Timbaland spoke with Rolling Stone about
what’s coming next for an industry in wild flux.
What’s the single biggest
disruption you expect to happen in music in the next 10 years?
This can be related to technology, business models, genres, live music, music distribution — whatever you have had your eye on. Once in a generation we see some kind of shift in the music business — the last one was from downloads to streaming. The next revolution is going to be in the creator space, where there are millions of kids making music in their bedrooms. The industry is responding by creating platforms for music creators to share their beats, soundpacks, loops, et cetera. The next revolution will be all about that. That’s why we formed [the newly launched music marketplace] Beatclub, which aims to be an important creative hub for the industry.
How about in the next 50 years?
Streaming has really globalized culture in such powerful ways, and I predict that music is going to reflect that. Any local musical movement has the potential to go global in the future.
Considering the speed of tech advancements, how do you expect your own music career to change in the future?
I think this year has shown that we can create music together, we can work closely together in a cohesive way, even if we’re in completely different cities. And although there’s a certain vibe lost by not being in the same room, it’s clear to me that technology has enabled collaborators to span thousands of miles to work together in real time. And that’s already produced some beautiful music.
What’s the most overrated idea or trend in music right now? What’s the most undervalued?
You can’t overstate the importance of the song. It’s always been about a great song and it always will be.
What business advice would you give a young musician just starting out?
Learn the business. Build your copyrights! And believe in yourself — don’t give up.
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