cool to kind of push the technology and see what you can get out of it.”

Matt Brailsford has combined technology to create Raspberry Pi. This tape player connects to Spotify that streams different playlists when different cassette tapes is inserted into the player.

Other experiences

Apple has launched Carplay, an integrated display system that allows you to play music by connecting your iphone to a compatible touch-screen enabled head unit. Any user can install the program from their phones and it will automatically connect to the head unit.

Cassette adapters for iphones allow consumers to convert the sound coming from a stereo mini-jack to a modified cassette. You slot in the cassette into the tape deck and connect the jack to your iphone. Then press play on both your iphone and car stereo.

The Lasonic Boom Box is a retro styled sound system. It features Bluetooth connectivity, USB flash disk and SD/MMC card outlets to play MP3 files. It also has a tuner for FM and AM radio. The boom box can be powered by AC power or batteries.

Innovations

Wham City Lights is an app for music live shows. Audience members download the app before the show, the performers can create a light show on participants phones to synchronize with the music. It allows the artist to control and communicate the phones on stage.

WillCall is a smartphone app that allows users to see local shows listings, listen to the artist, buy tickets, and invite friends out. It also opens up the option to tip the artists and buy t shirts.

Sonic Notify has linked up with Interscope Records that allows artists to interact with their fans. This app sends sound waves to your phone that is inaudible to the human ear. Once the waves are picked up, it can send push notifications and other multimedia onto your phones. Artists can send images, websites and a chance to vote for an encore song.

https://vimeo.com/64428699

Client: Levi’s

Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis collaborated to make the “blue jean”.

Jacob came up with the idea to put metal rivets at points of strain to make the jeans more sturdy. The riveted pants became an instant hit.

“We made our first jeans out of denim - the traditional fabric for men’s workwear. Within a very short time, the jean was a bonafide success.”

Their jeans were well known to be hand-crafted and using sturdy denim.

Between the 50’s and 80’s Levi’s jeans were popular among youth subcultures including greasers, mods, rockers, and hippies.

Client opportunities

In store workshop that allows customers to bring in their pair of Levi’s Jeans and reinvent them hands on, inspired by youth subcultures in the music scenes. One can learn how to shred, rip, dye, etc to their denim.

A weekly event that invites customers to share style denim tips and make their own mixtapes and vinyls in store and exchange them physically with one another.

Customers will be able to connect their phones to a bluetooth playlist which will allow them to play a song of their choice throughout the store. There will be a queue playlist in the store. It’s sharing music with others and also a new shopping experience

In the stores there would be a stage with a mic and other musical instruments. Customers who are already wearing Levi’s can select a new jacket temporarily and perform in front of other consumers. Many musicians are found via social media. If videos are shared there can be potential of finding new artists. It’s both promoting new talent and Levi’s.

Thank you.