Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: paying for music

Author:Jacob Levy
Posted:7/31/2000; 8:12:06 AM
Topic:paying for music
Msg #:19295 (In response to 19294)
Prev/Next:19294 / 19296

Artists and the industry would change focus to create only the songs that "sold". Everyone would only work on potential "hits". I think we would lose alot in the process.

Er, are we living in the same reality? Isn't what you describe exactly the current situation? :)

Here's how I think things will change if I get to buy what I like: a lot of different tastes will flourish and be supported by musicians catering to each genre. The music industry will not be able to spoon feed me music that passes through the 80%-like-it filter.

Your point about the network news is exactly 100% right on. When you have distribution choke points like the TV networks do, you get mediocrity filtered for the masses LCD.

The music industry with its CD and trucking model of distribution, aided by corporate machinery such as radio station promotion, is exactly such a choke point. I just have to watch my daughter to see how this works. A few weeks into a radio promotion of Back Street Boys, all she wanted was to go to Tower and plunk her money down for all the Back Street Boys (not much, because of exorbitant prices) that she could buy. So sad!

Napster is about freeing us from that mediocrity, and freeing the artists from having to conform.

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