― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― reddening (reddening), Thursday, 21 September 2006 22:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― abanana, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 07:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― cheasyweasel, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 08:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― VG++, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jon Lewis, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― deej, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 15:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jon Lewis, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:17 (seventeen years ago) link
― zaxxon25, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 19:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mike McGooney-gal, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 22:12 (seventeen years ago) link
― Trayce, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 00:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 01:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― fukasaku tollbooth, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 02:00 (seventeen years ago) link
The business model probably works fine for labels like Folkways where you're largely dealing with reissues of old stuff, much of it by dead artists or people who don't expect to see much money anyway. Some of their releases are probably going to sell 10x as much on emusic as they would on something like iTunes.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 May 2007 03:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― Display Name, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 05:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― Saxby D. Elder, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 05:35 (seventeen years ago) link
― VG++, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 13:15 (seventeen years ago) link
[eMusic's]entire approach to labels is this idea of "found" money. As if you'd just be leaving it on the street if you didn't sign on. But the reality is that between iTunes and the ever growing crop of indie niche digital sites (Other Music, Boomkat, Juno, etc, with Wax Poetics and Turntable Lab following), you do have options. Good options really. The kind of options that pay you a respectable percentage of the sale. eMusic is finding out the hard way that their business model is again broke, as more and more labels are deciding pull out. They aren't the only game in town anymore, and Darwinian law still prevails: Adapt or perish.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 May 2007 13:43 (seventeen years ago) link
I read a very interesting article about China, where piracy is quite rampant. They were saying that musicians there pretty much have come to accept that selling the music itself is a no-profit option. They do try, of course, but at the same time, they recognize that the true profit to be had is in a) live sales aka concerts b) related concert items like t-shirts etc. and c) building a brand name e.g. commercial endorsements, spin-off media etc. So basically, the actual music track is a freebie that you use to build your fanbase so you can sell them other stuff, be it more merchandise (books, magazines) or some sort of 'experience' (concerts, shows etc.) Interesting business model, I think. In my opinion, the problem is that we are really, in this day and age, in a customer-driven market. Those who want to survive and profit have to cater to the customer. If the customer does not want to spend 99 cents a track, they will not and you won't sell to them unless you offer something else they do want, at a price they want. It doesn't mean they are wrong and you are right, or they are evil and you must punish them or legislate them into doing what you want. It means that if you want their money, you have to sell them what they want at a price they want. An analogy I often use with the students I teach, when we talk about it is this: let's say you are a bakery and you are known for your carrot muffins. You open your new store and you find that everyone there wants to buy chovolate chip muffins. You have two options. 1) Spend allt his time, money and effort trying to convince them that they need to be buying carrot muffins instead or b) spend that same time and money investing in the infrastructure that will allow you to make chocolate chip muffins. Sell them these and rake in the dough. The meainstream music industry is clinging to an outmoded business model. If they want to keep having profits, they need to get with the times.
― tipsy mothra, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 13:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― VG++, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 15:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 May 2007 15:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 May 2007 15:34 (seventeen years ago) link
We don't live in China where people will work hard for nothing, so that analogy is pointless.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 May 2007 15:49 (seventeen years ago) link
Florida apparently just passed a law that severely hampers the buying and selling of used CDs. The law states that stores have to wait 30 days before reselling the CDs. (via BB, via AT) No, you wont spend any time in jail, but youll certainly feel like a criminal once the local record shop makes copies of all of your identifying information and even collects your fingerprints. Such is the state of affairs in Florida, which now has the dubious distinction of being so anal about the sale of used music CDs that record shops there are starting to get out of the business of dealing with used content because they dont want to pay a Florida apparently just passed a law that severely hampers the buying and selling of used CDs. The law states that stores have to wait 30 days before reselling the CDs. (via BB, via AT) No, you wont spend any time in jail, but youll certainly feel like a criminal once the local record shop makes copies of all of your identifying information and even collects your fingerprints. Such is the state of affairs in Florida, which now has the dubious distinction of being so anal about the sale of used music CDs that record shops there are starting to get out of the business of dealing with used content because they dont want to pay a $10,000 bond for the right to treat their customers like criminals. This would pretty much suck. Except for a few choice new releases, the used bin at my work is pretty much the only way I buy albums any more.0,000 bond for the right to treat their customers like criminals. This would pretty much suck. Except for a few choice new releases, the used bin at my work is pretty much the only way I buy albums any more.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 May 2007 16:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― tipsy mothra, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 16:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 17:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― tipsy mothra, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:16 (seventeen years ago) link
― matt2, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― tipsy mothra, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― YGS, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 20:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― tipsy mothra, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 20:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mark Rich@rdson, Thursday, 10 May 2007 06:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sandy Blair, Thursday, 10 May 2007 16:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― tipsy mothra, Thursday, 10 May 2007 16:27 (seventeen years ago) link
― Saxby D. Elder, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Saxby D. Elder, Friday, 11 May 2007 04:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― lucas pine, Friday, 11 May 2007 04:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mr. Odd, Friday, 11 May 2007 04:12 (seventeen years ago) link
the thing with illegal downloading is that an entire generation is growing up now with basically no other alternative
― Daniel, Esq., Friday, 11 May 2007 04:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― lucas pine, Friday, 11 May 2007 05:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Saxby D. Elder, Friday, 11 May 2007 05:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 11 May 2007 06:47 (seventeen years ago) link