Free Albums? Free Music? Ouch!

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville

Well it's been headed this way for a long time. The Napster generation does not want to pay for music. It is the day of downloads and no more DVD/CD racks full of discs in the den. Country album sales down 19.5 % YTD.

It is a different world, more so every day. It is not a matter or right or wrong; it is just a matter of acceptance.

Hollywood seems to have no interest in this business model. Olive Garden likes it: $100 bucks for all the pasta you can eat. See That? Imagine you pay X amount of money and go to all the in-theater movies you want to see in a month? Never say never but what a concept!

The Apple show this week was so educational in so many ways in the marketing and PR world. Look how much free media they got by going big and having some degree of secrecy. They created an event. That is the key ... an EVENT. We live in a time where you have to go big or go home.

You throw a free party for thousands on the beach like Chesney or big a big white cube next to a building like Apple. Music Row could learn a lot from the "Go Big or Go Home" concept. Takes money to make money.

BMI picking Vince Gill as the Icon this year is a great choice. He is that.

The Aldean snub by the CMA voters is still water cooler talk. Jason spoke this week and spoke well. Like he said, what can you do? He is right. But it would be nice to see how that happened. Did five others simply do a better job at managing the vote? Running the campaign? I don't know. But I would find out if I was him. I don't think it's about the work. It is about the election. Is the CMA voting pool really against Bro Country? "This Is How We Roll" was not a top musical event? It is curious. This is not just a simple Toby Keith snub. It does feel different.

The Rolling Stone article on Taylor Swift is fascinating. The security around her life can't be a good thing. Living in a bubble drives Presidents and stars like Michael Jackson crazy. Living in New York City asks for trouble. She needs to be a little less visible. Maybe after the album release, she can live a safer, more normal life. I hope so. She is rich and famous. Rich and a little less famous might be more fun.

Eight-seven million views for her new video. Add up every YouTube Country video ever made ... does that equal 87 million?

Maybe, but wow! She may not be Country this week but this young lady is amazing!

2015 planning is well underway. The stadium shows for Kenny,Luke and Jason in the plan. The major festivals have already booked their headliners and Blake seems to be working a lot. Miranda's career seems to be on fire and the paid ticket sales will be even bigger in 2015.

Country on tour is hot ... Country CD sales stink. You sure hope those two things have nothing to do with each other.

Streaming may end of being a very ugly word in the music business. Renting instead of owning. I know rental cars are treated worse than ones you own. A rental apartment doesn't get the care of an owned house. Renting music and art may not in the long run be a good idea. Just saying. Hollywood's caution may be smart.