28: The Internet of Free and the Economy of Creativity. A conversation with Count

This episode begins with Count explaining his professional background in the music business as a musician, producer, engineer, & writer. Considering that his career spans both pre and post internet revolution, he is well placed to critique the positive aspects of the internet and also the dark side of the “internet of free.” We explore the economics of creativity on the internet and how this new economy has transformed the music industry in particular, but also how this process bleeds into arenas such as journalism and retail. Count works to debunk a number of the common misunderstandings of the freedom of the internet. Count has created part one of the three part documentary which has received critical acclaim. Those interviewed within the documentary include David Byrne, Noam Chomsky, US Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Jonathan Taplin (Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese), Steve Knopper (Rolling Stone), Rob Levine (Billboard magazine), Matt Mason (Bit Torrent), John Perry Barlow, Lawrence Lessig, and other key voices, alongside personal stories from musicians, filmmakers, authors, and creators of all kinds. Bio: San Francisco based producer, Count [AKA Mikael Eldridge], has been involved in just about every aspect of the music business. He has worked for indie and major labels, scored films, and has worked as producer, engineer, mixer, and remixer for artists such as DJ Shadow, Frank Sinatra, Radiohead, John Cale [Velvet Underground], No Doubt, New Order, RUN DMC, Tycho, Zoe Keating, Galactic, Trombone Shorty, The Bee Gees, Thievery Corporation, and many more. With his own bands Inu and Halou, Count has toured the US and performed live at shows such as Seattle's Bumbershoot festival, The San Francisco International Film Festival, the SF Museum of Modern Art, Filter Magazine's Culture Collides Festival and more. Count is currently directing the documentary Unsound, which is about the impact that internet revolution is having on all creators. He has become a vocal advocate on artist rights issues, speaking at The Future of Music Summit, C2SV, SXSW, Grammys on the Hill, and several international summits. Count is also currently involved in the C3 (Content Creators Coalition), which is helping to organize a collective voice to deal with issues affecting creators in the Internet age. Website: https://www.unsoundthemovie.com https://www.vertebraeproductions.com Theme music provided by: http://www.modernnationsmusic.com Band of the week: Inu and Tycho Inu: https://www.vertebraeproductions.com https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/not-for-anyone/373655312 Tycho: http://www.tychomusic.com https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/epoch/1154577700 https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/793928184 Learn more about this project at: http://www.thesacredspeaks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesacredspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesacredspeaks