A little tongue in cheek this post but it’s often the circumstantial that is an indicator of underlying capabilities….
We are often found in music company offices showing them what they could be doing with ‘technology’ within their businesses. We have seen all sort of offices from the multi million office blocks with marble pillars to someone’s front room with marbled pillows. The thing they all have in common is an increasing recognition that technology is playing (or is going to play) an important role in the music business. What’s different in each one is the level of importance that each company thinks the technology play right now.
Nothing highlights this more than a really simple example. You would have thought that in this day an age that internet access in client offices is as important, if not more so, than telephone access. Access to music, competitors, information, suppliers all relies on this.
A few companies recognise this and we can get a super fast connection in their digs through wifi and everything works nicely. But what is shocking is some of them do not have wifi and, even worse, some of them have such poor bandwidth we have to fall back to mobile connections that we always carry with us to demo streaming music. We demos our gear over 3G.
It’s a simple example but it says a lot about attitude. You can’t access the internet to do anything useful because the bandwidth is too slow, no-one knows how to use the wifi, you can’t demo your product. How can you represent your artists and convince your clients that you know how to operate in the modern era if you cannot get your internet access working in your meeting rooms in a way that makes your product shine?
Music companies are increasingly reliant on at least a basic understanding of technology, getting the front of house right shows you care about your product and understand some of the importance that technology plays in the industry. If your basics are right then your more sophisticated systems will follow that allow you to maximise the revenue generation on the assets you have spent years growing and nurturing.
Think on it – have you got wifi? Have you got good wifi? Have you got good Guest wi-fi – we reckon about 1/10 hit all three right now.
