Artists First - a small revolution in music file distribution

Linking the many to many, passionate fans etc. Is something that Tomi and I passionately believe in. And that also today businesses are required to rethink how they go to market otherwise they face outside players coming into their once stable industries and significantly disrupting them. For example, Skype vs. BT or the mobile operators, Amazon vs. WH Smith etc.

I said as much in a recent opinion piece in NMA this week.

In the same edition of the paper Peggy Anne Salz, writes a main feature entitled doing it yourself Peggy mentions an interesting business called Artists First.

Peggy explains

Artists First, a UK based firm of muscians-turned-technicians that enables artists to create, package and sell their content directly to mobile users and collect payment via reverse SMS. After launching in March, the service is live in over 25 countries.

The company is also working on a peer-to-peer application and developing a range of content-creation tools that will allow artists to rip a snippet of their content and deliver it as a realtone (ringtone?).

The CEO Mark Bjornsgaard says

Its all about empowering artists to communicate directly with their mobile audiences, limiting the role of the middleman who could get in the way of that exchange and generating revenue streams from a whole range of income streams over and above the music.

But its not just music, video, pics, info can be made accessible. Artists First seem genuine and passionate about what they are doing. I wonder what the record labels think?

We have already mentioned the influential pitchforkmedia site that also is doing very well reviewing bands.

Apparently there are already 1000 bands using the service with 30 new bands joining every day.

The times are certainly a-changin'

Comments

[Andrew Thomas]

I'm all for anything that gives power back to the musicians, and lets them distribute their own music.

On my blog you can download a selection of free music from new unsigned UK bands:

http://www.ipod.org.uk/ipod_free_music.asp

[alan moore]

Thanks for that Andrew.

I would like to hear more about what yu are up to

Alan