Giving a demo at the MySpace Music press conference October 1st 2009

It’s been a hectic few days, in fact the last couple of weeks have been somewhat of a blur. This is largely due to spending excessive hours @ work, in preparation for the launch of MySpace Music in Australia and New Zealand.

On October 1st, key media players across Australia were invited to come down for the great unveiling and celebrate it’s arrival at the press conference. From the major record labels (who have equity in the venture) through to established news outlets such as SMH, News Ltd, to industry coverage from the Music Network and support from the ever dependable ABC, everyone, who is anyone in Australian media, was there.

As you’d expect, there was a tremendous amount of excitement, fanfare and relief on the day. The product had been in development for over a year, with on-going rumors raising the expectation levels each and every day, however, I’m delighted to say they’ve been met & even exceeded with it’s launch. It really is a fantastic avenue for musicians and there’s little doubt in my mind, that it’s a massive step-forward for individuals who are fans of music and want free, quick and easy access to it.

As a result, Australian and New Zealand MySpace users can listen to songs & albums from over 5 MILLION artists on the site, including their extensive back catalogues.

It’s mind-boggling trying to even begin to comprehend that isn’t it

To give you an example,  Elvis Presley alone has 121 albums available on MySpace all of which you can stream in their entirety, unlimited, legally and for free.

(I’ve been listening to Daft Punk’s 2007 Alive album religiously recently).

Plus you can create your own playlists and share them with friends – just like you did with those old-skool mixtapes back in the 80’s & 90’s. Even Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has put together his own personal playlist on the site, respect!

Those two quick examples alone, should demonstrate the reach, influence, impact and potential MySpace Music has. It truly is instant and free access for everyone who is a fan of music. Come and try it out.

Exciting times ahead

Speaking of exciting times, in under a week, I’m heading down to Melbourne to go and see Marilyn Manson play two shows there, how is that for dedication hehe, I seriously can’t wait, my version of a mini-holiday.

I’m actually seeing him twice in Sydney, so all up 4 times in 5 days, and if I’m really lucky who knows, I might even get to meet him again. If I do, rest assured I’m going to send the world the photos! His new record ‘The High End Of Low’ just keeps getting better and better with each listen.

I’ll be updating and using Twitter whilst I’m down there, so please do stay in touch if you don’t already. It blows my mind that I can take a photo from my Blackberry, send it to Twitter, which then syncs with my MySpace and Facebook accounts, allowing you guys to all view it.

I used it today actually.

I found this chap, around the back of Oxford Street, left for dead on the side of the curb, after a big night out. So I took it upon myself to prop him up and arrange him in a manner the locals would approve of….

I left him there like that, so here’s hoping he gets lucky tonight.

It’s true, I rarely fail in finding ways to amuse myself haha!

Alex

p.s. Today I watched my beloved Sydney FC return to the top the league, Arsenal hammered Blackburn 6-2 and EVEN Norwich City won 5-1. Talk about a great weekend of football!

Aside from the fact that I woke up today, to see this is anyone else feeling a little shocked it’s nearly October already?

It seems only moments ago that I was thinking about what hidden surprises 2009 might have in store, yet here we are, with less than 100 days to go until Christmas.

I feel if I’m not careful, I might close my eyes for a few seconds, only to wake up in the future, reclining in a nursing home, with a Yogi Bear cookie jar next to me and a mangy moggy on my lap, who goes by the name of Mr. Bigglesworth….imagine the thought.

One thing I often DO imagine, is the first impression people have when they stumble across my Flickr page. They must genuinely think that my friends are entirely comprised of some of the loosest drunken pirate fiends in the entire Sydney metropolitan area.

I wonder where they might have potentially got that idea from?

But enough of dust, cats, old men and drunk people, there are more important things to consider in this world aren’t there? Specifically, hehe, that back in June (just realizing it’s been THAT long already baffles me) , I mentioned that I was starting work on a new little project . Since then, there has been some seriously late nights spent beavering away, and whilst the timeline has moved a little, I’m really pleased to report that we’re looking good, to potentially reveal all before the end of the year!

It’s been really fascinating watching it develop over the past few months. You feel as if you’re achieving something as each little piece slowly slots into place. But until nearer the end of the year, I’m going to keep you in suspense about any further details. As the below picture shows, I’m all about keeping things on the down low haha

And finally, to recap on worldly matters since my last post

HIGHLIGHTS
I’m playing tennis again (Yes, even I was surprised!)
Sydney FC are top of the table
Got a decent return from Mr Tax Man
Credit Card balance $0.00
Bought tickets to Marilyn Manson
This photograph of Barack Obama

LOWLIGHTS
Still need that new bed
Fucktards who use Facebook to tell me things like this
Tax return is going on dentist
Waking up to the Sydney Dust Storm this morning!
My body trying to reconcile the notion of “exercise”

Hope all is good in your world, over and out

Alex

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8111352.stm

It’s a detailed analysis of the current debate surrounding the elections in Iran, but more significantly, it categorically answers the question which has been bandied about by various media pundits in recent months:-

“Will instantaneous user generated content (which is often poorly researched, lacking quality and purely opinion based) supercede traditional in-depth, long lead and professional editorial articles?”

With a resounding yes.

The article itself, illustrates the answer brilliantly, it’s the first time I’d seen those two forms of the news side-by-side, complimenting each other, providing a complete picture of the events unfolding.

The article is split into 3 areas. The main body is dedicated to the traditional balanced, researched report by BBC detailing the political mind-field that is currently exploding in Iran.

At the top, there are 7 tabs which feature different levels of content on the BBC site – Latest Developments | Who’s Who | Video | Reporters’ Log | Analysis | Your Reaction and Q&A.

(There’s also sections dedicated to to fill new readers on the ‘Background’ of the situation and several ‘Features’ which take a fascinating look at the history of Iran the social ramifications of the events taking place.)

Essentially, you have everything you need to peice together the broad picture, created, filtered and monitored by the most trusted news source in the world the Britsh Broadcasting Corporation. And yet whilst that seems like a tremendous amount of coverage, it’s actually only half the story.

The second part (and some would say in this day and age, the most vital) is the real-time breaking news and alerts provided by YOU the average person in the street.  The BBC should be applauded for embracing social media rather than fighting it. Whilst you can leave a comment and voice your opinion on the forums on the BBC, these have to be reviewed for content prior to approval (one would assume to stop spam and graphic images). So the BBC decided to go one better.

By utilizing such services as Flickr for photos, YouTube for video clips & Twitter for constant chatter on the ground, they are innovating the way in which we consume news, rather than segregating – like so many other traditional news outlets do.

Whilst the BBC correspondent is spending 15 minutes writing & publishing a “breaking news” article via their laptop from a hotel room, as protests rage outside in the streets below, I can go onto Flickr and see real-time mobile photo uploads of the scene itself.

Just think about that for a second.

We’re on the other side of the world, yet we can access pictures faster than one of our most established news sources.

I can look at Twitter and find breaking information, instant images from the streets of Iran, links to latest feeds and results or contact numbers for loved ones in mere seconds. Faster in fact that in takes for local TV stations to upload their news feeds via satellite. And therein lies the real power of social media.

It is truly staggering that a site like Twitter, unbeknown to the general population 12 months ago, is now taking precedence  and contributing in a dramatic way on a major mainstream news channel.

This unique fusion of respected and professional journalism (which we all rely on for a clear and concise understanding of the events taking place) combined with instant updates from the scene as it unfolds in the form of mobile photos, video uploads and audio files – provide the world with the most well-rounded and accurate form of news reporting we have ever seen in our lifetime.

No government can suppress the average person in the street uploading photos taken on their mobile phone to Flickr. There are 3.3 BILLION mobile handsets in use worldwide – no dictatorship (I’m looking at you China) can police that.

There is a genuine change in the air right now – at long last, it’s the public who are in the front row, technology and real-time syndication means news is now unfiltered, uncensored, free from delays, commericals or special interests – everyone gets to write part of the script.

It’s the most accurate and confronting look at our world, seen through the eyes of the people in the centre of it all.

Iran is an unquestionably bloody and bruised place to be in right now, but one thing is for certain – the entire world is now watching.

Alex