Jim Carrollon music
Universal boss laments Apple's golden handcuffs
Universal Music head Doug Morris has become the latest record industry boss to unburden himself of his thoughts about the demise of the record industry.
Morris's interview with Wired magazine has already attracted much attention, chiefly for his views on how the digital revolution has messed with his $7 billion a year business.
It seems to have become de rigueur in recent months for record label chiefs to make state-of-the-nation addresses in the course of press interviews.
In October, the New York Times talked at length to incoming Columbia Records co-head Rick Rubin, and he expressed the belief that subscription services would save the industry. He also outlined his plans to establish a word-of- mouth department at the label to spread the buzz about their acts.
It would have been interesting to know what the highly experienced Morris made of such a plan.
However, the Wired interview concentrated for the most part on the past and particularly why companies such as Universal were caught short when Napster and other peer-to-peer and file-sharing networks began to appear.
Morris claims it was down to a lack of in-house knowledge, rather than incompetence and ignorance. "There's no one in the record company that's a technologist. That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do? We didn't know who to hire. I wouldn't be able to recognise a good technology person. Anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me."
When Steve Jobs came along, though, Morris opened the Universal vaults for him because "we were just grateful that someone was selling online. The problem is, he became a gatekeeper. We make a lot of money from him, and suddenly you're wearing golden handcuffs. We would hate to give up that income."
That last sentence probably encapsulates all that's wrong with the traditional record label model at the moment.
Knowing they'll never seen another pay-day like the CD revolution, industry chiefs such as Morris are hanging onto every possible revenue source for dear life. Next year should be a very interesting one for this sector.
How to get your music on telly
Getting a song placed on a hit TV show such as Grey's Anatomy can turn out to be a tipping point for an act (just ask Snow Patrol), while shows like The OC have played a part in the rise of acts including Death Cab for Cutie and The Shins.
Next week's Soundtrack of Our Lives conflab in Belfast will look how artists and songwriters are increasingly using TV shows, movies, computer games, DVDs, adverts and various multimedia channels to promote their music.
Speakers include Clare McKinney (business affairs at Domino Records), independent music publisher Annie Reed, Phil Bird (from online music licensing company Ricall) and Rocky O'Reilly (whose music has featured on Ugly Betty and in ad campaigns for Nike and Fuji).
The conference takes place next Monday (December 3rd) at the University of Ulster on York Street in Belfast at 5.30pm. More information at www. nimuic.com
Holy Crowley
The year may be drawing to a close, but there are still some thrilling new Irish albums on the way.
On The Record has spent this week enthusing about Galwayman Adrian Crowley's fourth album Long Distance Swimmer to anyone who will listen.
While it may be released very late in the year, it would be a shame if an album of such peerless quality gets lost in the post-Christmas rush.
What a week for gig goers
Anyone surprised that Amy Winehouse has pulled her Dublin show tomorrow night? Winehouse yanked her entire tour, with promoters citing "the rigours involved in touring and the intense emotional strain that Amy has been under in recent weeks".
She was due to play Dublin's RDS, a venue where a Kings Of Leon show ended early on Tuesday due to what promoters MCD termed a "minor health and safety" issue.
One concert-goer commented to the On The Record blog that he saw "what looked like snow falling from the suspended lights in front of the stage".
Kings Of Leon are the first act confirmed for next year's Oxegen festival.
Amy Winehouse is profiled in tomorrow's Weekend Review in The Irish Times
