Kristian Kalsing

Much have been debated over the future of the music industry, the decline in CD sales and the emergence of various file sharing technologies. It’s a classic example of how a very profitable industry is doomed because it’s failing to adapt their business model to a changing world. The incumbents in the industry are attempting to protect themselves by fighting illegal downloads but they are effectively digging their own graves by declaring war against their own customers, the people that love music.

The fundamental problem, as I see it, is that music is not available the way I want to consume it. In today’s world I am used to being overly spoiled for choice, so I expect the same when it comes to music and other digital content. I want more choice!

When I was younger (10 years ago or so) I probably bought a new CD every month. In effect I was contributing $30 into the music industry every month. I would then listen to this CD over and over until I bought the next one.

Now, I find the whole idea of having my own copies of music antiquated. So I’m not asking for music downloads here. I want live streaming on demand with a choice spanning across every song ever released. If this was available, I would gladly contribute $30 every month. This model should still bring the same amount of cash into the industry. But rather than listening to the same CDs over and over again, I would have the option of listening to a vast variety of music.

The closest I currently get to this is with Last.fm. Last.fm is a UK-based Internet radio and music community website. Powered by social networking it lets you explore other users’ music libraries and gradually build up your own customised radion stations. Although you can’t play any song on demand, you can largely control which songs get played over the next hour or so. Last.fm also has rich community content providing profiles of artists and songs. Last.fm is great as a free service and for €2.50 a month you get additional features.

The point is that Last.fm has managed to reignite my interest in music. And it has done so by making music available in a way I want to consume music. I have access to more music than I could ever dream of and it has relieved me from the burden of managing my own copies of music. I can access my music library at home, at work and on the bus via my mobile.

I think everybody agrees that the music industry is currently heading towards self-destruction and that the industry needs to fundamentally redefine their business model. And I believe looking to the success of services like Last.fm is a good place to start.

Related posts:

1. How to gain more control over your music on Last.fm
2. Triple J Hottest 100 2008 on Last.fm
3. Triple J Hottest 100 Of All Time on Last.fm

Kristian Kalsing Life 2.0