What happens when the entire history of recorded music can be contained on a device the size of a guitar pick? And if that content is shared between users on private networks, where does that leave intellectual property? For some, this may sound like a sci-fi nightmare. But for legendary producer and McGill University professor Sandy Pearlman it’s both provocative conversation-starter and a soon-to-be reality. With the cost of storage quickly crashing to $0, what does this mean for the ongoing attempts to monetize digital music? How does this fit with the currently preferred trajectory that predicts that all music and data will be soon accessed from “The Cloud”? Is the copyright industry’s loss part of a broader cultural gain? Can commerce and creativity be reconciled with rapid technological evolution in a way that makes sense for artists? Join Pearlman for a mind-blowing look at one possible future for music.

Sandy Pearlman Visiting Professor, McGill University; Producer, Blue Öyster Cult, The Clash
Rick Karr Media Correspondent; Professor, Columbia University School of Journalism

For more about the concept of the Cloud v Infinite Storage, read this piece by Sandy Pearlman