New Helium

A - Accuracy

B - Balance

C - Creativity

You need to be accurate time-wise, pitch-wise, scale-wise and style-wise. Otherwise it becomes a mess. However technicality is nothing unless there's a creative aspect to the playing.

1. Producers use more chords and less studio chopping effects.

2. Singer-songwriters team up  with electronic music producers, best of both worlds.

3. The eighties revival will continue but ebb out.

4. (My yearly prediction.) An electronic music 'Frank Zappa' like artist will bubble up. Or more than one.

5. Producers don't need to build DJ-specific tracks with timed build-ups/breakdowns as the new DJ tools makes it possible to DJs to build their own productions.

1. Bitwig will release their product and actually it's a very open-ended system with lots of tweaking features that will open up very new live music scenarios.

2. NI will introduce a similar live music application with Maschine and Traktor integration for live use (maybe they should purchase Bitwig...)

3. While Ableton will still get side-tracked with their DAW ambitions forgetting their roots.

4. Most audio SW companies will use online app stores, boxed material is out.

5. Plug-in prices will drop 50%, seen this trend already with year-round special deals...

6. Reaktor will create stand-alone plug-ins opening up a new venue to build plug-ins.

7. More studios and laptops will have Quad-Core or better systems so there will be even more analog-like emulations of nearly anything. However, the producers are asking for radical new instruments and effects, instead, being happy with the digital sound.

1. Guitar Center, bye bye.

2. Pono is a good idea but will only get a niche market.

3. Pandora, most likely bye bye, too.

4. And I still don't know who uses eMusic.

5. EDM will collapse here in USA but as an offspring we will get good smaller clubs with more diverse dance music.

6. Royalty services will start looking into the podcast misuse of music.