LENNYBEERBLOG:
THE DISTANT FUTURE

This is the question we hear from our peers, our civilian friends, our students.

Whether it's the subscription model put forth by Rick Rubin in last weekend's New York Times Sunday Magazine piece, which echoed comments from both Doug and Jimmy, or whether the savior will be the next new technology advanced by generations to come, it is more than clear to me that the bust will at some point be followed by a boom that I see being even greater and more widespread than any boom before it. A boom where instant entertainment gratification—the key to current and future generations' thinking—will be just a click away and an everyday part of everyone's life.

So how far away is the next big boom, and how do we get there? First of all, there will most definitely have to be a governing board (or clearinghouse) if an all-inclusive, multi-platform, all-you-can eat program is to be devised. Perhaps a futuristic BMI-ASCAP-type overseer that will guarantee artist royalties based on usage demand levels… a board that is as fair to giant corporations as it is to indie labels and artists going it on their own. It sounds far-fetched, but so is the devastation level that we face, one that even the bleakest of naysayers could not have imagined.

So hats off to anyone who brings the debate out into the open, as some key execs have already done. We ask your comments and suggestions and throw the debate out to one and all. People love music, maybe even more so than ever because of its portability.

How should an ideal subscription service be run?

Who should have control?

How should the revenue be divvied out?

How do we balance physical and digital product?

Are there potential working models in addition to a subscription service that make sense?

How do we make the business of providing music into a vibrant and thriving one again?

Give us your comments at [email protected].