Futurehit.DNA

by Jay L. Frank

The digital revolution has been televised. It is now widely accepted that digital distribution will become the preferred method of consuming music for the majority of people worldwide. The avenues of choice and consumption make it too appealing for music fans to ignore. Millions of music fans have already jumped in head-first with iPods, internet radio, file trading, online music videos and streaming from personalized community pages and websites. While the makeup of this digital landscape has been well documented, there has never been any detailed analysis to what this all means for the music creation process. Listening habits are changing drastically. The methods in which music gatekeepers can understand what music will become hits are rapidly growing deeper than ever before. The gatekeepers themselves are also changing. Jay Frank is one of those gatekeepers. As Head of Music Programming at Yahoo! Music and now as SVP of Music Strategy at CMT, he is on the forefront of the new methods of music consumption. He has been able to synthesize the feedback of millions of music fans weekly to identify, pick and promote future hit songs well before it touches the mainstream radar. What he has seen is that the elements of song writing and production that made hits yesterday are quickly losing ground and new techniques must be implemented for the #1 songs of tomorrow. Future Hit.DNA provides a road map to this digital landscape, outlining 15 points that must change in a song if the artists, songwriters and producers of tomorrow want a chart topping hit. For the first time, Future Hit.DNA actually dissects the elements to a hit song based on the technology that delivers the music. It shows how technology has always led the way hit songs are written from campfires to car stereos. The book provides the blueprint to the subtle changes that need to be made that result in little difference to music fans, but big differences in that song's placement on the charts. The new digital world also opens up many more opportunities for artists and songwriters to earn money on their music than ever before. While examining the methods for tomorrow's hits, Future Hit.DNA also shows how these changes can result in larger royalty checks. Songs can now earn more money than ever, as long as the creator knows the tricks. For the first time, Future Hit.DNA delivers inside tricks from both the music listener and music industry perspective. When utilized, these tips will result in significant advantages in those songs' abilities to become hits. This unprecedented insight will give its readers a leg up over the competition, thereby making the book an essential read for anyone involved in the creation of music.

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2009

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Frank clearly knows what he is talking about, and the book does an excellent job of presenting a cohesive outlook on the directions in which both the music industry and songwriting are headed. I guess the only thing I would have really liked was a more definitive statement of concrete things to try out. While the chapters all cover tips and tidbits about songwriting, and how the aspects have changed over time, there were no "eureka" moments that had me saying "I have to try that with my band!" Rather, it was more of a collection of ideas about writing popular songs, and how those are reflected throughout the history of recorded music. Plus, as much as I hate to say it, it already felt dated after a mere three years. I guess that's always the hazard you face when writing about an ever-changing medium like digital music distribution.

But perhaps I'm being too harsh. I am somewhat biased because I read on more than one very reputable music blog that this book was a "must read" for any indie band or aspiring songwriter. Maybe I just read too much on music, maybe I just have an innate understanding of the workings of music and of hit-making, but I didn't find anything in this book to be that earth-shatteringly new or revelatory.