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Comcast has added the NBC peacock to their logo. In this one swift move, Comcast has obviously made it clear that they’re proud of the NBC acquisition. I find, though, that the company is opening themselves up to DOJ/antitrust and contract issues down the road. Simply based on perception. Perception is that powerful.

At the first sign of trouble in pending media contract negotiations, Viacom, Fox and Disney will all be screaming for the DOJ to step in. Instead of simply merging the companies in a basic vertical integration, they’re trying to bunch everything up under one name and logo. It’s going to be more trouble than it’s worth.

via Comcast Logo Adds NBC Peacock | Media – Advertising Age.

A lot of artists don’t realize that having great sounding recordings is key to making an impact on your targets; be it fans, friends, management, labels, investors, whoever! Read this piece from Bob Lefsetz on the importance of recordings.

Used to be you practiced in your parents’ garage, got gigs and eventually recorded. The recording was the icing on the cake.

Now it’s reversed.

Now you record first, and you may never ever play a gig.

First and foremost because there’s nowhere to play.

Second, no one wants to pay.

Third, no one wants to hear you be lousy.

So today, if you want to make it, buy a Pro Tools rig and not only figure out how it works, spend endless hours perfecting your recordings (after taking endless hours to write your songs!)

This is the opposite of everything you’ve been told to do. Not only did you have to establish a live base, supposed professionals said they could hear through a demo, it didn’t need to be perfect. Now if the recording isn’t close to perfect, forget it.

I know this is confounding, with all the money now on the road as opposed to in records, but that’s only for the well-established. If you’re just breaking in, it’s about recordings. As for live gigs, most of today’s breakthrough acts don’t play that much anyway. The Beatles did 1,000 gigs before most people heard of them, today most acts don’t even do 1,000 gigs in their career!

Of course there are exceptions, like the Alabama Shakes.

But the exceptions don’t make the rules.

Make your recordings. Pass them around amongst your friends. See if they catch fire. If they don’t, go home and make more.

As for spamming so called “filters” with your MP3s, it’s a waste of time. Filters want to see virality. They want to hear about your music from multiple uninvested (i.e. not related, not your mother or brother) sources. They want to feel the buzz.

Of course, it’s so easy to record that you’re now competing against millions. So whereas you used to be able to be a mediocre cover band and be known throughout your town, now you have to be truly exceptional or no one notices. You’ve got to cut the latest “Call Me Maybe” or close.

Anybody who tells you to build a rep on the road is clueless as to how hard, almost impossible it is.

Major labels want insurance. They want hit songs and a live base and a huge fan club. Do you know how many acts can slip through that sieve? A handful.

But you can beat the system.

By creating one great track.

That’s all Carly Rae Jepsen had.

That’s all PSY had.

And sure, they paid their dues, these were not their first tracks. So don’t expect your first tracks to break through either. Hell, Carly Rae Jepsen is 27 and PSY is gonna be 35 at the end of the month!

via Lefsetz Letter » Blog Archive » Recordings Not Live.

We opened Architekt two years ago today.

In our short time here, we’ve grown into a position where our lesson business is flourishing with passionate teachers, our venue is a staple for original live music in the northern NJ area, and our studio is overbooked with projects that we can’t wait to get our hands on. While all three are quite a challenge, I think we’ve truly begun to make our mark. I say “begun” because I believe there’s still an incredible amount of opportunity in this industry – despite what every damning media piece may say.

People said we were crazy. And they were right! However, I wouldn’t change a single thing about our bullheadedness/naivety/brashness/stubbornness/etc. while putting this thing together. Because if we were “smarter” or “not in the music industry” as many suggested, we probably would’ve done something else with our time!

As far as our studio is concerned, our ability to survive in an industry where, at times, Kurt and I even thought it might be impossible to do so, has come from an overwhelming desire to to the best job we possibly could–to work with the best people we could find, and work on projects we actually gave a damn about. We’ve done all three of those things…and more.

What’s even more exciting to me is this small community that’s been created by our clients. Instead of looking at Architekt as simply a studio, it’s a resource. It’s a fellowship. It’s a place for some industry friendship and positive attitudes. It’s almost like the old school label mentality (without the ownership of the talent’s soul)…as in clients who’ve never met are buying each others music, sharing it on twitter and Facebook and are working together to navigate this ever-changing industry.

I love walking in here every day.

If you’re a part of this community, thank you. If you work with us at Architekt, thank you. And of course, if you’re a supportive family member or friend, thanks for putting up with us.

-george

(Credit to my friend Tony F. on “The Big ‘A’”!)

The Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2012 | 2021615.

In retail, inventory turnover is first. Inventory replenishment is second. Wal-Mart used to be the king…now others have taken its place. Apple is at the top; selling through their inventory every few days. Crazy.

Tumblr ‘Truly Disappointed’ That Twitter Revoked Its Friend-Finding Privileges | TechCrunch.

These guys are out of their minds. Are they going to be launching direct competitors with each and everyone one these great products? Nope.

I’ve moved my domain to a WordPress site based on the “wp-svbtle” theme. Designed originally Dustin Curtis and implemented into WordPress by Gravity on Mars. I’m happy with the simplicity of the interface. I hope to stay active and frequently share thoughts on life, love and the pursuit of business.

VentureBeat: Severe Facebook Revenue Revisions

Sad how this Facebook IPO has turned from a bad NASDAQ technical issue to a total debacle on every front.

Facebook’s S-1

I love these filings. I really wonder how they’re going to do as a public company.

bijan:

One of the hardest things every founder must deal with is finding and hiring the best people.

And it only gets more challenging over time.

In the early days the founder typically hires folks he/she knows. the early team can often be an opportunity to get the old band back together again

But as the company grows and staffing beyond the early team means going outside of your immediate network

It’s painfully time consuming, it’s risky and significantly more difficult — and yet critical.

The one thing I encourage all founder/ceo’s to do is to make sure they meet or at the very least review every single candidate. Do not let your management team hire folks without your knowledge and specific approval about the position, candidate and economic package.

I’ve heard from many people that Larry Page reviewed every single position and candidate at google well into the time when they had thousands of employees back in the day. I’m not sure if this still happens at Google today. 

This isn’t always easy especially if your company is growing quickly and there is often a desire to empower the management team.

But not paying attention or shying away from this responsibility can create huge problems with culture, quality, expenses, and overall effectiveness of the company. 

Hiring the best people and creating a positive culture takes constant work and attention. And it’s worth every minute you put into it. 

i love this.

Culture is a Company’s Holy Grail – US Business News Blogs
cnbc.com

I would love to be revered for our culture, among the many other things that we strive for. It’s all about having good people buy into the common goal. We’re off to a good start.