Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: Napster Business Model
Author: Jim Carrico Posted: 6/27/2000; 2:50:53 PM Topic: Napster Business Model Msg #: 18187 (In response to 18148) Prev/Next: 18186 / 18188
(I normally resist the urge to reply to discussion threads, but in this case I can't pass up a chance to be involved in an Argomento della risposta which anyone will admit sounds more important.)That Aretha sounds better brings up an interesting point, which is that so-called "CD quality" audio lacks a certain quality, some would call it a warmness, that is present in clean, well-mastered vinyl played through a good sound system. It's possible that digital audio based on a higher resolution, say 24 bit audio at a 96 kHz sampling rate, will finally achieve nirvana in this regard. But suggesting that a 128 kb/s Mp3 file is the same as a "perfect digital master" of a recording is a bit much. This is a mistake that Lars Ulrich made repeatedly in the slashdot interview.
There will always be a business model built around people who want to buy the highest possible quality version of a given piece of music, as a physical product, something you can hold in your hand and that represents a tangible connection to the artist(s). And I'm also convinced that, given the opportunity to do so, fans will pay artists directly for their work. If it was easy to send the digital equivalent of a dime or a quarter to an artist, Courtney's "tipping" model or something like it, I would not hesitate in most cases to do so - that is if I liked the music. The lack of a "small change" digital cash format for the net is hanging up a potential explosion of content on this "many-to-many" model.
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