How can the world around us, the mobile devices we carry and information about our music tastes combine to create a real world experience? Creative Technologist Martyn Davies presents Music, The City & You, an ongoing look at how music discovery can be influenced by the people and the cities around us. This presentation is from Future Music Camp at Popakademie, Mannheim, Germany in May 2011. For more information see: http://www.musicthecityandyou.com

1. Future Music Camp, Mannheim, May 2011
Music, The City & You
Martyn Davies, Six Two Productions
@martynrdavies

2. Es ist eine Freude, heute hier zu sein

3. BBC Radio 1
BBC Music
BBC Introducing
Universal Music Group
Six Two Productions

4. So, what is this?
Think about the world around us
Think about the technology we carry with us
Think about the way we discover and experience music

5. This is not an exact science!
I want to get you thinking...

6. Devices
Location
Storage of musical taste
Networks of friends
Groups
Delivery methods

7. We’re going to stalk a guy called David
Let’s see some of the new ways he’s
discovering and collecting music
...in the car
...on the street
...at the restaurant
...in the bar

8. You’ve never been to David’s city...
Forget what you know about cities
New York London Mannheim

9. Sweet ride!

10. Just kidding...

11. Just one smartphone

12. Not a very long journey
Lot’s of stopping at traffic lights
Friends and artists have
‘dropped’ tracks at various
locations en route using the
‘Piracy Trackdropper’ app.

14. No harm in picking up stuff you
find in the street, right?

15. The restaurant
The restaurant is playing music
They pride themselves on their selection
of food and tunes
David wants to know more...

16. Lucky for him the restaurant
print QR Codes on their menus
David reads the code with his
smartphone
The QR Code links to a Spotify
playlist*
*Although probably not in Germany ;-)
David had a pulled pork sandwich and a Sprite, because he’s driving tonight.
The QR Code really does link to the playlist, go ahead and try it!

17. The bar
David heads to his favourite pub
He’s meeting some friends in town from
Popakademie
Actual pub: Tower Tavern, Clipstone Street, London W1

18. In this pub, the people in
the room control the
music.
A computer in the pub
knows who is here and
what kind of music they
like.
Anyone checked in with
Foursqaure or Facebook
Places is helping pick the
music tonight...

20. or...

22. There are algorithms available for this kind of thing.

23. Thanks to the geniuses at Echonest
The software in the pub knows all about the
tracks queued up to play.
So, there’s no Bieber.
Each track feels like a natural progression
from the one before it.
Each track chosen is right for the time of
day and even the weather outside!
http://the.echonest.com

24. English Heritage Blue Plaques
Wouldn’t that make a good tour?

25. Especially when this happens:
Jimi Hendrix’s flat George Handel’s house

26. Recipe for a Blue Plaque Musical Tour
1 x smartphone
1 x pair of headphones
1 x blue plaque app
1 x bike (or pair of feet)
1 x subscription to Spotify/Rdio

28. For more on this talk, links, picture credits and stuff, go to
www.musicthecityandyou.com