INFLUENCING EMERGING MUSIC TECH CULTURE
March 9th, 2015
Thoughts from the CEO:
Happy Monday!Apple Watch: can't wait to hear the announcement. Is it time for me to retire my Pebble? I think so! SXSW mania is sweeping the nation. Every year, there are huge surprises and announcements that come out of the conference. Historically, Twitter, Foursquare and SoundTracking launched there and even the Nike Fuel Band blew up out there. It's always exciting to see the next generation of tech exploding out there on the first weekend, on top of all the talented musicians and hottest brand activations. If you're going to be in Austin, come check out our season premiere of CRWN at SXSW with Big Sean - who is currently holding the #1 album in the country on Billboard charts! Sending good energy to 2014 FlashFWD Award Winner and CEO of Insomniac Events, Pasquale Rotella. We've got Mama Irene & your family in our prayers!
- Jesse K (@JesseKay)
Record Labels
The Story Behind Shady Records
Eminem's rise to the top wasn't a fluke, and the story can't be told by just one guy. Watch Paul Rosenberg, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent discuss the Shady Records timeline.
Festival Season
Tech Paves The Way
"Millennials are an experience generation, they want you to take them somewhere unique." Technology is doing this best.
Indies
Boycott McDonald's
In an attempt to achieve relevance with millenials, McDonald's asked an indie band to play their SXSW event - for free!
Partnerships
HBO x Apple
When HBO launches its new standalone subscription service, Apple will be its exclusive partner!
iTunes x Beats
Freemium Debate
Download revenues peaking & streaming growth aren't yet able to compensate, putting freemium services under spotlight.
Shazam
Object Recognition
'Expand the universe' the CEO says. Now you can Shazam a packet of food for nutritional information - and much more!
Bandcamp
We Raised $100M!
Online music community has officially raised $100M for artists and labels for music & merchandise.