Music Discovery: Man vs. Machine
Spotify, Pandora, MOG, Aweditorium and many more aim to provide the ultimate experience in music discovery -- they claim to have the "winning strategy" with their unique combination of an extensive catalog, social media integration, and algorithms. But what about the human element in music discovery? Not just your friend who tells you what’s cool -- which is cool -- but real DJs, with a passion for music and the evolution of an artist. What about websites and blogs like Pitchfork and Stereogum -- humans who write about music and even present the music they write about? In the age of machines, is the human dead? Is there still a need for the knowledgeable, passionate, quirky but unpredictable human?Are hybrid models like We Are Hunted and WahWah.fm the future?In "Man vs. Machine for Music Discovery" KCRW, the noted station in Los Angeles, CA will convene a diverse panel to discuss their potential for success and what they might portend for the future of man vs. machine.
Presenters
Anil Dewan Bio
Anil Dewan is director of new media for KCRW and KCRW.com. He oversees the radio station's digital strategy and operations and is responsible for expanding the organization's presence to social media, blogs, and developing its mobile presence. He oversaw KCRW's most recent project, the KCRW Music Mine -- an iPad app focused on music discovery.
Prior to KCRW, Anil was director of new media at Los Angeles public television station, KCET and worked closely with PBS, NPR and the BBC.
HEATHER BROWNE has written the Fuel/Friends Music Blog (www.fuelfriendsblog.com) since 2005. Fuel/Friends is the most widely-read independent music blog in Colorado, and Heather was named one of 'Ten Women Music Writers to Read Now' by NPR in 2010. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she now lives and rocks in Colorado. She plays the drums, but not very well, is always on the lookout for new songs to love, and has a day job at a liberal arts college.
Philipp Eibach (30) has been working on wahwah.fm for just over two years now. Having emerged from T-lab's entrepreneurial program, wahwah.fm took on a life its own in October 2010 and is now in the final stages of releasing its main product: the wahwah.fm iPhone app.
Before wahwah.fm Eibach completed his dipl. studies in Design at the University of Arts in Berlin and a Master of Arts in St.Gallen, Switzerland. He then led his own media agency in Munich, working for clients such as Nike & Coca-Cola.
Tuesday, March 13
