BALTIMORE, MD (Oct.27, 2003) – Sweeping changes are occurring in the marketplace for recorded music as the battle intensifies between major record labels on the one side and internet-based file sharing services and the consumers who use them on the other. In the meantime, another music industry transformation is underway in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas. This one has to do with live music rather than recorded music. But it’s a revolution without conflict and no lawsuits are being filed – consumers and the live music industry are working together rather than against each other.
Recently, a fast-growing number of area music fans have begun to take an active role in choosing the live music performances which will take place in the region. Rather than simply waiting and hoping that local, live music venues and concert promoters will book shows by the musical artists they want to see, these consumers are registering their requests for those specific acts on web sites run by the entertainment venues themselves and on other web sites operated by local newspapers and radio stations. These requests, called “TourVotes”, give venue owners and event promoters insights into local market demand for live music – which live shows music fans truly want to attend.
Among
the regional web sites participating in the vote-gathering are Walther-Productions.com,
the site owned by leading concert promoter Tim Walther, and popular live music
venues The Black Cat, The Funk Box, Mother's Grille, The Recher Theatre,
Fletcher’s, The Velvet Lounge, Jaxx, Galaxy Hut, and Jammin' Java.
The TourVote
Network also includes web sites operated by local entertainment publications MusicMonthly
and OnTap. RadioMojo is the first radio station to give listeners the
ability to vote for live music. Even musical artists and those who run
unofficial fan sites are getting into the act – sites like Oddbox.com, Nina
Storey.com, and RushPetition.com, for example. More web sites are joining the
TourVote Network each week.
TourVote
is the brainchild of local startup Demand ID Systems, a market intelligence and
audience acquisition company with a mission to help live entertainment companies
and entertainers to be more profitable by using actual audience demand
information to guide decisions on which shows to produce and in which markets.
The company is a “newmediary” using the community-building power of the
internet to connect music lovers with the producers of live shows.
“Much like with any other product, live shows will be more successful if they are produced based on a clear picture of what the market wants,” points out Ben Cruz, co-founder of Demand ID. “I’d be hard pressed to think of a company that made a mistake in the process of product development by asking prospective buyers what they wanted. And I’ve never met a consumer who didn’t think well of the company that valued his opinion.”
Music fans receive a TourAlert by email when the act they voted for is scheduled to appear locally. “Music fans really love the ability to request live shows,” said Cruz. “But they also like the assurance that they will be alerted promptly if the show they voted for is scheduled. There’s nothing worse than finding out about the performance too late to get tickets or even after the show is over.”
TourVote
and TourAlert are available free to web sites wanting to give their visitors a
voice in local, live music. Demand ID provides participating site owners regular
reports on the votes placed from their pages and, in coming months, will grant
site owners the rights to publish information of interest to fans, including a
live music “top 25” list similar to the popular charts Billboard compiles
for recorded music. “By joining the TourVote Network these site owners are
augmenting their traditional role as publishers of information,” said Skip
Daly, the company’s partnership manager. “They recognize that the internet
age is all about empowering their users in wholly new ways. Music fans online
are pretty savvy – they tend to frequent web sites that are progressive and
customer-focused.”
Demand
ID plans to deploy their services throughout North America and, in time,
overseas. For now, Baltimore and DC area consumers are the spark that could set
off a chain reaction giving live music fans everywhere the ability to help
select their own local entertainment offerings. “Based on the votes we’re
seeing in the database, it’s clear that people want the power our partner
sites are offering them,” said Cruz. “It’s a squeaky wheel sort of a
thing. Those who speak up have a better chance of getting what they want because
key music venues and promoters are prepared to listen. TourVote-enabled sites
are giving their users an unfair advantage.”
About Demand ID Systems (www.demandid.com) – Demand ID Systems is the developer of a unique market intelligence and audience acquisition system for the live entertainment industry. The company’s mission is to bring Choice, Control and Convenience to consumers of live entertainment and greater profitability to all players in the live entertainment industry.
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