Jimmy Iovine on the marriage of music and tech: ‘The meek are not inheriting the Earth’

Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine talked about how he sees the technology and music industries working together. While accepting an SFTB Award, Iovine gave a cool and interesting speech.

“These are times that call upon us to be visionary and to be daring. These days, the meek are not inheriting the Earth. That’s why Dr. Dre and I both believe we need to intelligently merge the worlds of technology and the liberal arts.

“The great artists of music have always innovated and boldly changed the game, but the industry itself has not. Too often, the music business allowed third-party companies to innovate for us – and that simply does not work any more. We must face the fact that our delivery and distribution systems are too sterile and not compelling enough for a new generation of young people who love music in their own way.

“And if we don’t fix the distribution of music, we run the risk of music being sent out into the world in such an uninspired way that music loses its value – and not just its financial value, but even worse, its emotional value too – and therefore its position as arguably the most dominant art form going forward. Ladies and gentleman, the time has come for the music business itself to innovate.”