Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The RIAA Isn't The Only Game In Town



In addition to the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA), the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is a wealth of information for anyone following a career in the music industry. One of the best sources of information that the IFPI offers is the Digital Music Report. Every year, the IFPI compiles data from numerous sources in order to provide an accurate picture of the trends happening in the music industry’s digital market. One of the reasons I especially enjoy the IFPI’s site is that it is an international, global association. While the RIAA covers legal protection and rights of music labels and publishers in the United States, the IFPI looks at the global trends in the music industry. In the current Digital Music Report, one can find information regarding the use of digital content (access or ownership), bundling music for the mass market, news about what artists and publishers can do to protect online content, and strategies that other countries are implementing to protect and market their music. The report contains well-written, thorough articles as well as a myriad of statistics on music sales, consumer trends, and other marketing data that will assist any self-respecting music entrepreneur in expanding their brand and growing their business. They also have a report archive where the .pdf file of previous yearly Digital Music Reports can be downloaded, which allows anyone in the music industry to study the trends and changes that have been occurring since the digital age of music began.

In the 2012 Digital Music Report (which covers the trends and data from 2011), the chairman of the IFPI, Placido Domingo, writes about “A digital world that rewards artist and creators.” He speaks of the challenges artists and creators have in the digital world in remaining profitable and protecting their content, just as they were and are able to do with physical content. The IFPI is attempting to create partnerships between governments, legislators, and Internet partners to ensure that we continue to develop “…an environment in which the public can enjoy the benefits from a successful digital music sector”. Only by working together will we be able to create this ideal environment.

The Pharmaceutical Properties Of Music Can Make The World Awesome


I often say, “Music is my drug.” All of my life, it has been the one common thread that I could turn to and always find comfort…or inspiration…or excitement. Music is able to bring out the vast array of emotions in me, whatever those may be. It brings color to an otherwise very monotone and desaturated life. It is for this reason that my passion, my dream, is to help artists share their music with as many people as possible. Music inspires, it heals, and most of all, it unites. We are brought together as a result of the love of a particular song and how it makes us feel. Music allows us to share emotions that we would otherwise be unable to articulate. In his TED talk, Music is medicine, music is sanity, Robert Gupta shares how music actually caused a “profound change” in a schizophrenic student of his named Nathaniel. When Gupta started playing his violin, Nathaniel, who was full of manic rage, was transformed into a state of “understanding, a quiet curiosity, and grace”. One thing I learned when I was a mental health therapist was that schizophrenia is a very difficult disorder to treat. There are few, if any, drugs that are actually effective without serious and undesirable side effects. Music, however, has no side effects. Yet it has the power to change our brainwaves and thus, focus our mind in ways we likely never thought possible. Here, for your own inspiration, is Gupta’s TED Talk:




The effect that music has on the brain is complex. One of the things I have studied in my journey as a life coach is a technique called brainwave entrainment, or brainwave synchronization. Use of this technique can have a deep and profound impact. The specific sounds used in brainwave entrainment can allow for deeper thought, deeper relaxation, increased focus, and increased creativity. All this without a pharmaceutical "drug" in one's system. Some say that it’s like an out-of-body experience at times. Here is a short video from Steven Halpern that briefly explains how brainwave entrainment works:


This just goes to show that all types of musical sounds can elicit different kinds of feelings and emotions. It can reduce pain, elevate mood, and truly has the power to change the mind. Music is a better drug than anything a pharmaceutical company can create. It is because of this powerful connection that everything I am working towards has to do with sharing music, promoting music, and supporting the artists who create music. I thank God every day that I found a way to live my passion. One of the most profoundly inspiring videos I’ve seen recently is from Kid President on YouTube. He asks the simple question, “What will you create that will make the world awesome?” Watch Kid President’s video here and ask yourself the same question. Music and coaching artists to effectively create and share their music is my contribution to making the world awesome. What’s yours?