Who’s Really Number 2?: “Independent music makes up just under 30% of the music market in total (but more than 40% digitally), more than any of the individual major labels, and it encompasses so much incredible, vital music that is by and large ignored by the mainstream media.”
- David Pakman, President and CEO, eMusic
Thirty-three million Americans age 12 or older (i.e. approximately 13% of the U.S. population) listen to an Internet radio station during the average week, up from 29 million a year ago, according to “The Annual Infinite Dial 2008: Radio's Digital Platforms” from Arbitron and Edison Media Research. The complete study, will be released next month.
“verticialization” – used by Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO of Research in Motion during the recent Canadian Music Week's digital music & media summit.
Wal-Mart has recently proposed a new five-tiered pricing scheme that would allow it to sell albums at even lower prices and require the labels to bear more of the costs…(= less money for artists) While the proposal was presented only as a starting point, one label executive said, "This sounds like the Hail Mary pass, and if it doesn't work, they could be out of the music business; or maybe they reduce music down to a couple of racks from the 4,000 titles carried by Wal-Marts with larger selections.”
When asked about differentiating himself from others in the rapidly evolving home-automation market, “Addressing the broader market isn’t accomplished through establishing simple levels of product defined by cost…We stay #1 by listening to, caring for, and appreciating our customers more than anything else. Our customers are our partners, our friends and our family. We will never do anything to compromise that value.” -- Randy Klein, EVP Crestron
