I spent all day yesterday hanging out with a bunch of digital music people in San Francisco. Some smart..some well...bottom line there is a continued push to innovate and create killer technology around digital music.

The most forward leaning group has to be mobile apps. And of course, the driver behind all this creativity from mobile app companies is Apple. There was discussion around other OS platforms such at Windows and Android. The sentiment, however, is that Apple is so far out ahead that competitors are going to have a tough time catching up. Android is promising but for many of the developers..open..is perhaps too open. So, we will have to seel Certainly, the iPhone and iPod touch have set the bar...and the bar, according to these companies, is very high.

In other discussions, the topic of free music vs. paid for music came up often. Many companies continue to argue free is best. As one panelist stated, "Its about time record companies stop ripping people off by charging $10 for a plastic disc that cost $1." Ted Cohen, a buddy and Principal with TAG Strategic reminded this panelist that while the plastic may be cheap millions are often times spent on promoting the artist, etc... I could see the dude squirm a bit. The point is, free isn't reality. The money will come from somewhere to pay for the production of this stuff..and...advertising isn't necessarily it. Why? Because advertisers continue to struggle with understanding the value of the ad placement and its true benefit/cost analysis.

And, finally..the cocktail hour! It was rather tame actually. Had a great time connecting with new folks and getting together with old pals.

Next year if you find yourself in SF around this time...be sure to check out the Summit. Its cool stuff.