Amazon moves into content - is a record label next?

This is an amazing article - not for what it tells us about Amazon right now, but because it gives a glimpse into the future that traditional media companies just can't see.

The future of music as a business can unfold in a myriad of ways - some of which we just can't guess at. But, it does seem clear that some of the massive companies that have grown from the late 20th century technology boom and the massive growth of the internet in this century may well be the ones that change it forever.

Apple, obviously, have changed the landscape for distribution and retail. Facebook has a reach that no artist can ignore.But there are and will be many others.

What are the existing record companies and live promoters doing to counter it? Pretty much nothing, and what they are doing is too late and way behind the curve!

This article is about how Amazon has announced a scheme for budding directors and screenwriters to pitch movie ideas to them for funding and possible production in Hollywood. It's called 'Amazon Studios'.

But, they also bought a small book publisher yesterday - are they going to do the same as a book publisher?

And if they are, surely they'll end up doing it for music. And if the second biggest online digital retailer wants to sign your record and promote it heavily - will you go there or collapsing EMI?

Take a look at My Major Company for a model that would work for a company like Amazon - a very interesting fan-funded model.

This is the post about Amazon:

Amazon may be the internet's dominant ecommerce company, but its ambitions extend well beyond retail.

It has fast become a key player in a market that is expected to become very large -- cloud infrastructure -- and now it appears to be making some moves into content which could be harbingers of things to come.

Yesterday, it launched Amazon Studios, a website for aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters. The concept is simple: allow those aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters to upload their work, collaborate and obtain feedback from others, and take the cream of the crop forward for possible production.

Read it on econsultancy here.