Webomatica - Latest Comments in When The Music Labels Die, Piracy Will Continue… Then What?

Re: When The Music Labels Die, Piracy Will Continue… Then What?

papa — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:18:50 -0000

I'll admit I'm a cheapskate.

The DRM issue is the other big problem imho. I've had to stop buying from Apple due to the DRM limitations. I'm using Amazon sometimes, but still hitting the "alternative" methods of music procurement too.

DRM is kinda like icing on the cake for the issue. If all things were equal I *might* go the legit route, but once you add the DRM hurdle into the mix, it almost seems like a no-brainer to skip the legit route entirely. Kinda sad huh?

Re: When The Music Labels Die, Piracy Will Continue… Then What?

webomatica — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:30:08 -0000

lots of good points. Yeah I have heard of other artists who are having
a go without labels, Michael Penn, Aimee Mann, Jane Siberry are some
that I follow. But I'm wondering about the base human psychology here
- if something is offered for free, it seems the vast majority of
listeners just take it. Also, when something is offered for free, even
if money is suggested, it devalues the item. Then there's the
perceived anonymity of the internet. Hence that's the reason for the
concerts and merchandise angle as well - doesn't seem like any artist
will make it on recordings alone.

As for artists being entitled to wealth - surely the madonnas are the
exceptions to the rule - most musicians fail to earn a living, even
after getting signed to a label. As such it's true that the ones who
complain most about piracy are those that are the most
disproportionately paid. But I wonder about all the other artists who
aren't as popular yet? For some reason I see that "holy grail" most
new bands have, of being "signed to a label" vanishing - whatever
they're doing now is the future.

Or maybe new, friendly labels will appear in place of the old - one
that doesn't sue artists and tries some alternate business models. How
about giving away mp3s and selling high bit rate ones. Another thought
I've always had is put more "stuff" on the CD like videos, extras, or
heck, a discount on a concert ticket.

But at the end of this pondering, perhaps I'm too focused on the
recorded media as the end product, and am not interested in the other
stuff musicians will have to increasingly do to make ends meet. Likely
because I haven't been to a concert or bought a T-shirt in quite some
time.

Re: When The Music Labels Die, Piracy Will Continue… Then What?

Mike — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:49:35 -0000

Lawrence Lessig says that piracy is the other side of the coin to the recording industry's unfair tactics...I tend to agree. It's quite clear who started things, though, as you outlined.

Ideally, both sides would disappear, leaving a fair and balanced playing field for both artists and listeners. I don't think that's going to happen, though, and the music companies will go away long before piracy ever does.

Things would need to change drastically for things to be salvaged as they exist now. Music needs to go way down in price - the 99 cent fee is based on the CD manufacturing process, which as Ross points out, is already inflated. Without physical cases, inserts, and discs, and with the less than CD quality of an AAC file, iTunes Store music should come out cheaper, if anything.

The RIAA needs to stop suing people. It might already be too late for them, they've done so much damage I don't think anyone's going to give them another chance (and why should they?).

There also needs to be less space between an artist and their listeners. Artists need to know their listeners are real people, and that suing a few of them directly effects the rest. Listeners need to know the money they pay for music is going to the artist, not some fatcat at Universal Music who calls fans like them thieves, or for lawsuits against 13-year old girls and grandmothers.

This is an opportunity for innovation in this area, and the longer the record companies hold on, the longer it's going to take.