UK Music Industry in Trouble?

In these economically uncertain times, you may be losing count of which companies are going into administration (or bust!). Last week saw major UK retailer Woolies call in the administrators, this shook the music industry badly, as Woolies own one of the biggest distributors of music EUK. Stories of panic by record companies going direct to retailers such as Asda to make sure they get their latest releases to the public in the run up to xmas.

Also hitting the music industry at the other end was the news that the major independent music distributor Pinnacle has also called in the administrators. This has effected huge numbers of artists on hundreds of record labels, many of which would have been releasing material for the christmas market, now they are left without a distribution channel to get their products to retailers.

So, getting that much sought CD this xmas may be a little more difficult in some cases. With disruption in the distribution and major record companies fighting for shelfspace in asda the future of music sales as a physical product could well be shortened. With more and more choice in Digital Downloads and the price of these often being so much less than the actual CD, more people will opt for downloading.

The weak link in the chain of getting music from the artist to the consumer is showing to be the distribution network. Music is being made, and music is being demanded, yet if the product can't get to the consumer the business is in real trouble.

Enter Amazon UK MP3
Amazon seemed to have timed their entry into the MP3 download business at just the right time to make the most of this. With many of top selling albums such as The Kings of Leon's new release - Only By The Night being discounted to £3 for the MP3, when compared to almost £9 for the CD.
Amazon are a very forward thinking company and are always keen to grab new opportunities, so I can say that in 2009, they are likely to be working with independent artists in much the same way that iTunes do. Providing music on demand with the newest and oldest acts in music will surely be another thorn in the side of major record labels and independents as profits are squeezed even further. Amazon mp3's are also not copy protected like those provided by iTunes, meaning you can easily transfer to other mp3 devices you own.
So, maybe great news for the consumer of digital downloads this christmas but it could be quite a bleak christmas for the record companies and the musicians getting smaller fees. Only time will tell how this will effect the British music industry over the next year.

Gadgets for Christmas - Part #2 Desk Gadgets

I've been hunting down some desk gadgets that would make ideal presents for Christmas. Having found quite a few freaky and unusual gadgets ideally suited to desk use here are a few of my favorites.

This Miniature Henry vacuum is going to be well loved by those who eat their lunch over their keyboard, or have to keep their own desk space clean. Powered by 2 AA batteries (not included as usual!), this little palm sized hoover will brighten up anyone's "admin time". With interchangeable nozzles and enough length on the hose to reach behind the monitor. Just one of these in every office in the country will make cleaning your desk a pleasure. Simply unscrew the top to empty, though a tip on preserving battery life is to keep in a locked drawer, or Henry the Hoover will be in constant use on other peoples desks!
prices as of 18th Nov 08 -
Iwoot - £9.99
Amazon UK - £9.99
Ebay - from about £14.99

I mentioned the USB Cup Warmer in my previous post about Christmas Gadgets, this time I'm flipping it and going for the USB Fridge! Perfect for keeping that cold can in sight whilst working and knowing it is staying cold! Big enough for one standard soft drink can, chills to 8.5 degrees after being plugged in for 5 minutes. Neat or pointless, you decide but the inclusion of an led fridge light is a fine touch of detail to this retro style desk fridge.
prices as of 18th Nov 08 -
Iwoot - £19.95
Amazon UK - £14.99
Ebay UK from about £13.99

For those looking at buying for a Dr. Who fan, this rather unique TARDIS USB hub (that's Time And Relative Dimensions In Space if you didn't know!) will be the centerpiece of any desk, or possibly even the whole office. When you plug a USB device into it the light on top flashes, but that's not just all.... It also makes a sound like that of the TARDIS taking off, though if you don't want to disrupt the whole office every time you plug something in, prefering to save the audio effect for 'special moments' you can switch off the sound. Though as an alternative you may want to look for the R2D2 USB Hub for those who are more into their Star Wars.
prices as of 18th Nov 08 -
Iwoot - £19.99
Amazon UK - £14.99
Ebay - from £14.99