A Very Short Anatomy of an Independent

Movement

Or, Aspirations of an Indie Edtech

PERSPECTIVES / NARRATIVES : MUSIC, THE INTERNET

1. MUSIC INDUSTRY 2. THE CONSUMER1989: MP3 FORMAT

1997: 1ST MP3 PLAYER

1998: WINAMP

2001: APPLE IPOD

“The real revolution in popular music

in regard to the Internet is to be

found in the availability of news,

information, and discussion about

music and musicians facilitated by

Internet media”

Jones, Steve. "Music and the Internet." Popular Music 19.02

(2000): 217-230.

Music discussions thrived on systems

like PLATO and the WELL

THIRD PERSPECTIVE: THE ARTIST

THE MIDI CONTROLLER

(M)usical (I)nstrument (D)igital (I)nterface

THIRD PERSPECTIVE: THE ARTIST

“If music is free for downloading,

the music industry is not viable.

All the jobs I just talked about will

be lost, and the diverse voices of

the artists will disappear.’’

Lars Ulrich, Drummer, Metallica

2000:

Top 100 Tours - 90%

2015:

Top 100 Tours - 43%

2002 to 2012:

● # of businesses that identify as

or employ ‘‘independent artists,

writers and performers’’ - 40%

growth

● Total revenue - 60% growth

OR

1,888 domain orders since August 2014

“It is impossible to explain the

dazzling new technologies without

understanding the lives and the

times of the people who created

them. The impact of the region’s

heady mix of culture and technology

can be seen clearly in the personal

stories of many … pioneers of the

computer industry. Indeed, personal

decisions frequently have historic

consequences.”

- John MarkoffWhat the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counter-

Culture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry