WdKA: I AM A BAND

notions of the current musical landscape by theo ploeg

who am i? @theoploeg, theo@buroneue.net

kiss: marvel comic heroes come to life

my record collection

electric shock therapy, the band (1985 - 1989)

starting a band now

taylor swift: fuck spotify

LET’S START A BAND

so…

well, that’s easy. isn’t it?

marshall mcluhan (1911-1980)

mcluhan's main thought #1: media are extensions of some human faculty

mcluhan’s main thought #2: the medium is the message

13mcluhan’s main thought #3: walking backwards into the future

in Playboy (1969)

‘The computer thus holds out the promise of a technologically

engendered state of universal understanding and unity, a state

of absorption in the logos that could knit mankind into one

family and create a perpetuity of collective harmony and peace.’

the impact of electric media

• the global village is replacing hierarchal organization by a worldwide network

• comeback of experience, feeling and involvement replacing objectification, rationalization and distance

• individualism merges into a more community based why of thinking and acting

• being instead of becoming

WTF does mcluhan mean?! - effects and affects of electric media

mcluhan’s advice: don’t drown in the media mahlström

WHAT’S GOING ON IN POP MUSIC?

let’s take mcluhan’s advice and observe what is really going on

before wo2: slaves and blues - music as social cohesion

robert johnson as the first modern troubadour

after wo2: beat generation, youth culture and independence

rock’n’roll and the rise of youth culture

sun studio, memphis tennessee

new idols and the concept of copyrights

one market, one taste

70s: pop music as mainstream consumption

the who - my generation at woodstock

70s: the sky was de limit

as it was for the record industry: the big record

• michael jackson - thriller (’82/42,3 m) • shania twain - come on over (’97/29,8 m) • led zeppelin - led zeppelin IV (’71/29 m) • fleetwood mac - rumours (’77/26,8 m) • ac/dc - back in black (’80/25,9 m) • pink floyd - dark side of the moon (’73/22,7 m) • eagles - hotel california (’76/21,5 m) • meat loaf - bat out of hell (’77/20, 5 m) • pink floyd - the wall (’79/18,1 m)

best selling albums ever

thanks the OOR archive

record company

press

distributionartist

or band

the classic music industry model

production &

copyrights management

music business

slightly different image

2005 versus 2011: the big four and their marketshare

yeah, sure ;- )

and then there was peer to peer network napster (1999-2011)

back to the data

vinyl sucks, here is the cd

indie is the new mainstream

and then 9/11 happened

SO WHAT’S THE SITUATION NOW?

post 9/11

simon reynolds - retromania (2012)

everything is always there (‘history is bunk’)

a festival a day. from mainstream…

to niche…

authentic, local and traditional stuff is hot

cassette tape and other physical media are back

also the dead album format

but streaming is also doing very well

and is can be quite lucrative

diy in the netherlands

tools for artists and bands

pop journalism is thriving

record company

press

distributionartist

or band

the classic music industry model

production &

copyrights management

new and old media to

communicate with your fans

productional equipment and

tools (software & hardware)

pop magazines and blogs

ways to distribute your music

artist or

band

possibilities to diy are bigger than ever

musical formats

record companies in all sizes

WHAT TO DO?

so, the main question is…

decide what you really want to do, then think about your businessby using for example osterwalder’s business model canvas

the sellaband example

so, the main question is… what do you really want?

then find your niche

the money question should be your last

remember: success isn’t measured by masses anymore

your band model only works with your band, and that’s fine

branding a tech company

subscription model works fine with bunker

no streaming, no music for free

don’t lie, stay close to who you are

the essence of starting a band: create a story

good luck!