The Next DYI Music Solution?

Ever since Artists and labels (mostly independent) first started getting their music online, there has been a never-ending search to find the best new business model to sell your music. It’s now become obvious that there is no “one” best way to do that. In fact with so much music so easily available to everyone, you have to use every possible “productive” means available. Otherwise, you’ll become another needle in a very large haystack.

However every now and then someone comes up with a new way to sell music, and this week that someone was the band “The Presidents of the United States of America” (PUSA). They have come out with a new iPhone application which allows you to stream their entire catalog and some extra demos stuff for a onetime charge of $2.99.  The idea is that you buy the app, and then you have access to listening to not only their old songs, but anything new they decide to make available to you. Even demos and never released live recordings.

Apps like this can sort of makes you the ultimate fan with inside access to the bands inner workings, like studio sessions, or the making of their video for a “not yet released” song. There are endless marketing opportunities here, but what catches my attention is the fact that more Artists and labels while still keeping an eye out on download sales, are leaning more towards streaming music. The PUSA’s app does have a link to their iTunes page where you can download songs and I’m sure there is also a link where folks can purchase their CD’s as well, but that’s sort of in the background.The meat & potatoes of this app is to get people to listen via streaming.

It would be interesting to see what companies like iTunes, Amazon and others whose revenue relies on actual download do as Wi-Fi becomes more available in rural parts of the world, and as smart-phones like the iPhone become more affordable moving more folks into streaming rather than downloading music. Applications like Pandora, Last FM, and AOL Radio are already showing positive growth with online streaming.

It’s possible we might start seeing a lot of more Artists coming out with similar apps, although I’d hate to have 100 separate apps for each Artists, but what if the labels started doing this? A label with a roster of 50 bands could provide a similar app like that of PUSA only they would have one app for all their Artists and their entire catalog. Even streaming radio sites like Pandora & AOL could strike up a deal with the label or Artists where they could either link to the Artist’s app or have their own app that works in conjunction with that from the Artist’s. This way if you don’t want to fill up your portable device with a bunch of apps from different Artists, you can use just one from the streaming radio site.

The possibilities are endless, but the main issue is how will this effect download stores like iTunes, Amazon or Rhapsody? I for one have decreased my online music purchase by at least 70% ever since I discovered Pandora and uploaded their app on my iPhone. As a songwriter I’m glad to see these new alternatives for the listening public. I know that proper royalties are still being distributed to the copyright holder via licensing and the PROS (BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC) are collecting on performances.

Could this be the start of what happened to the brick & mortar music stores? Will online stores go the same route as record stores did? I don’t think so. As I mentioned before, there is no “one” way to sell your music. There will always be folks who want to “own” the music weather it is on a CD, Vinyl, or even a download. With all those options available, why settle for just “one”.