Touchscreen Technology And Music: Future Of the Entertainment Industry

Over time, the development of smart phones and iPods have become standard in communications and media to cater to. The creation of these devices has prompted the creation of various applications and etc. But the most interesting fact of them is that the use of touchscreen technology has now become and essential piece of our societal norm. The use of it in particular in the music industry has changed the way we enjoy our movies, music, and other forms of media. The use of DJs having this technology has developed to not even having to use turntables. If you have your console hooked up to a decent running computer, you can spin music with it and even more recently, the touchscreen technology has been developed for it.

I would like to involve myself in of the future of developing technology that involves the music industry. The use of touchscreen technology is part of the future that could possibly developed into a different medium. Right now, it is very easy to have access to such networks as twitter, facebook, myspace, soundcloud, and etc. with devices that have this feature. In the music industry, it is being used for more so musicians with different devices. Mostly DJs who play music but keyboards and midi controllers that allows a person to produce, it is becoming more of a key element. If there was a way to develop more ways to how this technology could affect the music industry in terms helping artists sell music and merchandise, I would like to find more ways to do it. The importance of it is to keep customers in buying the music so there any use of the new technology that been acquired, will help the business in new ways. Also, it can help independent artists who do not have the advantages of marketing themselves if they have the knowledge and access of this technology. I would like to see if a company that is very optimistic to the idea would be willing to collaborate on helping out independent artists and also companies to be able to market themselves in an industry that is swaying more towards the technological side to help with sales and a customer base.

Resources:

http://www.protouchblog.co.uk/2011/05/touch-screen-technology-the-future-of-the-music-industry/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sound-artists/touchscreen-technology-change-lives

Alternative Funding

Need a financial start to your business in entertainment? Seeking some help with budgeting your business properly? The alternative funding programs from the various sources are available for small businesses. Two sites in particular that can be looked at for this kind of assistance would be The Association For Enterprise Opportunity, also known as the AEO (http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/), and The Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions, also known as the The CDFI (http://www.cdfi.org/). The AEO offers information on finding a mentor and microenterprise development organizations. It seems as though the AEO offers this assistance without having any requirements but they do offer the help if an self-employed business owner is interested. The CDFI offers awards and programs to communities that require a lot of development and financial support. Such programs as The New Markets Tax Credits Program, initiated in 2002, encourages private sector investment by offering tax credits for qualified community development investments.

The qualifications for being part of a program in the CDFI programs vary. For example, if you wanted to be involved with the Microenterprise Development Loan Fund, the business owner would have to file the business as a 501 (c) (3) to have it documented as a non-profit business. It is specifically by low individuals and entrepreneurs that would like to receive funding from the government and the private sector. Other programs, such as Community Development Venture Capital Fund, doesn't require the business to be registered as a 501 (c) (3) and mainly funds corporations, foundations, individuals, and parts of the government. The AEO has initiatives for people seeking funding. There is an initiative called Enter The Catalyst that caters to low-wealth entrepreneurs to develop leadership and create a microenterprise. This program is different from the Green Economy initiative they have that specifically focuses on businesses that are eco-friendly; focusing on the environment.

Other information that these sites have include information on government advocacies. The AEO has a section on its website where there is a link to help people who are uninsured to gain some assistance with their health insurance. The CDFI offers details on how to get in touch with politicians in legislation and how the process of it works. Both sites seem to have great a bit of detail for entrepreneurs to be involved in a microenterprise and to also be well aware of what they are getting into as far as being self-employed.

Review of the experts posted.

Kevin English Review

What I've learned from Kevin English is the importance of having a business ready to submit in my field. The construction of how set up marketing, budgeting, and other factors are key to gaining investors. Also, Mr. English shows new ways of being able to maintain in the Entertainment Business when approaching third parties for assistance. Kevin English is one that specializes in the music industry given his past experience. But he does shed light on how important it is to maintain sticking to your plan in any business. If you actually do a google search on entertainment plans, there are a lot of templates that appear. For example, there are Wrestling Business Plans (http://www.bplans.com/wrestling_entertainment_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.cfm) that have specific needs in terms of financial planning and marketing.

With that said, my company would definitely follow a business that specifically relates to the model of how a music company is set up. A combination of following how a technology company functions with a business would be incorporated with those qualities. This would show how affective the business would from the standpoint of the music business and how it could maintain in the business of technology well.

Nereida Garcia Review

I've learned from Nereida Garcia that establishing yourself on the internet is a strong force in marketing. She also makes it a point to let artists that they should engage themselves in developing business plans that they should follow in each aspect. For example, she eludes to the fact that if an artists is to develop a marketing plan, it should written down with certain goals to achieve. If it is promote on certain blogs or reach out to certain types of online media, a business plan should be documented and followed according to plan.

My company would would need to have the presence of online that would a have strategic plan for online marketing. I would have to use resources from Affiliate Tips (http://www.affiliatetips.com/affiliate-marketing-internet-business-with-business-plan-services.html) with these hints on how to work with affiliate marketing online. These tips are similar to the general points that Garcia was making even though it is applied to generally large businesses. This can be applied to artists who present themselves as businesses to other companies and smaller businesses in the entertainment industry.

Two Music Business Plan Writers.

Kevin English

You would think that an artist would have a business plan written by now until you meet people who seem to have advice on the matter. Thats where you meet someone like Kevin English. On his website, http://eleetmusic.com, he offers his expertise on helping bands and artists create their own business plans to plan for the future. His actual experience with companies like Island Def Jam Music Group as a General Manager and Atlantic Recording Corporation as a publicity assistant, shows his unique diversity in helping people in the entertainment and media industry write business plans. His blogs even offer advice to artists on how to focus on themselves as a business by offering ways of acquiring an SBA Loan and being able to maintain an independent business within the music industry. He offers insight on what to do to write a good music business plan in the following post on his blog (http://eleetmusic.com/?p=2466). He states that the following key elements are important to have: 1) Executive Summary, 2) Products And Services, 3) Marketing Plan, 4) Management Plan, and 5) Financial Plan. This is also in reference to an article he had written before entitled "How To Write A Music Business Plan" (http://www.musicthinktank.com/mtt-open/2009/7/8/how-to-write-a-music-business-plan.html).

Nereida Garcia

Nereida is a freelance blogger in the market of showing artists how to make money online by utilizing media. Her views on the writing of a business plan for artists stems from the idea of the artists viewing themselves as the business. In one of her posts (http://nereidagarcia.com/online-music-marketing-strategy/), she describes the necessities of what artists should do in order to make themselves out to be the business when they deal with their customers. She recommends that artists keep track with fanbase they development and document with a business plan on how to expand their customer base over time. She gives three steps to artists on how to market their music correctly with a plan: 1) Build A Last, 2) Market To That List, and 3) Make The List Bigger. Nereida offers insight on how when your music is recorded, that it becomes a product that needs a business plan that would need to be marketed properly.

Kellee Maize: Social Networking Done Right

I have to be honest, I was very skeptical about Kellee Maize at first. I was wondering if she would give off the perception of females rappers like Princess Superstar or even remind you of an Amanda Blank (if you're familiar with those artists). But she's actually a breed of positive lyrics, choreography, and production with amazing catchy dance rhythms. But the one thing that she is known for currently is her out reach on the internet. Her site: . It has her listed as the #1 Download Female Rapper on Amazon.com with over 38,000 fans on Facebook that have "liked" her page.

People might wonder how'd she get so popular and what is she doing right in order to gain popularity. Well, part of it seems involve how she has presented herself on Amazon. She is probably the most downloaded female rapper on Amazon because all the songs are for free. Also, her videos range from 70,000 to 200,000 videos each on YouTube. A very strategic way of promoting her message online. The visuals are things that do not lack either. Her shows often present a very solid dance routine that entertains the audience. Her shows appear to range from college appearances around the nation to shows in that she hosts in her local area of Pittsburgh, PA.

The only thing that I could say that could help her with promoting more on the internet is to work with others people may not expect her to reach out to. Her demographic is definitely concrete. And she achieved her goal without any co-signs from any other hip hop artist that is popular. At the point she is at online, she could very well join up with other underground hip hop artists that could show her diversity in terms of the music she is making. Also, it would be helpful if she also developed presence on other video sites like Daily Motion and Vimeo. Her fan base can increase more through people who check those outlets for visuals.

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Why Free Downloads Are Considered Great In Digital Marketing

The problem with music industry for the past few years since the days of Napster getting A&M Records upset has been downloading music. The major record companies that were once able to re-coop on the money they have spent on major artists are having to shift their ways on how work in the digital world within their means on a budget. The one thing that has helped with free music is that it is a good way for you to market music. It was a good way to drawn in a fan base even though it has its risk financially.

Lets look at a few websites that offer this free service to their audience. There is a website by the name of www.datpiff.com. It is a urban music genre based website that specializes in the distribution of mixtapes over the internet; primarily focused on hip hop. I inquired about their prices once because they usually allow people to upload their music on their website for free. They give special treatment to mixtapes that are sponsored with the cost of $50 to come with the particular project. For a feature, it is $500 but the company reviews the material first then contacts the artist once a decision is made to see if the mix tape would be able to be presented as a feature. The thing that helps datpiff.com is that if you do a search on their demographics, you will find that they are a successful site (http://www.quantcast.com/www.datpiff.com). Techinically, as for digital marketing, datpiff is a good website for artist would like to have their music up for digital download.

Then you the option of variable pricing through a site called www.bandcamp.com. Bandcamp appears to give artist the option to charge for the downloads or to have them given away for free. Or have the audience to name their price if they were to download the music. On the major level, this mostly would not be looked at as a very good option. You would have to take into account of the money invested in an artist since there would be an expected ROI (return on investment) estimated. Such groups like Coldplay or Nine Inch Nails for example were able to do this with some of their previous efforts because they were branded as successful artists and could afford to take that risk. However, it has been stated that more independent artists and labels should try this method in order to grasp what their audience is willing to pay as far as their product is concerned.

In conclusion, the age of free music in the digital world is nothing. If Lil Wayne can give away tons of music for free and become recognized for being one of the top stars in music, then it must work in some fashion. Now that music is being digitally marketed, you have wonder what can be profited from it? Merchandise? Shows? Advertisements? More than likely, all of the above.

Reference(s):

http://elemental-consulting.com/blog/will-variable-pricing-ruin-the-music-industry/