MusicTank's four-part debate on the past, present and future of digital music continued in London last week, with a Think Tank debate focused specifically on the merits, or not, of new technical tools out there that may help the music business make a living out of online music platforms that go beyond basic a-la-carte MP3 downloads and streaming jukebox services.
Many such tools were presented and discussed, though as the first of these Music Tank events revealed last month, the digital market is really still too young for anyone to confidently say which of these technologies will really succeed - in terms of both consumer take up and commercial viability. Certainly there is little agreement in the industry that any one app is the undisputed panacea many record label chiefs would desire.
The first tool was presented by keynote speaker Jim Gelcer, CEO and Co-Founder of Harvard start-up Noank Media, who flew in from Toronto especially to join the debate. Noank have a bit of technology that can be installed onto a user's PC and which then tracks what music a user downloads, what music they listen to, what bit-rate they are using and all sorts of other things. The proposal is that you allow consumers to access music how they want to (P2P, download store, social networks, streaming platform), you take revenue where you can, and you use Noank to track what music is generating what interest and is therefore due what money.
Where in that process you take the money is another matter entirely, of course. Though the Noank device could be coupled with the previously discussed ISP music levy, whereby all consumers pay a licence fee to their internet service provider in order to gain blanket legitimate access to all music ever. If the ISPs were willing to charge the levy, and the music business willing to grant the licences, and the Noank device capable of distributing the money, and the money sufficient to keep the record companies in profit, we'd all be happy, yes?
Certainly those P2P advocates who often claim no digital service other than a licensed unrestricted file sharing network can ever really work will be interested. And those ISPs keen for a quick fix to get the record companies (and their supporters in government) off their back may also be keen - certainly panel member Andrew Heaney from Carphone Warehouse admitted such a technology could be of interest to his company and his ISP customers.
However, the record industry remains hesitant of offering such unrestricted blanket licensing directly to consumers, and others argue that a truly workable licensed P2P network is a bit too utopian to ever really see the light of day. Presenting that view on the pane was 24-7 Entertainment's Frank Taubert, who pointed out that a legit P2P system had been tried countless times and never delivered a satisfactory user experience. Vodafone Head Of Music Tom McLennan, meanwhile, thought that launching an anything-goes system into a fledgling digital content market would result in anarchy. A view which, I suspect, is shared by most major label executives, hence their caution when anyone starts discussing blanket licensing for unrestricted P2P.
Certainly Noank do not, as yet, have any major labels signed up, though Gelcer said he had had some positive reactions from within the industry, and that a trial in China had enjoyed the participation of some independents, including Nettwerk.
The next edition of the Music Tank series, on 18 Nov at the MCPS-PRS HQ in London, will look at the same debate from the other side - charged as it is with looking at licensing models under the question banner of 'What's The Way To License Compelling Alternatives To Filesharing?' Artist manager Peter Jenner will deliver the keynote, while Simon Wheeler from Beggars, Jez bell from MCPS-PRS and Tom Frederikse from Clintons will all take part in the debate. More info is at www.musictank.co.uk