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Ask HN: Review Beatnex - An effort to make the RIAA obsolete

3 points by ABrandt ↗ HN
What I have right now is, in every sense of the term, a minimum viable product (hopefully). I've noticed that I'm really spinning my wheels though, so I decided it was time for a reality check from HN.

As the link bait title (sorry about that) suggests, my ultimate goal is to eliminate any value that record companies provide to bands. I am a firm believer that the functions of these dinosaurs can be accurately simulated through web technologies.

(Note: I am not a programmer--just a business student with some passion. Also, the user data stored on the site is all fictional test data at this point)

http://beatnex.com

7 comments

[ 3.7 ms ] story [ 23.2 ms ] thread
mr_eel
Bluntly, this doesn't look particularly compelling, especially when compared to something like http://bandcamp.com/

"I am a firm believer that the functions of these dinosaurs can be accurately simulated through web technologies."

I'd be interested to have you expand on that. Specifically, what are the things that a label provides to an artist and how do web-technologies replace these?

Yes, I am playing Devil's Advocate here :)

Still, I am geniunely interested in your thoughts.

ABrandt
Thanks for pointing me towards some more, competition...they look to have a very clean setup.

Beatnex is aiming to differentiate itself from those type of sites though by providing real-life services through the web. While the likes of thesixtyone and Amie Street help a band sell their music digitally, we believe that their ultimate success is rooted in engaging fans in a physical manner. For example, we have created an automatic gig booking system of sorts. The band simply picks a date, time, and a desired venue, then a request is sent off to the appropriate people. This venue will then have all the information they need about the band, and can accept their request instantly.

We also believe that those little plastic discs that the RIAA peddles aren't dead in the water. In a recent study, 90% of 18-25 year olds said that they would like to purchase a CD even if they can download the same music online. Its simply a matter of creating value for those customers through creativity (ie. buy a cd, get a jam session with the band). We have arranged the capability to offer on-demand pro CD creation--the band doesn't have to invest a dime in that production.

These are just a couple of directions that we are going in right now, thanks for your feedback!

mr_eel
"We also believe that those little plastic discs that the RIAA peddles aren't dead in the water...Its simply a matter of creating value for those customers through creativity"

I agree wholeheartedly! CDs don't have to be the default means of distribution, but they are certainly something fans are interested in, especially if there is some aspect that makes them collectible -- interesting artwork, extras etc.

"We have arranged the capability to offer on-demand pro CD creation--the band doesn't have to invest a dime in that production."

What is it about the CDs that makes them worth having rather than a digital download? Is the fact that it's a physical artifact enough or is there something else people are looking for. Personally, I don't want a CD if it's just a plastic case with some art stuffed in it, but if it's put together more artfully, I'm more interested. For example, Raster Noton (https://shop.raster-noton.net/) make CDs worth owning by virtue of the care and thought they put into their aesthetics.

ABrandt
How value can be added to a CD is really the million-dollar question for the music industry as a whole I think. Frankly, I don't think there is one single answer. What works for Raster Noton, who has a distinct set of fans, will certainly not work for just any ol' band. Perhaps the key for my startup is to enable the artists to add their own unique flavor as easily as possible.

Also, Derek Sivers posted an excellent article (http://sivers.org/livecd) today on how a CD can be used as a promotional vehicle when given away free. Perhaps we could focus on producing quality CDs as cheaply as possible to make this a viable marketing tool for bands as well.

You seem to have a genuine interest in this field so feel free to email me -- development (at) beatnex (dot) com. I would love to hear more of your insights on this topic.

mahmud
You probably wont beat the RIAA, but you can carve a nice niche for yourself. It has potential and there are a billion possibilities. Keep at it and keep us posted.
ABrandt
Thanks mahmud!

I suppose a currently unfunded startup taking down a conglomerate represented by several billion dollar companies is slightly unlikely :) Nevertheless, it is my grand dream. Thanks for the encouragement and you will definitely be hearing more from us.