Did a rock concert forecast the future of higher education?

Here's a challenge: Professionally, is there an image that you could talk about for an hour if you had to?

Almost exactly ten years ago, I took this photo at a concert in the US. On stage, Black Eyed Peas were belting out "I Gotta Feeling"

I got a feeling...that tonight's gonna be a good night...That tonight's gonna be a good night...That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

I took the photo because I was fascinated with what I was seeing - not just a great musical buzz, but also the way that it seemed like the whole audience were keen to keep a miniature record of the moment on their phone (yes, ironic that to record that moment I too had whipped out my phone to take a photo). And, in the decade since, I've returned to this image often in conference keynotes because I see it as a parallel for the changes in higher education.

Let me take you around the image, because this is the photo I could talk about for an hour...

Technology Disruption

The music industry was drastically disrupted by the advent of digital music formats and online distribution platforms. Similarly, higher education has witnessed the rise of online learning platforms, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and virtual classrooms. Just as music streaming services revolutionised how people consume music, online education platforms are reshaping the delivery and accessibility of educational content.

But it's not just about the 'big ticket' technology disruptions. It's also about the world that we're now in. Every moment has to be recorded, shared and commented on. And it's not just concerts, social events, meals, holidays. It's also the learning moments that learners want to share with others. Today campus planning includes thinking about the Instagrammable spaces - where students can show others how cool it is to be on your campus.

Monetisation Challenges

Think about what the technology disruption has meant for the music industry, and the revenue flows. Disruption meant that suddenly the old revenue streams - from the sale of physical music products like LPs and CDs - almost disappeared, and wasn't effectively replaced (a Spotify stream worth 1/3 of a cent isn't going to replace the old revenue stream). But what has taken off is the revenue stream from experiences - a single $300 concert ticket is a worth an awful lot of music streaming sessions. And if you can you can use your music product to get 50,000 people into a concert, then the revenue looks completely different. Even for a small event like the one above, count the number of phones held aloft, multiply it by $300 a head, and work out how many stream plays you've got to

Both the music industry and higher education face significant challenges in monetising their products for the digital age. In the music industry, declining album sales have forced artists to rely more on live performances, merchandise, and brand partnerships for revenue. Similarly, the commoditisation of educational content has compelled higher education institutions to explore alternative revenue streams, such as online certifications, corporate partnerships, and lifelong learning programs.

Democratisation of Access

The disruption in both industries has led to a democratisation of access. In the music industry, aspiring artists can now self-publish their music and reach a global audience without the need for traditional record labels. Similarly, online education platforms have broken down geographical barriers, allowing learners from all walks of life to access educational resources and courses from prestigious institutions worldwide. The top learning platforms in the world are Youtube and TikTok. When you want real-time learning (How do I fix this widget? How do I write a marketing plan?) it's more likely that today's students will go to one of the online video platforms and find a video that shows them exactly what they need to do, at exactly the time they need the info. With the wave of generative AI systems, it's accelerating their use of third parties to solve their current problems - including completing their learning assessments...

And for all that we'd argue that the purpose of a university is so, so much wider than just learning content/skills, there's a growing mindset from learners who are being offered short online courses, micro-learning moments, online degrees to help them achieve their #1 learning goal - a better job. And there's hundreds or thousands of course platforms, and course builders, who can offer a customised course to a learner directly, because the barriers to entry have slumped.

Disintermediation and Empowerment

All the disruptions above have challenged traditional intermediaries in the music industry and education institutions, and empowered individuals. In the music industry, artists directly connect with their fans through social media, crowdfunding platforms, and direct distribution channels, bypassing the need for record labels. Similarly, online education enable educators to reach students directly, eliminating the need for intermediaries like textbook publishers and physical infrastructure (at the same time, broadening the definition and base of educators).

Personalisation and Customisation

We know that both industries have embraced personalisation and customisation to cater to individual preferences. Music streaming services are ahead of the curve - they use algorithms to recommend personalised playlists based on your tastes, while higher education is still in the early journey of exploring adaptive learning technologies to tailor educational content to each student's needs.

The challenge for the music industry is to wrap personalisation around a set piece event like a concert - but there's plenty of ways they are finding to do that, from offering super-fans early access to tickets, through to offering VIP experiences at the concert offering special access and personalised experiences.

What the concert photo captured as already a customised experience for the audience - a relatively small event, with tailored content for the audience - but unseen in the photo are the other moments - the individuals who got to meet the band backstage, or the ones who got to choose their favourite track for the playlist.

The audience is getting older

Take another look at the audience - is it me, or are audiences getting older? There's plenty of signs in this crowd (male pattern baldness anyone?), and if that profile is repeated across other events, there's another parallel with higher education. Although there's often a huge focus on the school leaver transition to university, the numbers are changing - gradually around the world, the number of mature age students is increasing, and with the need for re-skilling 3 billion working age learners, we're going to see an explosion in mature age students and learners. It's unlikely to be in the existing 'full course' products, because they can't afford to stop work for a year to take a course, and so a whole new revenue stream opens up that could be just as big as the existing undergrad course ones. Your university might have 20-50x the number of alumni as it has current students. Imagine if 25% of those had a lifelong learning 're-skilling' subscription with you for $2,000 a year. In many cases that doubles the size of the university.

I Gotta Feeling

It might be surprising to say the disruptions witnessed in the music industry and the future of higher education share common patterns and challenges. The good news is that the music industry went througha profound change and has come out the other side booming (but different). Recognising these similarities provides valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and industry professionals as they navigate the evolving landscape of higher education in the digital age - and I Gotta Felling there's a chance to learn lessons from the music industry's journey of transformation.