There are some great new posts on Music Think Tank (MTT) Open.
Note: We are also looking for more posts that relate to music creation and production. New Contributors - Click here to register.
Consumer or Music Lover: You Decide
By Kyle Bylin
When Trent Reznor developed and adapted a new model to deliver Ghosts I-IV to his audience he reframed what it meant to be in the music business. Understanding that free was inescapable and multipliable formats were inevitable, he established six points of participation for fans. By catering to the resurgence of vinyl and allowing interaction with multi-track files he went on to challenge market abundance with scarcity by increasing the level of personalization and authenticity. Thus making the purchase, Better Than Free for his core fans. Read the post.
Has the over reliance upon Digital Audio Workstations (Gods) ended the era of acts that can fill stadiums?
By Bruce Warila (a repost from 2007)
In this post, I am submitting the argument that the spread of digital audio workstations can be correlated to the complete drop-off of new artists that have the ability to sell out stadiums. I am also suggesting that the reliance upon engineer/producers using DAWs have made artists a bit lazy, and/or that this crutch has enabled artists to focus on things that are less important than making great songs. Read the post.
Shifting the needle on new digital music services
By KEITH JOPLING
There are some fundamental service elements still to play with – price, product and customer experience are still up for grabs in developing something a bit special. But with labels gatekeeping price and savvy service providers unwilling to subsidise music, i think price can almost be ruled out as a differentiator. Read the post.
The Wearing of Hats
By MICHALE SHOUP
Michael’s question is: with the status of the Music Industry, is there a middle ground between the following mindsets: one being a casual style of living, irresponsibly bouncing from moments of extreme focus to days or weeks of broader scoped work, or two, is this the new model based upon being an independent, entrepreneurial creative who is able to organize, create, and mold to the quickly changing industry? Read the post.
May 20, 2009 
