Album May Soon Become Feature Rich Interactive App

As streaming becomes more and more popular, CD sales will hit pay dirt -- there is a need to revive album sales and one of the best ways to do that is to release albums as an all-in-one feature rich Interactive App that will include many features such as,

.. Album Playlist  
.. Lyrics
.. Videos
.. Photo Album
.. Social Streams - fans will directly (in the app) be able to interact with other fans.
.. And other non-music? There is a rapidly growing interest to provide non-music content --- YouTube is the best platform for that.... wait, let me explain that more clearly for example;

.. Provide fans with upcoming release i.e. short-episodes (5 to ten minutes) behind the scenes (documentaries).  Another example; Life on the road, aww heck the wheels fell off the old VW van, we barely made it on time for the show. These are just two examples in regards to the strategy being used by band's to keep their channels (YouTube) content frequently active and most importantly... interesting, and if done really well should definitely increase the band's fan based.

The key is (and dare I say it), 'Branding and Concept'. There, I said it, now I feel like a mass produce can of beans. Seriously though, the most favorable route to success is to not only have great music but to also have a great concept and good business relations skills with important contacts. For starters, independent bands need to register their label and become the business (brand). There is another side to art (music) and I guess a lot bands need to learn that business side of the equation. This does not mean a compromise in what you enjoy most; performing and creating music.

Should bands (and their indie label) be paid directly for this new feature rich Interactive App and will there be a small (percentage) retail fee? Yes to both questions, this is currently how retailers operate.  Streaming audio is one thing whereas feature rich Interactive App (replacement for CD) is possibly the music business best route to recoup losses in Album CD sales (as explained above)!

Slightly OT -- Other matters in regards to changes:
Licensing, merging of collection rights and fair-share (royalties payments) -- these changes are going through reforms, hopefully to ensure content creators earn what should be sustainable ((Livable Income)), this is one of the key issues of discussions due to massive down-turn of CD sales and woefully inadequate 'streaming' royalty rates. This news may be promising, a break-through especially for independent band's / labels. Sure, there is a concern with 'majors' heavy handed influence in regards to the senate and CRB determination. That said, without speculating either way, we'll have to wait and see what happens in the near future.

Wish you all the very best!

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bapu
So "albums" will be like forums?

   I dun no?
 
There will definitely be non-music content included, so I suppose with a little bit of clever coding you might be able to integrate a Mini-Bapu (forum) in there somewhere, somehow?  
 
And other interesting ideas you may have
 
 

dubdisciple
but i can't say I'm excited.

About a Mini-Bapu forum?
 
Understood.

KISS released a 50-some page iBook (sold separately) as a complement to their latest album, Monster. A bit like a deluxe booklet/tour program - besides the lyrics, it featured interviews, photos, a making of, videos, integrated song previews, links to merch...
 
I thought this was a step in the right direction and that technology (iBooks and Apps) can be an interesting options. 
 
The problem I see is that people are expecting 10 times as much content for less money. Albums on iTunes are actually less expensive than vinyls I bought when I was a teen.
 

 

dubdisciple
Didn't they try this about a decade ago with CDs?  I think i have a couple that have extra features that work on computer.  never used them because 10 wasn't too interested and 2) apps were buggy.  I'm sure this new take on it will be more advanced since tablets and phones are now in the equation and it's not trying to run off a disc, but i can't say I'm excited.

 

 
 
My first ever CW DAW ! Bundled years ago with some Aerosmith CD IIRC.

These features certainly look like adaptions of what's already been done elsewhere and therefore doable i.e. some music sites have include much of those additional features such as lyrics, videos, photo galleries, event list, gooogley maps, comments streams, social network connections.  Another app (similar example, though less feature-rich) is Bandpage,
 
Bapu: I think the key word in the OP title is "Rich".
 
it's a wait and see, though one thing for sure if this new feature rich becomes a new medium for albums, distributors will have to adapt to allow additional content to be added. Rich, for the rich? Yes, especially if they want to spend millions creating extravagant music videos and a kinda sorta shoot em up gaming interaction experience (initially created in .flv .swf formats) where band members get to blow each other to smithereens. But most often for independent bands (on a low budget) will have to rely on unadulterated ingenuity, ha, it's a Cakewalk walk
 
 

Drewfx1: Unless the extra content is fairly exclusive somehow and is not already easily available elsewhere, I don't see why anyone would put much value on it.

Good point thanks,  

I have read elsewhere that it's not just exclusive content being part of the strategy. The other point is, a lot of people expect to get music for free (as Rain highlighted well thanks).  A lot of musicians get the art of music down pat ((kudos to that)), but fail terribly in regards to for example, good knowledge of the business side such as, clever concepts, strategies, planning, marketing and PR. Shirley we have heard that ol' cliche; it takes more than great music.  So, unless independent band's adapt (as explained) and do so by providing quality content other than just music AND get up to speed with the business side of the equation, then sadly like most great music will get buried under what is clearly an over-saturated market thanks to the 'oh so easy' convienence of the Internet (I shudder to think how many new music uploads there are per DAY)!!!

For me personally, I have deliberately withheld my music (no new content upload anywhere in quite a while) for several reasons....

1. Need to improve my music content

2. Need to also have high quality and interesting (non-music) content e.g. artwork, photos, graphics, video production and more. (I already have a few plans, but getting all it done takes time and its not easy)!

3. Need to register my own label and assign a good PR manager (already have a person to fill that role). Getting that right has benefits i.e. attaining a bigger slice of the pie (too much to explain here)!

4. Need to get up to speed (learn more) about the music business, it has changed a lot and still evolving, revolving whatever lol. It sure ain't easy.  I love making music (enjoy that immensely) but knowledge of the business side of the equation is no easy walk in the park.  It's no secret, about 70% of major label budgets are poured into concepts, strategies, planning and marketing.  Oh and part of that package involves touring costs. 
 
So, for a lot of independent band's, it is indeed extremely difficult (near impossible) to make a really good sustainable ((liveable) income. Very sad but that's the reality and hits like a ton of bricks. Aww heck, even most actors have taken a pay cut due to losses in DVD (movies) sales i.e. I seen fairly new movies releases sell for less than 5 bucks at {enter big dept store name here), that's hardly enough to pay the light bill. So, musicians are not the only ones that feel the crunch.