2highbehind

Red Herring, Cannes

After two weeks traveling in the US I am now on the RH venture market in Cannes. The weather is great and it's great to have my family with me. IIP is moving frwd quite nicely and we get a lot of traction. I met with a very nice journalist that really likes to be a sing a song writer. The thing is she needs to support a family, so the decision to quit the job and start living the dream becomes a hard one. Musicians  have a hard time making money and just like in any other job it takes commitment to achieve the ultimate goal.  I have always lived my life my way and did what I dreamed about, but I can understand why people don't always do this, but strongly beleive everybody should be more focussed on their dreams and self started lives. So from this blog I wish everybody in a job the strenth to start living the dream and become happy NOW instead of waiting for tomorrow. Happy to return to Amsterdam tomorrow and get things going at the fort.

Interview Wallstreet reporter IIP

>> Wallstreet reporter Sorry for the bad sound. I was in a bus, taxi and 5th Avenue on my way to meet with HBO. So considering all that the sound is quite good ;-)

One standard?!

Can it be done? Yes, as long as you keep it clean and simple. Record companies need to be in control of their business and their supply chain and be able to transform their operations, marketing, sales and finance and become digital record companies at the core. This so they can supply their music and keep track of their business more efficiently and therefore become more effective digital powerhouses and expand the digital business at the speed of the internet.

The way record companies interact with their clients (The Digital Service Providers, DSP’s) on a technical level should be standardized to save cost and make it transparent for all participants in the game. This is what FUGA is all about. FUGA is a collaborative platform where any type of content owner and content distributor can easily work together and exchange information. Today all big record companies create this technology in-house and work with many different technology partners. The smaller labels work with aggregators and other delivery/reporting service providers. Every company is creating its own standard. Interfaces, transacting, delivery and financial reconciliation become expensive and constrain the business today to really expand into digital and catch up with the fall of previous revenue sources. The good thing is that there are many Digital Service Providers interfacing the music and video to the consumer. FUGA will connect the content owner and distributor with each other and create a transparent market place.

Whenever there is demand for music and video FUGA will empower the business and create a transparent transaction, delivery and report back on how the content is being used on behalf of and to the content (IP) owner. DSP companies do a great job and must be supported from a content owner point of view. Give them an easy way in, give them a standard to access the content and report back to the IP owner about how the content is used - preferably in real-time so the marketing department can also have a ball. It's simple and effective.

The technology to enable this process can be outsourced as long as the owners of IP are in control. Why build that stuff in house and manage the maintenance, when you can share that infrastructure among everybody that needs that same infrastructure? You share infrastructure and save cost without losing your competing power.  It must be done by a totally independent entity, sitting in between the IP owner and the IP distributor – that’s why IIP ;-) It’s a magic link in the business. It's like a new evolving language -- enabling exchange of information and passion in an environment where everyone understands each other.

Each and every company that wants to make a business out of content joins this core platform and will start the business having easy access to assets and in return IP owners get easy access to usage information. On the way to Austin to look at launch music.com and meet new music people ;-)

Que Pasa?

MoS Calls For Impala Heads
March 07, 2007 - Global | Indies

By Lars Brandle, London

Ministry of Sound has started round three in its public campaign against AIM, in protest at Impala's agreement with Warner Music Group.

The dance music company has issued its third, barbed open letter to the U.K. independent music companies' trade association, in less than a week.>> Billboard

Gotshrimp? >> I have to say that from just observing as reader of this article and with a bit of inside information, it looks very interesting and this guy would like to unfold the situation. Respect! It is a bit strange that suddenly a fundamental objection against a combination is gone and at the same time a big fat reward is being given. All these different independent bodies need a head (Merlin?). But I beleive the future is transparency in the industry. This so everybody  will receive return on their assests. Deals like this imply a bigger picture and this against the context of an industry in change must be logical and independent, I think. Love to see this cookie crumble..