“Web and software developers, music industry types, students, and fans
who want to understand the big picture of how blogs, personalized
radio, and other online music discovery methods are changing the
music scene might want to check out Net, Blogs, and Rock 'n Roll.

Jennings is spot on when discussing how people discover music today,
and in recognizing that it has become impossible for tastemaking to
revert to monopoly held by the few.  The book is rife with amusing
metaphors and nuggets and  also packs in a large number of specific examples,
culled from his own online experiences and a large number of
interviews with tech luminaries and music experts such as the guys
who create sites and playlists for the Galaxie 500 and Depeche Mode
communities...A comprehensive and enjoyable read."

Eliot Van Buskirk, Wired, 1st November 2007

Confused about how to find new music on the Internet? David Jennings is the Christopher Columbus of digital discovery, and his pioneering book is an extremely helpful map of the complex new world of online music. Equally relevant for music consumers and artists, this is the first book that gets beyond the rhetoric and professionally charts the cartography of the digital music revolution."
Andrew Keen, founder of Audiocafe.com and author of The Cult of the Amateur

This is a really important book. David Jennings has done a great job shedding light on all sorts of issues and the pyramids of influence is a fantastic way of talking about the music consumer space. Net Blogs and Rock ‘n’ Roll is a super read and should be on the shelf of every iLike, last.fm and pandorawannabe out there.”
Paul Lamere, Search Inside the Music Project, Sun Microsystems

Net, Blogs and Rock ’n’ Roll is a must read for those that are looking to understand—and more importantly, capitalize upon—the new tools, modes and mechanisms by which music and social influence are spread across the web.”
Jason Herskowitz, formerly Director—Music Products, AOL

“The internet is leading to dramatic changes in the media industry. Fans and industry professionals will appreciate how Net, Blogs and Rock ’n’ Roll gets beyond the rhetoric of piracy to provide an engaging and insightful analysis of a whole new breed of online intermediaries that’s transforming how fans discover new bands and participate in their success.” Nancy Baym, www.onlinefandom.com and Associate Professor of Communication Studies, University of Kansas

“Net, Blogs and Rock ’n’ Roll is a great summary of just about everything one needs to know about Music 2.0, and where it’s going. Read it and get smart!”
Gerd Leonhard, music and media futurist, author of The Future of Musicand CEO Sonific LLC

“Jennings’ book dives into the opportunities and challenges in discovery and technology today, and is a compelling read. Net, Blogs and Rock ’n’ Roll should be read by everyone in the online discovery industry and consumed cover-to-cover by iPod
junkies looking for their next technology fix.”
Zac Johnson, AllMusic.com

“In one book, David Jennings deftly makes sense of chaotic and contradictory trends, flashy gimmicks and true innovations, and the closing gap between global online fandom and your flesh- and-blood friends who won’t return your vinyl. Net, Blogs and Rock ’n’ Roll is an engaging and comprehensive tour of how we find music in the Internet age.”
Chris Dahlen, Pitchforkmedia.com




Today's consumers are turning the tables on traditional media. They cannot be herded towards some Next Big Thing but switch their attention in a heartbeat if they catch the buzz of something new and exciting. Fans forage for new discoveries, pursuing personal interests while leaving trails and clues for others to follow. Savants, Enthusiasts and Originators play influential roles in the “fan economy” recording their finds, expressing their opinions and leading communities of fellow fans.

As a result, discovery is the big challenge in a wiki, Web 2.0 world where blog culture, social networks like MySpace and personalized recommender systems have changed the way we perceive, create and consume media.

Net, Blogs and Rock'n'Roll is the first book to dissect a new generation of discovery-oriented services such as Last.fm “the social music revolution” and is for anyone who spreads the word about entertainment and is interested in expanding audiences through the new channels of our always-connected culture.

By explaining how discovery works in this groundbreaking book, David Jennings shows how creators can support discoveries by maximizing the ways buzz can develop. He introduces the three strands of digital discovery - Trying Out, Links, Community - explaining how the history, culture and technology of media are interwoven with the rise of personalization and mobile players.
He profiles groups of consumers and their different approaches to discovery, and examines how media intermediaries filter cultural content and connect it to audiences.

Anything goes in this new world of discovery which embodies a rock 'n' roll ethos that resists neat and clean orderliness. Consumers make discoveries from any and every source, all media can co-exist, but no one retains 'gatekeeper' status. Professionals are adjusting to a new role complementing bloggers and facilitating audience discoveries rather than controlling them.

Net Blogs and Rock ’n’ Roll reveals the role of consumers in the fan economy, the latest technologies and techniques at their disposal and shows intermediaries how to connect creators with communities of fans and consumers.


David Jennings runs his own media consultancy DJ Alchemi Ltd and is a Chartered Psychologist who consults on how people learn and collaborate online. He has also co-founded broadband and training technology start-ups and is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts .

Alongside work for corporate clients in telecoms, software, education and arts sectors, he has written on digital media and the fan economy for the music business magazine Five Eight and The Spectator. He maintains several blogs - including www.netblogsrocknroll.com - and, as a music fan, has published in fanzines and on a dedicated wiki site. He lives in London.