Newspapers Dying of Natural Causes

I am so tired of everyone trying to “save” newspapers.  Not only have newspapers done a terrible job understanding how they might actually fit into the digital age, they have fought nearly every advance tooth-and-nail.

I think that PaidContent’s Lauren Rich Fine has said some very smart stuff in a recent post:

Bottom line, it becomes increasingly clear that newspapers are in dire straits. They won’t all survive, nor by the way, should they all. Newspapers’ unwillingness to grasp what is before their very eyes has been at the core of their current woes—but even if they had gotten it, the challenge would still be enormous. Years ago, the Chicago Sun-Times probably had it right when it tried to offer very-low-cost web-site creation and hosting for local small businesses. It could still be done. Newspapers could be the local ad network that is so sorely missing from the mix. Newspapers could offer free PDF-like versions of their paper daily and only distribute a day or two a week. Newspapers could prove they are the best editors by pouring all their limited resources into great local stories and investigations, while complementing it with links to the best content on the web. New sites like Mother Nature Network, which focuses on environmental news; MedCity News, with a focus on the business of health; Politico; Global Post; Pro Publica; and others could fill the gaps, while local reporters could help make sense of all of it from a local perspective.

Most importantly, Fine notes that no matter what newspapers do they will never return to their highest heights so they can either work their asses off to find a new way to do business or fade away like so many horse-drawn carriages.

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ManiaTV Takes a Shot at Being a Music Label

PaidContent has a bit of information about ManiaTV’s latest venture, an attempt to reinvent what it means to be a music label:

it’s jumping into the music business with a new show called Making the Music, which effectively seeks to take over the role long played by the music labels. The original series is focused on hip-hop producer Scoop Deville as he works on a new album—and maniaTV will get a cut of the revenues once the LP is released.

The idea is that Scoop et. al. will be able to use the social media aspects of show as a way to test-market and hone their final product.  Of course, this only works if people tune in and get involved.

I am always interested in new takes on music production and promotion and this is certainly an intriguing idea.  One does have to wonder, with LP sales decreasing pretty steadily, if getting a cut of the record sales is really worth all that much.  Maybe they are cut into the other potential revenue streams such as licensing, touring and merchandising?

Nine Inch Nails Gives it Away

Nine Inch Nails is following in the footsteps of a growing number of bands that have left the traditional world of labels and is self-distributing their own work.

In addition, they are offering fans the chance to download their basic album in for free, without any DRM.   As PaidContent points out, though, that’s just the beginning:

” — $5 download: All 36 tracks in a variety of digital formats, plus a 40-page PDF.
– $10 two-disc set: A double-disc set, packaged in a Digipak with a 16-page booklet, to be shipped on April 8. Includes immediate download of album.
– $75 deluxe edition: Ghosts I-IV in a “hardcover fabric slipcase containing two audio CDs, one data DVD with all tracks in multi-track format, and a Blu-Ray disc of Ghosts I-IV. Ships May 1. Includes immediate download of album.
– $300 “ultra-deluxe limited edition package”: Deluxe edition plus a four-LP set on 180-gram vinyl, which is packaged in a fabric slipcase. Two limited-edition Giclee prints are included; package is numbered and signed by Trent Reznor. Limited to a run of 2500, and one piece per customer. Ships May 1 and includes immediate download.”

This is definitely beginning to be a seriously interesting marketplace with so many bands exploring alternatives to traditional distribution and monetization methods.  It will be neat to see if they release reliable sales data so everyone can learn from their experiment.

As Mashable notes:

“Let me just stop here for a second and say that personally, I haven’t listened to NiN much since the Downward Spiral phase, but if there’s one album I’m gonna buy this year (I usually go to concerts and buy t-shirts, as I feel the band profits more directly from this; I have quite a collection), it’s going to be this one. Finally, you get good value for your money, and you get a fantastic number of options which cater to every pocket. I’m sure that fans will realize this and get the option they can afford, be it free, or the ultra-deluxe one.”

Crackle Cracking

PaidContent has word that the guys in charge of Sony-owned Crackle are being moved aside:

“Updated: THR reports that the co-founders new “roles are changing and that’s still being worked out.” The spokesman also said that the company has “let some people go,” which as rumored before, are about 8 people out of a total of 60, as NTV reports here. The company insists everything is fine. Sure.”

I tend to echo the final note of skepticism.  I just don’t see how all of these basically identical comedy portals can survive and be profitable.

If it Looks Like TV and it Smells Like TV…

PaidContent is reporting that TidalTV has pocketed a nice chunk of venture capital.  Who are they are what do they want to do.  Well:

“TidalTV wants to position itself as a provider of streaming video that’s professionally produced.”

Ya know, the more I think about the more it seems to me that professionally produced streaming video is, well, TV.

That is all.

That Pirate Spirit in Comic Land

PaidContent points out that Boom Studios is making some noise in the comic world:

“The company is looking to offer artists an alternative distribution route than major comic book publishers. As an example of its marketing capabilities, it recently published a comic for free on MySpace, which in turn lead to successful sales of the physical book.”

I’m really excited to see both artists and distributors embracing the value of creating both free and paid models.

I also think it is important that while more and more artists discover how much they can now do without a big corporate monster controlling all the distribution there is still room for smart, small, nimble and fair-minded companies to offer artists the sort of services the web provides, allowing them to continue to focus on creating great art.

Hulu considers Music with MySpace

PaidContent has learned that the big media forces behind the TV show streaming website Hulu is exploring creating a similar portal for music, pairing up with MySpace:

“The constant in both instances is content for equity. Under this scheme, MySpace would be the operator with the major music labels—Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG), EMI—as content providers and equity partners. MySpace would be a distributer but, like Hulu, the idea would be a mixed portal-distribution experience. Music would be DRM-free and ad supported. ”

I might begin to sound redundant, but this is clearly another example of big media finally realizing that the only way to beat the pirates is to actually compete with them.  Dropping DRM is definitely one of the huge steps in that direction.

More on Current

Joseph Weisenthal has some more detail on the CurrentTV IPO over at the essential PaidConnent