Downward Spiral of Music?
posted March 23, 2007, 2:35 pm | Log In To Post Comments | 
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Tags: Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, iPods, music industry, downloads, filesharing, labels
I've been wondering about the so called state of affairs that the music industry has been talking about lately. How sales have declined and record stores keep shutting their doors. Well, I have been enjoying walking around town looking at the amount of people actually listening to music these days. It seems like there are more and more people everyday getting iPods and MP3 players, allowing them to listen to music as they go on with their days.
So now, where does this music industry peril fall into place? It all amounts to sales. CDs aren't selling like they used to and major labels are having a hard time getting the gist of online digital sales. If you look at some of the bigger releases lately, Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse. They both sold 30% in their first week as digital. Not bad. I'm thinking that if a band sells 100 albums, digitally or conventionally, then twice that amount is downloaded through the lovely file-sharing programs out there. So, you lose the middle man (and medium, being CDs) and you are still selling a group of digital files for $10. You've lost production, packaging, distribution, transportation. All you need to deal with is delivery and the commerce portion. I call that a sweet deal.
Now, all we need to do is get rid of the record labels that ask for 3/4 of that money. Get rid of those people and the cost can come down even further, allowing more people legal access to music they will get regardless. AND, the way the internet works with the proverbial "Long Tail", people will find out about the music even if the marketing department doesn't do their share. I think the music industry is doing just fine. Say no to buying major label CDs. Download them with a filesharing application like BitTorrent, Limewire, or Soulseek instead. Most bands don't care about the mere $1 they get from a CD. They just want fans out there that will come and see them play live, where they see much more than from CD sales.
That's just my thoughts on the industry. The sooner we kill the major labels, the better off the music world will be.
Comments:
That sounds all great and revolutionary but one problem for me is that I love buying CDs and having my music physically in my posession. There's a great record store in my city that I feel so close to and at home with. Its like visiting a friend's house. Seeing all those records lined up on the shelves I get all giddy and usually forget why I went in in the first place and end up buying 3 other CDs instead of the original one I left the house for. At the cash register I get talking to the employee and we discuss our favourite bands, what I'm buying, what other bands I should listen to. Its kind of like going to a music related website but with exercise and real social interaction, both of which are always good things!
If my favourite record stores close I'll be forced to sit longer at my computer and get fatter. Nearly a third of Canada is already obese, we don't need one more!
posted on November 4, 2007, 1:14 am
I enjoy the way South Park illustrates the whole situation. If you've never seen this particular episode, the group of Kyle and Stan make a bet with Cartman that Cartman can't gain a platinum record before they do (I think, correct me if I'm wrong). Soon after, Stan and Kyle realized that they won't be able to achieve this platinum status because of file sharing. So they go on a strike and soon after, bands that have openly despised file sharing like Metallica and Britney Spears (and probably Blink 182) join the strike. But the two boys figure everything out. An artist should be happy about people listening to their music and enjoying their art, not about sales. Sales mean nothing if you don't have something people like. But, since it's South Park, Metallica and Blink 182 didn't care what Stan said. Good episode, good episode...
posted on March 31, 2007, 5:24 pm
Nice rant D...These moralistic views of destroying the major label that we share is what has kept me so loyal for nearly four years, hopefully one review at a time we can all achieve the death of the corporate music industry. Its never too late to change the future!
By the way, not sure if you guys missed it. But there is hope...
http://www.musicemissions.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1615
posted on March 24, 2007, 1:07 pm
Well said Dennis.
IMHO, mp3 filesharing is the next radio (or the current one depending on which circles you orbit in) and it is acting as a more effective tool for bands to get exposure by word-of-mouth ... I like to refer to it as word-of-mouse, but I digress. The faster the "biggies" realize that filesharing is their friend, not their enemy, they can turn their efforts to utilizing this new medium to increase digital and physical sales.
Just this week, the prominent enemies of YouTube (Fox networks and their parent Newscorp.) announced that they are creating their own website where their videos can be downloaded for free. Likewise, it's just a matter of time before iTunes has some competition.
posted on March 23, 2007, 5:45 pm
"Say no to buying major label CDs. Download them with a filesharing application like BitTorrent, Limewire, or Soulseek instead."
Woah! Now that's some revolutionary stuff there! But it's a tricky line to walk.
However, I do agree with you. I think this is probably the only way the music industry as a whole is going to progress.
Brilliant post btw. Especially in the light of what the RIAA's been up to.
Additional Tags: On Letting Go
posted on March 23, 2007, 5:09 pm
