Jen Wu (M:Metrics) reported that 78% of the music on music phones in the U.S. is sideloaded, and only 18% is downloaded on-deck. Wu has also observed an increase in music sharing between mobile users. She views this type of personal sharing/recommendation as a huge opportunity for the industry.
Jonathan Potter (DiMA) asserted that labels are now “price takers,” and that consumers set the price of music.
Rick Carnes (Songwriters Guild) declared that until piracy is stopped, debating new business music models is like “arguing who gets what deck chair on the Titanic.” When presented with the analogy of bottled water as an example of competing with free, Rick said the reason people buy bottled water is because they are scared of the tap water… So what the industry needs to do is make people scared of free music! Commentary: I’m not saying I agree… but I understand the songwriters’ frustrations. - Laurence Trifon
