I thought I would start off the series on Influencers with a look at the creator of one of my favourite music services, HypeMachine. HypeMachine is a fascinating blend of geek technology and music passion, which since 2005 has evolved into a service which delivers a collection of music which drives at the very heart of what music bloggers and therefore, most of us, are listening to today.
Hype Machine’s success has allowed it to really push some bands forward. B.O.B boomed in popularity after regularly appearing in HypeM’s popular lists over the last year, so music fans do treat it as a genuine platform for finding new talent.
Anthony himself is a really smart guy, part programmer, part music afficionado. Hype Machine was developed in order to stop Anthony having to flick through endless blogs, endless MP3s to find what he wanted to listen to. It certainly worked, as Hype Machine now delivers around 2m users per month.
I can see Anthony being pivotal as an influencer to many facets of the music business; how to drive revenue from a down-turned market, how to socialise the music business, which means he could sit at the very heart of the future of the business. It would be foolish to see Anthony not being taken on in a consultancy role by any of the big music publishers, but perhaps they live in fear of people like him.
I found this video of Anthony really interesting, almost down playing its relevancy to changing the face of modern music. [credit to:PressPausePlayTest]
