Musicians and fans of music are well aware that the recording industry has been struggling to reinvent itself since the late 1990’s. Much of the struggle is due to failing business models. At the heart of the problem is the shift of music consumption from the tangible format of the cassette and cd to the intangible mp3. The digital universe has provided musicians and music fans with the ability to consume, produce, and distribute music more efficiently and at a lower cost than ever before. The goals and needs of record companies, bands, and fans have forever changed. As we speak there is an ongoing battle to set the new landscape for the music industry.
Winding Forward is what the name suggests. By analyzing and working to wind up the past, the best paths forward will become known. Recording companies, musicians, and consumers have significant stakes in shaping the path ahead. The mission of the posts is to understand history, uncover the interests at stake in the changing music industry, discover business models, and to expose shifts in music as they occur.
