Filsinger.org

I have never been a big fan of Nine Inch Nails.  Their music style is close to what I might listen to, but just never struck a chord with my ear, so to speak.  What they do right though is leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else.  I have blogged about how media is changing, new distribution methods need to be found, and if you don’t change how you do business, and adapt to this new force you will die.  Reznor was recently interviewed about his coming iPhone app that lets people have access to a social network of NIN fans, and direct access to Reznor himself.   He was interviewed for a Wired article and this is what he had to say.. and he’s exactly right.

Since then, Reznor has pioneered a new, fan-centered business model that radically breaks with the practices of the struggling music industry. His embrace of “freemium” pricing, torrent distribution, fan remixes and social media seem to be paying off financially even as they have helped him forge deeper connections with the Nine Inch Nails faithful.

It’s something he never could have done before, even on an indie label. “Anyone who’s an executive at a record label does not understand what the internet is, how it works, how people use it, how fans and consumers interact — no idea,” he declares. “I’m surprised they know how to use e-mail. They have built a business around selling plastic discs, and nobody wants plastic discs any more.”

Meanwhile, the entire system that for a lucky few turned those discs into hits — rock radio, MTV, music mags, CD megastores — has crumbled, and label execs have no idea where to turn. “They’re in such a state of denial it’s impossible for them to understand what’s happening,” Reznor says. “As an artist, you are now the market.”(emphasis mine)

I believe you should have to pay for music, but nobody wants plastic discs anymore.  The last plastic disc I bought for myself was 3 years ago, but now I buy more music than I ever have.  I listen to all my music through my iPod or on my laptop at work.  Why would I want a disc that I have to rip and then just put away?  I want music digitally, cheap and fast.  Even today I bought the new Hip album on iTunes and didn’t have to go hunting for it.  Just clicked two things and now I’m listening to it.

I’ll scream on this soap box for a while I think.  Media is shifting, don’t get left behind.  This applies to all apsects of our lives, religion, tv, print, music, video, tourism.  The 21st century culture shift isn’t coming, it’s already here.  What are you going to do about it?

On my way to work today I was listening to the radio and heard a news article on how Canadian Broadcasters are crying to the CRTC to allow them to reduce their local programming.  The Globe and Mail has an article up on the same issue.  Essentially, the broadcasters are in peril and local programming is losing them money.  To compensate for this down trend in the economy, and demand for local programming, they want to bring in more American programming and charge a fee to the other carriers for using their signal.  In the last few years there have been a microcosm of events that each on their own wouldn’t have caused this issue, but together is making the perfect storm.

1) The Internet – The interweb has created a completely level playing field.  My little blog on the net has as much of a chance of being viewed by people as a news article written on the Globe and Mail.  The know-how to get your message out there is next to nil now.  Me personally? I get more local news from a few Charlottetown bloggers than I do from The Guardian or the CBC.

2) Youtube – Now anyone can be a star.  Look at people like sXePhil, some guy who makes “what interested me videos” and puts them up.  He gets 300,000 views per video, daily.  His audience is world wide, his content is immediate, and more relevant than any fluff piece that the local tv station puts up.  This is only the beginning.

3) Torrents – You can now watch any show you want, within 1 hour of it being on TV without commercials and in High Definition on your TV.  Why would I sit through programming and force fed commercials that do not relate to me and waste my time, when I can digest any media I want, instantly and when I want.  (I am willing to pay for this service if stations offered it.  Give me the ability to download your shows on Demand, in perfect quality the second they air on TV and I will pay… no one offers this yet, wake me up when they do).

4) The Recession – Add in a recession to all of these things, people are cutting back.  I pay $40/month for my TV and $40/month for Internet.  What would I cut first? My TV of course, I rarely watch anything on satellite now, and would not miss it.  Advertisers are cutting back as well, so funds are being sucked from the broadcasters.

In 1998 Napster came out, the music industry had an opportunity to seize a new trend, make it their own and deliver us high quality music, DRM free for a fee.  They balked at it, and instead of embracing it they fought it, and have lost millions and millions in the process.  Imagine if they had bought Napster, turned that into a service and started the shift THEN to this new medium, I bet they would be in much better shape.  TV is going down the same path with the high availability of any show on the Internet, and people watching more Youtube than they do actual TV.  The CRTC and the broadcasters are clinging on to this old world and not embracing this new trend that will take over.  With the Internet, the world is flat, so stop fighting against it, embrace it.  I believe in local content, but I believe news will be brought to me by the local people on the ground, not traditional news outlets.  Look at what happened with Twitter and the Plane crash in the Hudson.  We were getting updates from the people IN the plane, not the fools out there with cameras and a microphone.

TV as we’ve known it for 50 years is dying.  The game is changing.  There is money out there, and great ideas for programming.  It’s just going to be delivered to us differently, and if the CBC, CTV and other Canadian programmers don’t realize this fast enough they will be left in the dark and eclipsed by some guy in his basement making funny videos with a webcam and he will be the rich one with the advertising dollars.

ps.  Print media is dying too, and that is a similar case to this.  Stop clinging to your old ways, adapt, embrace or be forgotten and out of a job.

I would say if you took a poll among the general populas, you would find that most people are either A) not living up to their potential, B) not where they want to be in life, or C) believe that they can’t do better.  I have various theories on why this is, but generally I think it is because most people are too afraid to jump in over their heads.  It is far too easy to stay comfortable, avoid change, and not better yourself.

I’ve had a really strange week at work.  Things generally hum along, Mondays come, Fridays go, games get tested, signed off, wash, rinse repeat.  This week was a bit different though, something is changing in the air.  Perhaps it’s just that we are itching so bad for spring to come.  At this moment I have a huge opportunity to jump in way over my head.  I am going to take it, I would regret not doing it if I let this moment pass me by.  This year I blogged about adding my diversity to my life.  This chance is one that would definitely stretch me, and change my routine in many ways.

The world would be a better place, if everyone pushed themselves a little more.  Don’t settle, get out of your routine, do something that you have never done before, stretch your brain.  Once we get out of school, our intake of knowledge decreases significantly, push yourself, take up a new hobby.  Apply for that job you always dreamed about.  Don’t let complacency, negative self image, or laziness let life slip you by.  You only get one shot at it, make it a good one.  As Nelson Mandela said it so wisely “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world”

I’ve been recently involved in a process of building a document around what I think Youth Ministry should look like.  I have brought together a great number of people at various points in their life to bring their unique insight into the issues that face them, their kids, and their peers.  It has been an interesting process, and I have learned a lot from it.  We’re also only half way there, and another 2 months, we should have something a little more tangible and written down.

I’ve also recently been looking into the tech industry latest trend of having an Unconference .  Essentially it’s a conference/retreat/getaway where there is no speaker, no planned agenda, and the agenda is then set by the attendees.  Usually, there is a group of people with similar interests that end up attending.  My idea that I started to throw around was having one for Youth Leaders, of all denominations, or all walks of life, from even *gasp* any religion.  Why not create a place to allow people to dialogue about what is working in current Youth Ministry trends, what is not, and allow people the time to get away, talk, and gain knowledge, experience and new insights into their own world.

Right now, this is just an idea, a seed, will it germinate into something? Possibly, probably not, but one can dream a little.

I’ve said all that to say this, the church as an institution has segregated itself from everyone, including other churches.  Dialogue exists very little outside of our own circles, and that needs to change if we want to deal with pressures, and difficulties of trying to reach kids, and meet them where they are at.
If anyone reads this blog, which I know there is very few and are in the maritime area.  Ping me, start a dialogue with me, let me know your thoughts.

filsinger@gmail.com <- My inbox is never closed.