22:26
aaronchua
Music on mobile phones, from ringing tones to MP3 files to music videos to mobile karaoke is worth over 9.3 billion dollars per year. The global music industry is worth 30 billion dollars. (source)
How then can we help musicians to take advantage of this opportunity, and in the process, build a new kind of music business that takes the artists and their fans as the centre of gravity? Here are a few ideas:
- Let's start with moblising musicians current content on the web to the mobile: Create a platform that easily renders an artists' RSS into beautiful mobile sites, mobiles apps et al automatically. These sites or apps should allow easy purchase of music.
- Alternatively, create a mobile publishing platform such as mobisiteglore but for music. We have seen niche publishing platforms such as bandcamp on the web, why not for the mobile as well?
- Help monetise web content with mobile. Mice Love Rice is an amazing music story. The music was available as a free MP3 download on the Internet but made millions of dollars of revenues via Ringback (ie Waiting) tones. Create a platform for other artists to do the same, and in a more efficient way. The platform should create a layer on top of any MP3 that gives fans the option to buy music videos, ringtones or other forms of mobile music content. In this way, music can be distributed freely on the Internet but monetised through mobile.
- Allow artists to empower their fans to be their marketers. Allow fans to remix artists' content including music, video, voice et al and sell them. In order words, create editing tools (see Playscreen) and a marketplace for each artist. What their fans made can be see as content or apps in the marketplace. Revenue through this marketplace will be shared between artisits and fans.
- Help artists manage their fan club or fan mailing list through a mobile platform. Allow artists to send periodic updates or news to their fan based through their mobile. Special discounts to upcoming concerts or music can also be offered through the platform.
Related:
Startup Idea #94 (Part 1): Helping independents to earn a living
Startup Idea #94 (Part 2): Helping independents to earn a living
Startup Idea #94 (Part 3): Bandcamp
Startup Idea #96: Topspinmedia for the mobile
Posted in: mobile,music,startup business ideas
