music business

Founder of Elekra records (started with $300 in bar mitzvah money), now 79, sees a bright future for the music industry

"Jac Holzman, the man who discovered The Doors, founded Elektra Records, and nudged the big recording companies into adopting the compact disc, considers the Web and says: 'I think the music industry has a bright future.'"

This article takes a quick look back at Holzman's career and opinions on the music business. It's an interesting read, and quite the contrast to other music industry professionals. Most interesting were not his good decisions, but the bad ones: he didn't anticipate the rise in CD-burners and felt that putting Napster out of business was a bad move.

Why Jonathan Coulton Is The Future Of Music

Very interesting, concise article on one (probably very good) version of how to make it in the music business these days. Basically, it's an open-source business plan that focuses on the key open-source variables:

Dear musicians - Please be brilliant or get out of the way

Good essay on the state of the music business. The comments are almost better. Esp. the comment by "The Audience." Something to think about.