“The message is clear – there is no place on the Internet for services that exploit creators’ work without fair compensation,” added Edward P. Murphy, President and CEO, NMPA.
Right, Ed. AudioGalaxy is just one of many such Internet services that help artists find new fans. That’s not all these services do. They also help people decide not to by crappy albums based on the single songs they here on the radio. It hurts, doesn’t it? You know what hurts more? When I fork over nearly $20 for a new CD.
“This should serve as a wake-up call to the other networks that facilitate unauthorized copying. The responsibility for implementing systems that allow for the authorized use of copyrighted works rests squarely on the shoulders of the peer-to-peer network,” said Hillary Rosen, Chairman and CEO of the RIAA.
Tell you what, Hillary, you and the labels get together, come up with lower prices, take time to develop some artists, don’t treat us (consumers) like we are morons, and then we can talk. You and I both know that these networks will not go away. You made the biggest mistake of your career, and one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the music business when you shut Napster down.
The Napster model was pretty easy to control because there was a central server. Well, now look what happened. People are trading directly with on another. You have no control. You will never have control and until you treat consumers with respect and offer realstic solutions to the decline in music sales, you will be continue to lose the war.
I know I have said it before, but I’ll remind you that I am available if you would like me to consult and help solve some of your problems. I want to help.
Y’know, something just occurred to me about all this. The RIAA et. al. are also missing a great chance to get more adults interested in buying new music again. I can’t imagine I’m the only 32-year old who’s drifted further and further into the past with my music purchases. (Brad, you’re a music otaku and therefore a definite exception). A lot of that is simply because, since I’m not in college anymore, the cost in time and effort to me to scout out good new albums is not worth it. Instead of just hanging with friends down the hall and listening to albums, I’d have to actually haul my ass down to the Wherehouse and listen to their grody earphones for a while, trying to tune out the new Snoop album on the PA. It’s not worth it.
This has it’s good side, as I’ve discovered a wonderland of great jazz in the last few years. But I wonder if the RIAA is reading there demographic data incorrectly? “Post-30 listeners listen to older music” may not be an immutable fact, but an unfulfilled market opportunity. The vast majority of new music I’ve purchased has been stuff I found through P2P services.
I’m not sure what an otaku is, but I assume you’re commenting on the fact that I try and keep up with everything.
Anyway, yeah, they are missing the boat on alot of things, but you aren’t really in the target market, at least according to the resports I’ve been reading for this monster of an article I’m writing. Most of the people using P2P systems are in high school and college. The college kids have the bandwidth and the high school kids have the time. What does this mean? I means you have too much time and bandwidth available to you. I hate to be the one to break it to you.
I guess the point of all of this is that the RIAA et. al. do not see sharing of any kind as good. It’s all bad. They don’t consider the fact that people actually do buy music they find on these networks, especially 30+ year olds with cash.