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via DJ Hero Game Sales Hit 1.2 Million » Synthtopia.

When DJ Hero was introduced, many considered it a flop because it wasn’t an immediate runaway hit like Guitar Hero.

It turns out, though, that DJ Hero is a hit – it just took a while for the app’s sales to find their groove.

Activision’s Dan Amrich writes:

DJ Hero was dubbed a flop on its release too, but what it needed was time for its audience to find it, a price break, and positive word from both friends and reviews to circulate. October and November were soft, but after the holiday, DJ Hero had hit about 800,000 units; today it’s 1.2 million units and counting, all of which come with a turntable controller. That’s not a flop; that’s the long tail at work. So to suggest a game is a failure because it didn’t sell hundreds of thousands of units in its first 168 hours is pretty ridiculous.

That’s good news for fans of the DJ game – because Activision is already working on DJ Hero 2.

via Whoa! It’s An iPhone MPC – NanoStudio! » Synthtopia.

Kong combines virtual analogue synthesis, physical modelling, sample-playback and effects to create a frankly fearsome looking virtual drum sound designer. The sound sources include four virtual analogue generators (bass, snare, hat and tom), three physical modelling generators (bass, snare and tom), NN-Nano (a simpler sampler in the style of NN-XT), Nurse Rex (a Dr. Rex-style ReCycle loop playback engine), Noise and Tone “support generators” (simple virtual analogue synths to supplement the other modules), and nine effect modules including transient shaper and reverb effects.

If you think you’re going to go ape waiting for Reason 5 to launch, remember you can sign up for the beta here.

“The biggest challenge right now is changing the behavior of a generation of internet users to get them to pay for music,” said Zeeshan Zaidi, LimeWire’s 35-year-old chief operating officer, in an interview two weeks after suffering a crushing defeat in a copyright lawsuit that threatens to leave the company insolvent.

On May 11, a federal judge ruled that LimeWire’s users commit a “substantial amount of copyright infringement” (.pdf) and that parent company Lime Group “has not taken meaningful steps to mitigate infringement.”

The ruling sets the stage for a potentially massive damage award against the company that could leave it insolvent. Attorneys for Lime Group and the Recording Industry Association of America are expected to return to court next month to haggle over the company’s fate.

Zaidi said in a telephone interview that the company wants to convert its 50 million monthly users into paying music customers, and become a player in the paid music-distribution business. For now, the bulk of LimeWire’s traffic consists of unauthorized copyright material — some 93 percent, according to RIAA estimates.

“One way to address what the court is talking about, short of shutting down the network, which I think is overreaching and drastic, is to filter the network of these files in question,” Zaidi said. “This is a way for us to move forward in the case.”

Zaidi’s plan could put LimeWire on roughly the same course followed by Napster after its 2002 courtroom defeat to the RIAA. Roxio purchased the Napster brand and domain name at a bankruptcy auction and attached it to a legitimate music download service, which exists today as an also-ran in a field dominated by Apple’s iTunes.

Similarly, Swedish entrepreneur Hans Pandeya had dreams of legitimizing the The Pirate Bay, the world’s leading BitTorrent search engine. His plan was to strike licensing deals with content providers and sell movies, music, games and software on the notorious site, but he never managed to pull off the acquisition of The Pirate Bay’s domain name.

To be sure, moving from the pirate model to the pay-to-play model has many built-in assumptions.

Foremost, converting copyright scofflaws into paying customers is a tough sell. And for LimeWire, it may prove to be a futile endeavor to get the major record labels — which just defeated LimeWire in court — to cut licensing deals.

“Suffice it to say, we’re talking to all of the major players in the industry to try to get the licenses we need to get this service off the ground,” Zaidi said.

Cara Duckworth, a spokeswoman for the RIAA, which represents Sony BMG, Universal Music, EMI and Warner Music, said “we intend to pursue damages.”

Mitch Bainwol, the RIAA’s chairman, said two weeks ago that, “Unlike other P2P services that negotiated licenses, imposed filters or otherwise chose to discontinue their illegal conduct following the Supreme Court’s decision in the Grokster case, LimeWire instead thumbed its nose at the law and creators.”

For now, LimeWire has about 5 million songs on its online retail store, none of them from the RIAA’s Big Four, Zaidi said. He declined to provide sales figures.

In its LimeWire lawsuit, the RIAA is seeking up to $150,000 per copyright violation, though the final damages have not been determined. It was the first case targeting a file sharing software maker following the 2005 Grokster decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for lawsuits targeting companies that induced or encouraged file sharing piracy.

Zaidi said the recording industry should take the opportunity to partner with LimeWire, “to put the most amount of money into the pockets of artists and those who own their copyrights.”

The music industry, he said, “is in the driver’s seat. What happens next depends on what they choose to do.”
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iTunes Gets A Worthy Competitor

A series on announcements this week at Google’s I/O developer conference could signal another seismic shift in how music is discovered, purchased and enjoyed.

Google’s most direct foray into music comes via the announcement that it had purchased Simplify Media two months ago, and will incorporating its technology in a new version of Android that enables users to stream music directly from their home PCs. That’s a very different approach than MP3Tunes, Spotify or Apple’s soon to be defunct Lala and others who have focused on storing music in the cloud.

Just as importantly Google announced that a new upgrade for Android will enable over the air downloads and auto-synch to all Android powered devices.  No word yet, it Google is opening its own music store or just opening it’s system to Amazon and others. Either way, its direct challenge to iTunes.

Master The Moment.

Years ago, I wrote a personal editorial on AllHipHop.com, because I felt like the culture itself has finally learned to “master the moment.” This write up referred to the period affectionately known as the second Golden Era. I’m not certain if that the “Master The Moment” phrase had ever been used before, but I felt it was appropriate for the crop of ambitious, determined and business savvy artists that were successfully melding branding with marketing with commerce with art.

It all seemed to go hand in hand, like the Boy’s Club logo.

Strategically, this created stars, in front of the camera and behind. Most notably – but not limited to – is the team over at Def Jam Records, who repeatedly knocked it out of the park with Survival of the Illest, Month of the Man (Red & Meth) and other initiatives. Not to be forgotten were folks like Steve Rifkind and Loud Records, Jay-Z, Dame and Roc, and other collectives like the Duck Down crew, who remain a powerful brand. During that time, the artists and their team’s timing was impeccable. Biggie and Puff Daddy (P. Diddy) were supremely tactical in their approach to the game, something that often goes unnoticed these days. DMX was right on time when he broke out of the shiny suit era with “Get At Me Dog.” All systems were a-go, from the streets to the board room.

In present day, the “machine” and all of its various cogs seem out of synch. And I’m hoping that the new generation of Rap stars know the value of mastering the moment like their predecessors. But, I’ll admit I am not certain.

There is hope, if they take heed.

Nicki Minaj recently scrapped her touring plans with pop princess Rihanna in order to work on her album, which is now slated for a September release. “Barbz I’m sorry 2 say I will not be going out on RiRi’s tour. I’ve decided 2 use that time 4 the completion of my album. Hope u understand,” Nicki tweeted, of her album that I’d like to see manifest before the September 2010 scheduled release date. Well, if Nicki’s reasoning it true, she is probably preparing herself to win the war of longevity as opposed to winning battles for fast cash.

Speaking of cash, I believe quick money is the reason why a bunch of newer acts fail to master the moment. Rappers and other artists as well have the ability to pay their bills in ways unimagined before thanks to the internet. The loved and loathed one known as Waka Flocka is living proof of this. While many abhor this product of Atlanta, he’s tours getting about $15 – $17 thousand per show. Sometimes he does two shows a night, one for adults and one for teens. He’s admitted his reluctance to drop an album, because it could serve as a buzz kill if its not well received.

Then there is Drake, who is closely related to Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne’s Young Money. Drake seemed to be set in the year 2009, as he had several smash hit records like “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful.” Furthermore, he’s already won numerous awards and has been nominated for a Grammy. This success has continued into 2010, where he’s graced VIBE’s recent cover and will cover XXL’s issue with the aforementioned Nicki Minaj. So, with Sprite commercials, Drake is still a bankable artist. In many ways, I do wish So Far Gone was turned into an album so all the accolades surrounding it could represent his “moment.”

Hip-Hop will continue to need stars on every level, including the underground. Take Jay Electronica for instance. He’s been resolute in creating a feverish demand, especially with his song “Exhibit C.” But, in a recent interview, he admitted that he wasn’t prepared for the demand.

I saw this video on 2dopeboyz.com, where the comments were particularly interesting and pointed to Jay Electronica’s ability to master this moment. Here is a random sampling.

“I’m not even asking for Act II, an album, or a mixtape….just put out a new song dude.”

“Everytime I see Jay Electronica’s name I think it’s a new song but nope, more interviews haha…”

“ok so i didnt wanna be one of the people always complaining, because i usually dont freak out when stuff is pushed back and whatever but seriously where the f**k is act 2?”

I really “need” Electronica to hit the masses with a video and then an album, but his fans mostly just want a new song. “Exhibit C” not only excited Hip-Hop’s core, but it rejuvenated those that have abandoned rap. A friend of mine hit me like, “Have you heard of this dude Jayo Electronica?” That’s no typo – JAYO. He had never so much as heard of Jay until that song. Yet, the follow up has been sluggish to say the least and I’m hoping the Jay’s moment isn’t escaping him.

But, Jay Electronica and others are in the driver’s seat of their careers and move at their own pace, and perhaps the pace of their base. Furthermore, they have the ability to generate revenue through touring and singles without a label. Why rush an album when you get $15, 000 per show like Waka Flocka or in Nicki’s case $30,000 to host parties during the NBA’s All-Star weekend?

I admittedly think of the classic album as the basis from which hometown heroes can transcend into timeless legends by way of their art. Every legend has at least one classic album, but that is a fleeting notion with the way CDs sales are down and rappers are dropping stray tracks daily. Nevertheless, timing is everything. Take Joe Budden for example. I still consider Mood Muzik 2 his classic album, even though it was a highly revered mixtape. It came out at a time when people thought it was over for the “streets draft pick.” Lil Wayne made it practice to flood the streets and the internet with song after song, mixtape after mixtape until the demand was unparalleled. Both artists made the moment their master, not the other way around.

So, where does that leave us.

It leaves us back to the basics with a modern twist.

Jay-Z is an excellent example. While Jay is revered as a solo artist, he’s never ever been truly solo. He and his team (whichever team that has been through the years) have always been a master at capturing moments in time. Just look at last year alone. He did the September 11 benefit, which coincided with his scheduled album release for Blueprint 3, which happened to coincide with the September 11, 2001 release of The (original) Blueprint. He released a quintessential pop ode to New York City (“Empire State of Mind”) when New York rap is still climbing back into prominence. If you look back, you can chart when Jay’ and his team (I emphatically stress team) were on the same accord and the results. Lastly, Jay has known when to change gears, when to collaborate with who and when to leave the past in the past. Sure, there have been missteps, but the moves have been overwhelmingly positive time and time again.

I can’t say the same for many of my favorite artist, who often look like they were an astronaut floating in space with no jet pack. Confused and directionless.

The moments in time became their master and they fell off, even though they were skillful artists.

With that, I charge this new generation of creatives (and some older ones) to keep pushing forward as aggressively as possible, but know when to pump the brakes, push the pedal to the metal and definitely know what kind of “vehicle” you are in. Employ your resources wisely in a way that allows you to maximize the impact of your talents. Generally, the moment is bestowed upon you and other times created by you. Whichever is the case, you better be ready and I hope you are, because the time is now.

Frank Rich

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28rich.html?ref=opinion

“A Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday took a look at the Tea Party members and found them to be just as anachronistic to the direction of the country’s demographics as the Republican Party. For instance, they were disproportionately white, evangelical Christian and ‘less educated … than the average Joe and Jane Six-Pack.’ This at a time when the country is becoming more diverse (some demographers believe that 2010 could be the first year that most children born in the country will be nonwhite), less doctrinally dogmatic, and college enrollment is through the roof. The Tea Party, my friends, is not the future.”

Charles M. Blow

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/opinion/27blow.html

Does it remind you of the music business?

In other words, are the major labels the Tea Party?  Wanting things to return to a past that is so far distant that not only is it never coming back, many people aren’t even aware of it?

CDs?

History.

Files rule.  E-mail me all you want about how you love the silver discs, but you’re in the minority, you’re a Luddite (and don’t cite sales statistics, illegal acquisition of files online dwarfs ALL sales.)

Albums?

Gone.  Yes, you can reminisce, wax rhapsodic about the concept discs of yore, but you’re never going to get people to pay a lot to get an hour’s worth of unheard music again.

Terrestrial radio.  People hate ads.  They’re a tune-out.  The concept that people will willingly sit through minutes of unwanted sales spiels is gone.  Lobby against the DVR while you’re at it.  And the iPod.  Oops, rights holders tried that, didn’t work.

We’ve got a generation that believes music should be plentiful, and cheap.  And no matter how much you want to deny it, their ranks are growing every day and baby boomers inured to the old world are dying.  Or, to quote Bob Dylan, “He not busy being born is busy dying.”

Doesn’t matter what Doug Morris says.  Nor Lucian Grainge.  Nor…does Mitch Bainwol still run the RIAA?

As for Bono and his manager protesting that people must pay for music…  Compare the number of people who go to the U2 show to the number who listen to music…  Even Sarah Palin has fans.  And Susan Boyle sold a hell of a lot more albums.

In other words, if you’re lobbying to drag us back into the last century, you’re fighting a losing battle.  Doesn’t matter if you believe you’re right, if you think file-traders are thieves, your minions are dwindling.  Hell, elected officials would rather take the money of Silicon Valley and the electronics manufacturers than that of the content creators…hell, they’ve got more of it!

Don’t get emotional.  It serves no purpose.  Don’t lament your job is evaporating.  Figure out how you can function in the new world.

There will always be people who shepherd talent to the market.

How will they be remunerated and how much?

Interesting questions.

The old days of the label getting the lion’s share of the money are dead.  Forget 360, that’s a tiny minority, how many people even have a major label deal?  360 is with the manager.  Who may take fifteen or twenty percent, but no more.  Talent is in control.  How do you get a share of talent’s upside?

Major labels have historical rights that are worth something, but they might as well shut down new music development.  Or restructure it with a lot less cash involved.  Because it’s a losing proposition.  There’s less revenue coming in and acts are doing it for themselves.

As for exhibition…  The concept of keeping the listener prisoner is gone.  You’ve got to entice people, prove your worth, there can be no bait and switch, you’ve got to be a partner with consumers.  How long has it been since the industry’s done that?  Not only the labels, but the touring outfits.  You can’t get a good ticket and you never know what the final price is until you’re just about to check out.

But the touring business thinks the gravy train will last forever.  Not noticing that fewer people paying more money for fewer shows is not a paradigm for ongoing success.

Then again, how many superstars do we have left?  How many acts that can truly live like rock stars?  You’ve got to be a musician today.  There may never be a rich and famous contract.  Only drugs and groupies and the high of playing live music on stage.

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