struggling dreams

Two days ago, Paramore live at Ancol, Jakarta (August 19, 2011) proved that they deserve today’s the “best rock band” title. The Parawhore (paramore’s fans) enthusiastic responses just confirmed it. Am I not being objective here? For once, I feel like no need to be objective for this matter and I have every right to dictate my truth in this blog.

See this video, witness how the Paramore and Parawhore made my point..

Look at that amazing crowd! After that Ancol show, I’ve just realized that Indonesian Parawhores heart paramore to their bones.. I hope Hayley can endure this era of Paramore longer..

On my sister’s pre wedding dinner at Rimini, Italy, I met my brother in law’s cousin (Edoardo’s cousin) who has an internet-music collaboration project. Name is Valerio Mastropietro, a passionate guy with great interest in music and the internet. He shared his thought about his project, what I called a musician network.. He, however described it as a music collaboration portal and communities.. We’d drown our selves on that particular for a while and continued it in Rome at his smokey music room… Then led me to write this..

Valerio’s basic idea is to exploit this technology medium (internet) for a better collaboration platform for musician everywhere. Few he said were about musician finding partners for song completion, music arrangement, sharing equipments, general music venue information, independent labels, distribution and more.. My dumb capitalist first thought was songs exchange between local musics. eg. Indonesian songs to be translated into Italian with few modifications on instrument or  music arrangement.. Well, dumb isn’t it..

I was so excited to get involve in that project.. until then I browsed around to find out about the existing music portal or specifically, a social network for musician. I found out these two sites very helpful: Which social networking site is most useful to you and list of social networking websites (wikipedia), which then I filtered it to get the musician related only:

• http://www.reverbnation.com/
• http://www.indabamusic.com
• http://audimated.com/
• http://www.buzznet.com/
• http://www.vocalist.org.uk/
• http://www.linked-musicians.com/
• http://www.gogoyoko.com
• http://www.tmntv.com/
• http://www.musiciansnetwork.com (the lousy got the domain)

Not all above is about music end to end music production collaboration platform. Some only do the marketplace. Anyhow, as an internet enthusiast, I feel that some of those actually has already has functions that Valerio told me. Oh.. yes, he did say that it would be much better if the project is done by musicians.. for whatever that means, I support his cause..

Finally.. please visit freemindfactory.com (currently only in Italian)

About 10 years ago I wrote on Parahyangan Catholic University web column about how music should be distributed and charged in this interconnected age (I missed that archive). Since then I had this believe that the industry should reform or die. Of course you can’t take that literally… the music will not die, top musicians most likely remain in wealth and the loyal audience will always listen… built playlist… and sing… and mix… and also make music..

What will be dead then?

No! The record label will still exists only their role won’t be the same again. They will seek into fit business model that shall generate at least at equal fortune value as their did before the mp3 invented. I predict only a few can survive… that because to serve today they need to go through a major paradigm shift which I doubt they will… yes, you can say that.. Post Power Syndrome.

Over decades record label strive to be in control on music supply chain and other related business. Key that makes them in control is they hold many exclusive rights including for copy (mechanical) and copy distribution, some also extend to performance right and related legal power in which they alleged to protect the artists. In action they really did control distribution until internet and mp3 joined in… They completely failed to control the internet distribution and digital duplication acts by user (audience) and pirates… They dramatically losing control… Ok, once or twice they won over trial like when stupid metallica stood up against napster.. really stupid metallica… even I am a fan.

Now they don’t have the ultimate control of music produced by musicians distributed by others… meaning they lose part of distribution right and worse, artists have much more alternatives to promote and publish they works.

What will be dead then?

The only thing that dying is the mindset of controlling distribution and sources of creative works.

Let me introduce you to Gerd Leonhard who tagged himself as a media futurist, although I think he’s more than that… he is a futurist. Gerd wrote few publications on above phenomenon, also the future regarding music and everything else that involve digital distribution and creative product… Yes, a bit about intellectual property (will discuss it later). His (relatively) new book is music 2.0 in which he provided alternatives for readers to procure it… you can download for free and pay as you like or you can buy it from amazon at very low price. It’s clear that he wanted it to have the widest distribution as possible. Lots you can learn about the future from mr Leonhard… even Google people spare to invite him on a presentation about the future of digital content and the end of control.

Mr. Leonhard is not fighting the cause alone.. There are others that persistently wrote about how music industry should democratically built. Latest related posts from names like Techcrunch, “who needs music label? …” and “..(TotalMusic) come back from the dead“, from the Inquisitr, “Is the music industry digging its online grave“, from arstechnica, “Music 1.0 is dead“, and more… music 2.0.

You probably think I’m dreaming and this is not really happening… please check the Nine Inch Nail ant the Radiohead free downloadable album.. also emerging music online services like MySongStore, YouLicense, and more…

Okay… now where the piracy stands?

First, piracy usually hides not stands… Second, it is a legal term for unauthorized use or reproduction of someone’s creative works… So pirates are hiding somewhere behind internet.. which could be much in larger number than non-pirates. Could be fact that internet democracy votes for piracy?

Me? I do download free music and pirated music.

Am I feeling guilty about it? No, Not at all… I support the artist by promoting them and of course I like to watch their performances… also vote them as my favorite if I have to…

US Government does have a strict set of law regarding Intellectual Property violation act. Why don’t you comply before they get to you?

If I can make a deal with Bush or Obama… I say stop pirating if only they also stop making atmosphere hole and sign the Kyoto Protocol. Fair??

• ** I just got back writing after months not post. The cluttered things still.. So apologize to whom reading this post as rant.

• ** I like to go deep on Intellectual Property, historic materialism, on morals and ethics.