Title: Co-founder and CEO of Launch Media. Launch.com is an Internet music site that offers streaming audio, music videos, exclusive artist features, music news and LAUNCHcast-a music service that enables members to design their own streaming music station.
Background: Before founding Launch in 1994, Mr. Goldberg was director of marketing strategy and new business development at Capitol Records.
On the current business climate: “There is a complete pullback of any capital from this space. We’re in the fortunate position of not needing more capital, so to a certain degree that benefits us. We have competitors falling by the wayside every day. So it actually makes competing for both consumers and advertisers a lot easier.”
On Napster: “We’re not advocating the Napster approach-we think artists should get compensated for their work. But there clearly is a huge consumer demand, and we’re not doing anything to encourage or discourage people from using those services because it would be silly on our part to try and do so.
“While Napster is most likely going to get shut down, it’s not going to stop illegal downloading of music. … We think, to a certain degree, this is going to force the record labels to move faster in coming up with services that provide consumers with a legal alternative that’s viable. Most of the services the record labels have been willing to offer the consumer to date have not been in any way, shape or form likely to work. Charging $2.50 for an encrypted download where people have to provide their credit card for a song that’s already been out for years-no one’s ever going to pay for that.”
On the future: “We are working with Qualcomm on wireless delivery. Music is one of those things that people want to be able to listen to not just sitting at their desk or sitting at home but in their car and on portable devices. So if we can get it off the PC and onto wireless devices, we think we can replace radio.”