How Technology Shapes Content and Business Models (Or Audio’s Opportunity and Who Will Capture It) — MatthewBall.co

“More importantly, technology is now affecting the audio category faster than ever before. The diversity of its revenue models, content, and delivery has never been greater. This is inspiring and healthy. And there is a lot more to come.” - Matthew Ball

three themes will emerge: innovation in the content format, the evolution of the business model, and the growing ubiquity of audio.

The problem: Technology and music have always engaged in a symbiotic path towards innovation and creativity. The first recording devices, synthesizers, and even records were a result of technological innovators. Likewise, the first computers and mobile devices prioritized music as a key feature. The way we produce, consume, and support music has ch... See more

But while each new form factor or delivery method for music stole share from the previous generation, new forms of video and video games increased the size of the overall pie.

Solving the problem of incentivizing creative work that endures: Most media distribution and monetization models incentivize quantity over quality. Newspapers, radio networks, podcasts, magazines, books, movies, and on and on receive the lion’s share of their revenue in a short window after release. It is increasingly hard for any medium to have bl... See more