Album Sales down 21% from a year ago
Labels: 2007, Album sales, Billboard, Grobin, Music trend
According to the entertainment trade mag Variety, Josh Groban is one of few people in the music industry singing a happy jolly tune this holiday season.
While Groban's "Noel" has crossed 3.5 million in sales to become the top-selling disc of the year (and the #1 album for the past 5 weeks), there's no denying this music trend: overall music sales during the Christmas shopping season were down an astounding 21% from last year.
From the week of Thanksgiving up through the day before Christmas Eve, Soundscan sales tracking report 83.9 million albums were sold, a decrease of 21.38 million from 2006's 105.28 million.
The week leading up to Christmas saw sales rise a 42% over the previous week. But when the week's sales of 25.57 million are compared to the same week from '06, they represent an 18% drop.
Can online music gift cards for online music close some of that lost sales gap?
Is the CD part of the music industry on its way to becoming only a $20 billion industry even earlier than predicted last year?
posted by Unknown @ Friday, December 28, 2007,
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Happy Holidays from the Jointblog
It's the holiday season...here's a classic Christmas video for some viral viewing to help put you in the mood. Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, as sung by the Royal Guardsmen. Happy holidays...and look for more Jointblogging in 2008. Labels: Christmas, Royal Guardsmen, Snoopy, Viral Video
posted by Unknown @ Friday, December 21, 2007,
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Imagine, It's Been 27 Years
December 8th has become a day we measure our imagination. It's been 27 years since John Lennon -- a martyr for idealism, peace and love -- was killed by someone with an imagination filled with violence. Mr. Imagine, slain by a madman's delusions. Labels: December 8, Imagination, Imagine, Lennon
Meanwhile, Lennon's imagination lives on through his words and his music.
Can you imagine...it's been 27 years.
posted by Unknown @ Saturday, December 08, 2007,
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Here Comes Another Bubble?
It's been awfully quiet in WebWorld lately. Labels: Billy Joel, parody, Richter Scales, Silicon Valley, Spoof, Viral Video, Web 2.0
No aggressive major recent acquisitions. Consistent strong share values. Maturing market-leading brand name web destinations. No new loud threats from hyped upstarts as the next new great thing online.
Thanks to websites like Google, Facebook and many others, web valuations are through the roof, just like the financial marketplace saw during the portal heydays of AOL and Yahoo! in the late 90s.
A spoofing group from Silicon Valley called The Richter Scales have put together a parody video reworking Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" openly wondering (or stating in a backhanded way) that the Web is poised for another bubble burst.
Which begs the question: if too many people blog about a possible Web 2.0 bubble, will the Web become its own version of a celebrity meltdown?
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, December 04, 2007,
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Tip of the Hat to Evel Knieval
When it comes to setting media trends, there are very few people who can be called innovators. Labels: Evel Knieval, Tip of the Hat, trendsetter
Evel Knieval was one.
He was a walking (and jumping) media trend maker.
While daredevils have often captured the public's imagination (especially magicians), Evel Knieval was the first to bring extreme sports to TV and create a merchandising empire from it.
He had it all -- the name (you HAVE to use both words in his name for due respect, unlike the first-name casual basis of modern-day celebs); the look of red-white-and-blue icon costume; the personality of someone larger than life, even if reckless; and the greatest toy line ever made for kids around the world.
Evel Knieval passed away Friday...he was a huge Wide World of Sports icon and daredevil, motorcycle jumping just about everything he could. The Caeser's Palace Fountain, shark tanks, rows of 18-wheel transportation trucks, even the famous Snake River canyon jump.
He also licensed his fame to create one of the greatest toys ever! Remember this?
posted by Unknown @ Monday, December 03, 2007,
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Beginning to look at 2007 Year-Ends
Labels: 2007, 2008, Jointblog, Media Trend Watching, trends, Year-end
So it is December already.
2007 is wrapping up and Christmas songs are playing on the radio again while winter storms bring out the worst drivers on the road.
Lots to process through evaluating what happened in media for 2007...and what's in store for us in 2008:
If there is one phase that captures the biggest movement, it is this: Social networking. This is THE trend of media. Those that get it and those that don't. If you aren't on Facebook, guess which label between get it/don't get it applies to you.
As our friend Jerry Del Colliano explains it: Social networking is bigger than the Internet itself. More important than email. More pervasive than text messaging. This generation defines itself by making friendships and associations with each other."
Agreed.
Radio and social networking? Sadly, still misunderstood and still not even a boardroom agenda item, let alone the R&D initiative plans.
How'd we do with other media trends?
Media revenues? Internet ad revenues still surging, as predicted...almost on par with radio in the U.S. Meanwhile, total radio revenues slipped in the U.S. (still growing slightly in Canada), while the big American consolidators continued their property sell-offs (radio still viewed as a positive acquisition north of the border by the media analysts).
The XM-Sirius merger? Almost a done deal.
The iPhone and Touch? Big hits, with radio still unable to capture any real estate on the device. But are Zunes picking up some steam?
Apple ads? Still cool. Chocolate Rain? Still weird.
Clear Channel firings and layoffs to clean up the books to boost "performance"? Yep, right on schedule, as usual.
Resolution on royalty rates for web streaming of music and radio in the U.S.? Nope, of course not. And now Yahoo! and AOL are considering plugging their radio plugs. too.
PPMs? More announced rollout delays...but still coming...
Colbert? I TOLD you so!
And Katie Couric's legs? Still mysteriously searchable online...
CBS Radio? More relevant again. Opie & Anthony? Less so. Imus? We'll see (nice tan, though).
Howard Stern? More and more...who?
AOL? Parsons moves on, with very little innovation to show for his leadership. He stopped the bleeding...but the patient may not ever recover.
Celebrity meltdowns? Wow, we've actually gone a few months without a scandal! Look out...we're due. And there's still one month left till 2008...
Wii, XBox or PSP? All three are winning.
Political YouTube debates? A curious new toy...
What are YOU seeing? We value your feedback.
posted by Unknown @ Saturday, December 01, 2007,
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