Essay image1
Keystone KOPS
 "The term has come to criticize any group for its mistakes, particularly if the mistakes happened after a great deal of energy and activity, or if there was a lack of coordination among the members of the group."
2
IT'S NOT SO EASY - The Essay

Let me be honest; we were like the Keystone Kops for a while. However, May 2003, the product was released on Café de Soul in the UK, Western Europe and Asia. The domestic release was through K.E.S Music and Video Distribution, December 2003!4 While this was taking place other forces were at work that would reshape the music business and this project.

April 2003, Apple Inc. introduces the iTunes Music Store. The music industry now has legal digital distribution. This was a turning point but its full impact would not be felt for a few years.

Allow me to detail the significance this event had on the project. The music industry had been shedding artists, executives, publicists, consultants, and marketing and promotional people years before the iTunes debut. The music business was eroding and lacking a clear vision for its digital future. These expatriates, from the faltering music business, were in great abundance and hustling as independent consultants. Their economic survival was tethered to the entertainment industry of the previous century and it’s continuation. iTunes and the concept of digital distribution made much of their experience in the music business, as the business was in the 20th century, irrelevant or obsolete. It was in their interest to sustain the structure of the waning system.

I participated in heated discussions on the contentious points of pressing and shipping CD’s versus digital distribution, the significance of having the product available in iTunes versus brick and mortar retail and the pursuit of airplay on terrestrial radio.

In December of 2003 IT’S NOT SO EASY was officially released to retail in the US. So, at the dawn of digital distribution and the iTunes era, a product deeply rooted in the digital revolution was being distributed like other widgets from the 20th century. Over the next seven years the Internet and a new digital social hierarchy eclipsed terrestrial radio, traditional retail music purchasing, music marketing and promotion.

The iPod and iTunes allowed consumers to bypass traditional retail, commercial radio programming and roll their own music playlist.

FOOTNOTES

  1. The music CD was mastered in March of 2002 but the CD-ROM took until late December of 2002. It was officially completed in Jan 2003.
  2. Apple’s first iPod music player in 2001 marked the beginning of the digital music revolution. While it wasn’t the first portable MP3 player, it was the first wildly successful one. The music player combined with the opening of the iTunes Music Store in 2003, would eventually give Apple as much as 90 percent of the MP3 player market. More importantly, Apple would ultimately become the largest music retailer in the world, surpassing Wal-Mart. Wired report on Apple iPod and iTunes
  3. In November 2009 I approached Dave Rideau and asked him to re-think the CD for a market that has matured significantly. What could we do for a ‘new’ more savvy music consumer? IT’S NOT SO EASY Rideau Remix is the result of this effort. Available from iTunes in July!

The proliferation of broadband wired and wireless access allowed more consumers to access rich media with their computer and offspring digital devices. Then the iPhone gave the consumer a complete mobile entertainment, shopping experience in their hand. Collectively, the iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes music store and the Apps store are significant game changers for consumers and content creators. Musicians must rethink their art and artistic contributions in this new era. In seven years there has been a shift in power from Hollywood to Cupertino5.

In November 2009 my retail distributor, Karvin Johnson of K.E.S Music and Video Distribution, and I decided the time was right to re-introduce IT’S NOT SO EASY to a new, mature, tech savvy market. If we revisit the five key points, which spawned the project, it is clear to see why we have taken this step. Many feel and I agree the project is more relevant today than it was in 2003. The market has matured significantly. Hybrid products, which are part application, part game, part entertainment is common and the consumer is eager to explore on their iPod, iPhone, iPad or computer. Let us revisit the five key points that launched IT’S NOT SO EASY.

  1. The music, at the heart of this project is still great! The vocal and instrumental performances are top notch and competitive in the current market.
  2. The collection of media that comprises the CD-ROM can be accessed, shared and enjoyed via YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or any of the social networks that did not exist in 2003.
  3. The Internet and broadband connectivity has taken tremendous strides in providing a rich media experience. Furthermore, consumers have become accustomed to shopping online. There is a new generation of consumers that have only known iTunes and digital distribution.
  4. New media consumption devices like the iPhone, iPad, Android and others have become mainstream. They offer the consumer an engaging, high-quality media experience anytime or anywhere.
  5. Technological advances over the past seven years has made the quality of mixing at home just as good as a studio full of gear. Additionally, online marketing and advertising has adapted to efficiently reach niche markets. Key players that can make this happen are accessible and motivated to do it!6
< - - The Essay, back one Page