LA JOLLA, Calif. - "A waste of time and money," "disappointing" and "empty" were common adjectives bandied about to describe this week's MP3.com Summit, which at times felt more like a funeral for online music than a trade show dedicated to the evolving industry.
But some players still managed to generate plenty of laughter during the final panel Thursday, titled "What happened to the revolution?" Billed as a "retrospective look from the veterans who fought the war," the seven-member panel discussion turned into a bitterly humorous roast of the Recording Industry Association of America and bygone lavish spending.
In few words, the group expressed doubts about the Big Five record labels' plans to replace Napster with two monthly subscription services called MusicNet and Pressplay. Former employees at Napster and Scour also lamented their legal challenges by the RIAA. Here's a condensed sampling of how the panelists answered questions posed by moderator and MP3.com CEO Michael Robertson and the audience.
Give a 2-minute description of what happened to your company.
Larry Lieberman, formerly with MusicMaker, now with Fearless Entertainment: MusicMaker folded with $40 million in the bank. It was served by a board that lost interest.
Travis Kalanick, formerly with Scour.com, now with Red Swoosh: We got pummeled by the RIAA press machine.
How would you rename your company?
Joe Fleischer, formerly with Icast.com, now with Crush Music/Media/Management: Whiff. (Fleischer answered for Karen Allen of the RIAA, saying he'd call the record group the place that wrecked everything dot-com.)
Liz Brooks, formerly with Napster, now with BMG Songs: Roadkill or Hummer Winbladded, but I guess they're the same thing.
What did you learn from your experience?
Brooks, BMG: You can have audience, P.R., marketing, brand and still mess it up.
Kalanick, Scour.com: A lawsuit will squash you.
Allen, RIAA: What happened was rather predictable.
What was your biggest waste of money?
Fleischer, Icast: $2.5 million for 100 radio spots.
Dave Ulmer, formerly with Earjam.com, now a software and marketing consultant: A booth at the MP3.com conference.
Lieberman, MusicMaker: The day we laid off half of the company, the crew came to install the video wall.
Brooks, Napster: $3.5 million in legal fees Napster was paying when I left.
What word comes to mind when you hear "licensing"?
Fleischer, Icast: Comedy.
Allen, RIAA: Cha-ching.
Ulmer, Earjam: Tragedy.
Kalanick, Scour: Vapor.
Brooks, Napster: Damn complicated.
What word comes to mind when you hear "Pressplay/MusicNet"?
Brooks, Napster: Huh?
Lieberman, MusicMaker: Controlled catfight.
Allen, RIAA: Interesting.
Fleischer, iIcast: Irrelevant.
What comes to mind when you hear "subscription."
Allen, RIAA: Future.
Lieberman, MusicMaker: Too late.
Brooks, Napster: Better implement that thing fast.
What should the RIAA have done differently?
Kalanick, Scour.com: Take-down provisions instead of suing.
Rick Riccobono, formerly with Supertracks, now a consultant: The RIAA was under a disadvantage from the beginning. It felt like it was under attack. Everybody got off on the wrong foot. The labels were rudderless.
Allen, RIAA: A lot of people were in it for the IPO and quick cash. It was just getting stupid out there.
What event would you alter if you could?
Brooks, Napster: If Napster had gone with a different set of management and VCs. Hummer Winblad was completely under the impression Napster would win the lawsuit and there was no need to build a bridge [with record labels].
Riccobono, Supertracks: Change the initial reaction of the record companies against MP3.com and Napster.
Kalanick, Scour.com: I would have started Scour in the Cayman Islands.
What word comes to mind when you hear "Napster"?
Riccobono: Historical.
Brooks: Potential.
Kalanick: Free.
Lieberman, MusicMaker: A shame.
Ulmer: Dead.
Allen, RIAA: Tick tock.
Fleischer: The beginning.
