kidmercury

I walked into Blockbuster the other day to rent I Love You, Man (I've seen it twice already, but I absolutely love that movie, I relate very much to both of the main male characters in that movie) and I saw this:


And I thought to myself, I have to blog this, because this is the future of music!

Because the future of music is all about musicians turning themselves into brands to sell products. Like board games for Beatles fans. Video games for Beatles fans. Instruments for Beatles fans.

Of course, another trend that becomes apparent as we begin to think deeply about these subjects is that branding is closely related to gaming. Such is the way of free media: the free media is your brand, and it is interactive, thus allowing others to co-create your brand. This is also why open licensing is important, as it allows for remixes and covers -- which help to further promote the musician and shape their brand.

But there is a problem. The Beatles missed one key element.

Community.

Yes, purchases need to be tracked and traced, fans need to be identified and profiled. When the government does it's call the surveillance society. Of course, when applied appropriately, the tools for a surveillance society are revealed to be tools for personalization -- the ultimate in liberty. Indeed, out of darkness comes light.

If a real fan community were built, it would enable more sales, and a much more sustainable business model. In fact, I think someone, some day, is going to build a Beatles social network -- "Facebook for Beatles fans." All about sharing Beatles media, doing covers, contests, discover new music, launch artists, etc. And guess where's going to be the perfect place to sell Beatles stuff? And where you can create online games, like the kind played on Facebook, that are Beatle-themed and have embedded advertising in the games?

That's why Internet business is so great. It's just a game!