What Does Apple's Shutdown of Lala Mean for Streaming Music?

It was announced today that Apple will be shutting down Lala.com by the end of May. When they purchased the music streaming service a few months ago, many speculated that they would use it to jump-start their own cloud-based music service. However, no such announcement has been made as of yet. This leaves us with even fewer streaming options here in the US. We still have Mog.com, Napster and Rhapsody, and Spotify has yet to grace our shores.

If this development means that Apple will soon be rolling the Lala technology into iTunes, this is great news! However, there is also a chance that the opposite is true, and we have just lost another option for free streaming of music. What do you think?

Related articles:
Wired - Apple Kills Lala Music Service
PC World - Apple's Shutdown of Lala Fuel Rumors of Web-based iTunes

Read Write Web - Apple Shuts Down Lala: Here are 5 Alternatives

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It's Time to Stage a Coup!

I don't know about you, but I'm growing tired of waiting for the old guard of the music industry to roll over and die. It's time we were a bit more proactive about this! Here's some things you and I can do to regain control of the music for artists and fans alike!

1. Support Local Live Music - You don't really need to pay for another Lady GaGa concert, do you? Save some money by heading to the club around the corner and supporting a future Lady GaGa.
2. Support Independent Music - Stop driving to Wal-Mart and buying the latest over-compressed and auto-tuned major label releases. Instead, stay right there in the comfort of your warm, safe home, point your browser to sites such as Bandcamp or ReverbNation, find some music you like, and buy it. While you're at it, become a fan on Facebook, and add your email to their mailing list so you can see them live. Your money will go to someone who really needs the money, the artist! The fat-cat major label execs have plenty of money!
3. Support Mom & Pop Record Stores - If you must buy the latest Ke$ha (if the dollar sign in her name hasn't deterred you, I suppose it's hopeless) please buy it from a local CD retailer, rather than Wal-mart or Target. Look, I know it's probably a foregone conclusion that brick and mortar music retailers will eventually go the way of the dinosaur. However, mom & pop record stores have always supported local music, and I have a soft spot in my heart for them. Besides, there has recently been a resurgence of interest in vinyl, and artists have been releasing new material on vinyl in the last couple of years. Maybe it's time to invest in a new turntable, get that record collection out of storage, put on your ray-bans and dance around the living room in your underwear! Or not, it's up to you...
4. Stop Watching the Music Award Shows - This is really just my personal pet-peeve, but after the most recent Grammy Awards show, come on! The industry uses these self-congratulatory spectacles to convince themselves they are still relevant. As long as you allow your children to continue their bad behavior, they will never learn! (While we're on the subject, I think we could hammer the final nail in the coffin if people would just quit watching Americal Idol. In my opinion, that is the last thing keeping the industry alive, but that's a post for another time.)

See, that's four simple things we can do to ensure a bright musical future for all of us. What have you got to lose? You might even discover some new music and help a young artist launch their career!

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Good News in These Bad Times

I was listening to NPR this afternoon, and they were talking about retailers and the troubles they are having in the current economic climate. A gentleman from St. Louis who owns an independent record store called in and said that he has seen a 20% increase in sales this holiday season. He also said this included vinyl and CD's, as well as DVD's.

As many of you know, I have long sung the praises of mom-and-pop record stores. In fact, I credit them for much of my own musical education. I have been pleasantly surprised lately to see that, while many of the big chains have gone under, the indie stores have been able to survive.

To hear this particular story really warms my heart, especially since I used to frequent all of the St. Louis indie record shops, and I think I can guess which one it is (he didn't say.) I also know that many of my friends who still live in St. Louis also frequent those shops, and I know at least several who buy plenty of vinyl (yes, I'm talking about you, Jason, among others!)

So, I say a hearty "thank you" to my STL friends for supporting local music retailers, and I urge everyone around the country to do so as well!

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Support Your Local Record Store

Saturday April 19 is Record Store Day. Independent music stores all across the country will be participating, with in-store performances, prizes, etc. Go to the website (link below,) find a participating store near you, and show your support. The "Mom and Pop" stores are an important resource we can't afford to lose!

RECORD STORE DAY - Home

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Apple Is Now #1 Music Retailer

Apple passes Wal-Mart, now #1 music retailer in US

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Another interesting indie business model

Amie Street, an online music store that started up last summer, has developed an innovative business model. All music is offered as DRM-free mp3's. The songs are available for free at first, then as more users download them, the price begins to increase, until it reaches the maximum of $.98 per song. Of course, what this means is that more popular songs will be more expensive. The store takes 30%, giving 70% to the artist or label.

Nettwerk Music Group just signed a deal with the service, so there are some major players involved. The new Barenaked Ladies album was just released there yesterday, so the site is starting to get some press as well.

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Starbucks Will Soon Offer mp3 Downloads

I knew it was only a matter of time before someone decided to do this. Sometime in 2007, Starbucks will offer the ability to purchase and download tracks to your mp3 player. One more toll of the death knell for the CD?

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Will Record Stores Live On?

I have been concerned about the fate of "mom & pop" record stores lately, especially since Tower Records, one of the few decent retail chains, closed down. However, the folks at Hypebot seem to have some evidence that there is hope! While sales in the overall industry were down 5% last year, some independent stores and even some smaller chains actually saw an increase in sales. This is great news for a music geek like me!

Ever since I began buying records in the 1970's, record stores have played a significant part in my musical education. I have often purchased some of the gems of my record collection after hearing them played by a savvy record store employee. Given the sorry state of commercial radio these days, a good record store is probably the best place outside of the internet to hear new music!

So, next time you wish to purchase a physical product such as a CD or DVD, don't just mindlessly head to Wal-mart, Best Buy, Borders or Barnes & Noble, and please don't order it online. Instead, patronize establishments such as Vintage Vinyl or Euclid Records in St. Louis, Newbury Comics in Massachusetts, or (my personal favorite) Waxtrax in downtown Denver. Listen to what the employees are playing in the store, and maybe even ask them what new releases they might recommend. Chances are, you'll discover something new every time!

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Great news for independent artists and songwriters!

CustomFlix, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, is now providing a CD on Demand service. This is a boon for artists or songwriters who wish to have a professional product available on the internet, but cannot afford to buy large quantities of inventory up front.

CustomFlix will "manufacture and ship CDs only when customers place orders." Artists can sell their CDs through Amazon.com, arguably the largest online CD distributor, without paying any upfront costs. Couple this with online distribution through iTunes and similar services, and you have effectively eliminated the "middleman." Another victory for the independent musician!

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