Godin on the Music Industry

Best selling author and marketing guru Seth Godin set his sights on the music industry recently and created a must read manifesto for Music 2.0 that both buries the past (DRM) and points the way forward with permission marketing interactivity and building community. Some highlights:

“Copy protection in a digital age is a pipe dream”

“Permission is an asset to be earned. The ability (not the right, but the privilege) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who want to get them. For ten years, the music business has been steadfastly avoiding this opportunity…(But) many musicians have understood that all they need to make a (very good) living is to have 10,000 fans. 10,000 people who look forward to the next record, who are willing to trek out to the next concert. Add 7 fans a day and you’re done in 5 years. Set for life…”

“The best time to change your business model is while you still have momentum.” 

“Remember the Bob Dylan rule: it’s not just a record, it’s a movement…Bob and his handlers have a long track record of finding movements. Anti-war movements, sure, but also rock movies, the Grateful Dead, SACDs, Christian rock and Apple fanboys. What Bob has done…is seek out groups that want to be connected and he works to become the connecting the point.”

“Don’t panic when the new business model isn’t as ‘clean’ as the old one.”

“The biggest opportunity for the music business is to combine permission with subscription. The possibilities are endless…”

• WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GODIN’S MANIFESTO?  Right on or simplistic pipe dream?
• VOTE IN OUR GODIN POLL (AT TOP OF OUR MIDDLE COLUMN)
• TOMORROW: My reaction, your comments and reaction from around the web.
• READ Godin’s full article here.

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