A while back I wrote an article “Will music be like water?“, where I analyzed music futurist Gerd Leonhard’s thoughts and visions about the future of music. That was somewhat an eye-opening experience and I truly recommend checking out his blog and his YouTube video channel, if you are at all interested in the future of music industry. However, there were so many unanswered questions that I decided it was time to talk with Gerd himself. I discussed with him on the phone and I tried my best to find out how the music industry will change and how indie artists can best take advantage of that.

You have talked a lot about how flat fee based access to music will be the future of music industry. However, music consumers have not adopted music subscription services, such as Napster and Rhapsody, as well as expected. What do you think is causing this? Did the future of music arrive too early?

Napster and Rhapsody are great services, but they have their limitations. When we talk about selling access to music, it essentially comes down to technology and price. Before people really adapt to flat-fee based music services the price has to come down to as low as $5 per month and the music has to be DRM-free. I use to say $1 per week. Nowadays, people want to listen to music on the go and iPhone is the first device that has the full potential to really get music subscription services going on.

What do you think of online music licensing services such as Pump Audio and YouLicense? Are they the future of music publishing and do they have real value for indie artists?

Well, back in 1997 I had a company called LicenseMusic.com, which did the same thing as Pump Audio is doing today, but it was too early for it at that time. Web is essentially becoming the new television now and in the future the markets for online music licensing will be ten times bigger. There will be a lot of opportunities for indie artists, because advertisers, game developers, web 2.0 companies etc. always want to find specific music for different projects. As a matter of fact it would be even better for indie artists if they created their own online music marketplace, so they would get all the revenue.

How do you see online social networks and music companies working together in the future?

Social networks and emerging new media companies need music. Music companies can’t control anymore, who uses their music. There has to be a standard music licensing system with standard prices. It’s the same situation as with the beginning of radio. First music publishers and record companies didn’t approve it, but as soon as they realized that they can’t control it they licensed the music.

What is music 2.0?

It is a natural derivative from web 2.0 meaning the second generation music. Let’s face it, record industry is broken all the way to its core. If you wanted to find its pieces, you wouldn’t even know where to start looking from. Music 2.0 can be characterized by many things such as using web as a platform, using open distribution, using APIs, using syndication etc. Music 2.0 is all about getting the customers attention. Attention is going to be the next distribution. My latest venture Sonific is a good example of this as it works as an attention platform for music on social networks, blogs and different kind of websites.

What advice would you give to independent artists, who want to support the ideology behind music 2.0? How can they contribute to it and take advantage of it?

If you don’t have a blog that’s a huge mistake there. Use widgets, create your own radio stations, get as many gigs as you can, use social networks etc. Artists have to also change their mindset. First build an audience and give up your music for free. When you have an audience, then start thinking about money. This applies also to record companies meaning that they have to partner with artists instead of slaving them. Being a manager instead of an agency.

Remember to visit Gerd’s blog at www.mediafuturist.com
Check out also his new book The End Of Control.