A music industry descending

Seth Godin posts one of the best analyses of the music industry's fading star -- and how to fix it -- I've read in a long time. Lots of good wisdom for those of us in communications who are not in the music business as well...

...particularly his long-tail insight about a musician's success not requiring billions of fans, and particularly the "Bob Dylan Rule":

Remember the Bob Dylan rule: it’s not just a record, it’s a movement.
Bob and his handlers have a long track record of finding movements. Anti-war movements, sure, but also rock movies, the Grateful Dead, SACDs, Christian rock and Apple fanboys. What Bob has done (and I think he’s done it sincerely, not as a calculated maneuver) is seeking out groups that want to be connected and he works to become the connection point.

By being open to choices of format, to points of view, to moments in time, Bob Dylan never said, “I make vinyl records that cost money to listen to.” He understands at some level that music is often the soundtrack for something else.

I think the same thing can be true for chefs and churches and charities and politicians and makers of medical devices. People pay a premium for a story, every time.