Ed O'Brien "Piracy isn't killing music". Discuss.

[SuperMikey]

http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/49390

 

Personally I think the guy's got a really valid point. My vision is for there to be a worldwide streaming service ala Spotify where you pay a monthly subscription fee (say £10) and have access to databases of albums of every record company that has signed up. Of course, this would take a while to reach full fruition, but with Spotify apps on iPods and phones now, I think it could be relatively easy to make happen. It makes sense too, if say 100 million people sign up to it straight away, you're looking at a £12bn p/a industry straight away there. Of course, more than 100 million would sign up, people would probably sign up in their billions, so I think the industry would actually end up making more money out of this kind of scheme. Plus touring, merchandising...the possibilies are endless.

 

As Ed says, the music industry is analogue in a digital world, and it needs to change. I'd certainly stop downloading music if the kind of system that i've suggested was introduced. I'm sure there'd still be people avoiding the subscription fees and downloading illegally still, but i'm also sure that a lot of people would be tempted by the easy access to these databases.

[miserableoldgit]

http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/49390

 

Personally I think the guy's got a really valid point. My vision is for there to be a worldwide streaming service ala Spotify where you pay a monthly subscription fee (say £10) and have access to databases of albums of every record company that has signed up. Of course, this would take a while to reach full fruition, but with Spotify apps on iPods and phones now, I think it could be relatively easy to make happen. It makes sense too, if say 100 million people sign up to it straight away, you're looking at a £12bn p/a industry straight away there. Of course, more than 100 million would sign up, people would probably sign up in their billions, so I think the industry would actually end up making more money out of this kind of scheme. Plus touring, merchandising...the possibilies are endless.

 

As Ed says, the music industry is analogue in a digital world, and it needs to change. I'd certainly stop downloading music if the kind of system that i've suggested was introduced. I'm sure there'd still be people avoiding the subscription fees and downloading illegally still, but i'm also sure that a lot of people would be tempted by the easy access to these databases.

A favourite band of mine, with something like 20 albums behind them always say at gigs that they are quite happy for people to copy their CD`s etc because it gets their music known by those that have never heard them before. I guess that this is an instance when piracy is actually spreading new (to some listeners) music.

[SuperMikey]

A favourite band of mine, with something like 20 albums behind them always say at gigs that they are quite happy for people to copy their CD`s etc because it gets their music known by those that have never heard them before. I guess that this is an instance when piracy is actually spreading new (to some listeners) music.

 

Exactly, I don't have enough money to go out and buy every CD out there, so if I hear something on the radio or on Spotify or whatever, I can get the CD and hear the band for what they are. I'm seeing a lot more live bands now as well than I did in the past, which bands actually make a lot more money out of than records.

[sadoldgit]

I'd love just to download books and read them for nothing but I guess in the end very few people would bother to write any more because they wouldn't be able to make a living out of it.

[SuperMikey]

I'd love just to download books and read them for nothing but I guess in the end very few people would bother to write any more because they wouldn't be able to make a living out of it.

 

I get your point, but there's very little money for a band in making a record nowadays anyway. The Times or The Guardian (I forget which one it was) did a very detailed breakdown of exactly where all the album money goes and only a small percentage like 20% actually gets back to the band, which is then obviously taxed etc. All the money in being a band nowadays is in merchandising and touring, and both of those are on the increase.

[jeff leopard]

I'd love just to download books and read them for nothing but I guess in the end very few people would bother to write any more because they wouldn't be able to make a living out of it.

 

There’s a sci-fi writer (whose name evades me) who releases all his books as free downloads, and he says that it’s not really affected sales of his actual books.

 

Obviously though, and like our friends in Radiohead, it’s easier to do this when you’re an established name with plenty o cash in the bank.

[miserableoldgit]

I'd love just to download books and read them for nothing but I guess in the end very few people would bother to write any more because they wouldn't be able to make a living out of it.

You can read books for nothing if you join a library.

[Block 5]

The same debate was around years ago.

 

"Home taping is killing music" - Remember that?

 

Here's their logo:

 

 

Last time I looked, music was still alive.