How are record labels dealing with the file-sharing explosion? Obviously musicians need to get paid for the work they do, and both major and independent record companies need to make their money back. The plus side of it, though, is that it's potentially a great marketing tool. I support EMI's policy against it up to a point, but I also think it's important to understand the marketing strengths of the format. I have to admit that I have downloaded things from Limewire www.limewire.com .
Is Apple's iTunes a workable model for selling music online? The iTunes story so far is a total success. It seems as if Apple got it right, as it is integrated totally from the shop through to the software on the computer and the hardware on the iPod.
What about the Recording Industry Association of America's threat to sue file-sharers? If you victimise a few people, it can end up having a negative effect. Making examples of people doesn't necessarily mean that crime goes down. A lot of these things are gestures to make people feel as if something is being done. There's no question that it is having a negative effect on the record industry, but CD-burning has had a bigger impact - particularly in Europe where broadband still isn't as common as in the States.
Broadband? I travel a lot in my work, so faster lines have liberated me from the office. All the things I need to check - be it mixes or artwork - people can now just email them to me or post them on an FTP site. I used to have to get all that stuff faxed or couriered, so broadband has made that whole process faster and easier. It's given me a portable office and recording studio.
Mac G5? I have mixed feelings as it sounds fantastic, but I only ever use a laptop. There will be a lot of stuff coming out that my G4 laptop won't be able to deal with. Hopefully, the G5 laptop won't be too far behind!
Is usability often overlooked in website design? It's all about navigation to us - we have some really good things on the site but they are down a couple of levels. We have people designing some great sound toys for our new site but we want it to be more about making browsing easier and less about Flash or Shockwave tricks. We were actually the first record label in Britain to have a website.
Favourite gadgets? I do have a Palm but I tend to use my laptop, as I never got the hang of the Graffiti for writing things into the Palm. My iPod's saved me carrying hundreds of CDs around. When Moby presented his last album over a period of a year, he had about 20 CDs' worth of demos - iTunes makes that easier to keep track of!
Favourite sites? I hate to be boring but www.bbc.co.uk is great for streaming Radio 4 when you're abroad. There's a great sound construction toy at Soda. The musical-trainspotter in me enjoys www.native-instruments.com and www.ableton.com.
Visit: www.mutehq.co.uk
