IFPI: Record companies spend more on R&D than software companies

I received a note this summer regarding my post on digital music sales earlier this year: they noted that the IFPI’s CEO and Chairman IFPI, John Kennedy, said that…

“as an industry, (record companies) spend more on research and development than almost any other sector.

I missed that article.

So, what makes up the 15% in record company “R&D” costs? Sure, that probably includes A&R (the talent search cost to find and sign), studio costs, rentals, artist development (teaching them how to respond to the press)… but I’m not sure that it’s an apples to apples comparison with the >15% spent by pharma & biotech (by Kennedy’s estimates). I certainly believe the 15% of revenues dedicated to marketing costs.

I read that “life sciences companies spend approximately 40% of their R&D budgets managing manual paper-based processes” (according to statistics published by PhRMA). Perhaps some of that R&D cost should be moved under marketing, sales promotion, employee and artist training and development of riders noting that bowls of backstage M&Ms should the brown ones removed.

(Note: Yes, yes… I know that fulfilling the musician’s rider is usually the responsibility of the show’s promoter: my first real job was doing this kind of stuff for a local promoter at night when I should’ve have been studying.)

To that end, perhaps Microsoft should count free sodas as part of the multi billion dollar a year R&D spend.

I recalled this reference when another reader sent me a picture today (thanks, J) in response to the post on digital music sales. It was generated on the seemingly popular Ronald Mchummer website.

Tags: Microsoft, Rhapsody, digital music, iTunes.