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Ken - you nailed it exactly. It is *exactly* the same as the cassette debacle 25-30 years ago. FREE music means MORE opportunity not less. The rise of Alternative music is largely due to the advent of affordable home recording technology and a network of New Music enthusiasts SHARING music amongst each other. I'm sick of so-called "artistes" whining about this issue too. Besides, if they're in it for the money and patronage, there are easier ways to make a living. Scam the NEA, or pimp your talents to the lowest common denominator. Just stop complaining and then blaming it all on Big Bad Technology. Geeez... - Larry T ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Melms" <wgold@mecasw.com> To: <Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 11:55 AM Subject: Re: Napster (aka: The New Digital Realm) > Steve: > I'm usually quiet in regards to letting others keep their opinions, >but... I > have to say.. This is an outdated, and unfortunate attitude towards > electronic delivery of music.. > > I'll bet if you were around 50 years ago you would pick up your picket sign > and walk the line in front of the NBC or ABC towers in protest of them > transmitting your music over the AIRWAVES.. Or maybe 20+ years ago when the > home recorder was introduced allowing people to RECORD what they hear >over > the radio?! Oh no, how are you going to make money now?! > > Listen... This is a new world, and a new thinking has to be accepted or you > will die off like a dinosaur. Have you realized that with the advent of the > MP3 market - CD sales INCREASED by nearly 20 BILLION DOLLARS last year?! > Anyone who believes that FREE mass distribution is a bad thing should ask > Linus Torvald about how he's doing. Man this irks me.. Something like >the > Internet comes around - offering EVERYONE the same distribution footprint as > the big boys, and all people do is whine about not being able to nickle and > dime their audience. > > I'm going to re-post something I sent a couple of weeks ago (to which nobody > replied ), and I hope someone somewhere realizes the change in the > atmosphere of the musician's world. > > ---------------- insert previous thread --------------- > Jeff asks: > >Hi Ken- > > So what does this do to those of us who would like to make a living by > >selling our creations via digital media? > > > > Other people seem to be able to make a living by practicing their > >trades, why is it the artistic folks always have so much stacked against > >them...? > > > >jeff > > Well, Jeff.. > > It means setting up a web site, marketing your product - and giving away > free samples at a lower sample rate than a CD.. That's a good start... >22k > MP3's sound good enough to give people a taste of the music's flavor.. > (Think about it - that's radio quality, not CD quality.. People have >been > taping off the radio since personal recorders came about - did it hinder > tapes from being bought?! I argue it advanced their distribution by > creating a needy market..) > > Now, say you sell the CD's (44k) on your site, and stream the 22k MP3's >as > samples. If you market well you can make a living off of the digital > front. It won't stop people from making real MP3's from your CD's, but >it > will at least give them an avenue to purchase your work. > > You guys (i've been in music 27 years, programming for 20) are just starting > to feel the burn that software programmers have been feeling forever. > People have been copying and distributing pirated copies of software >since > it was possible to duplicate. Does this mean that software companies >went > out of business? No! - it means they had to change their 1:1 product:money > ratio mentality. Now companies offer crippled versions of software (IE: > lower sample rates) Free trials of their software, that expire (not yet > implemented for music). And simply GIVING away the software, (MP3 Shoutcast > / RADIO / etc.) knowing full well that 80% of the copies that are on the > market are going to be pirated, but the fact that their product is being > distributed, talked about, and wanted by those who are in the know means > that those who can't/won't copy/steal will get caught up in the frenzy >and > BUY a copy. These companies SUBSIST on the other 20% of the populace who > buy the product, causing income to actually be generated by a pirate > distribution methodology. These are the companies that will survive in the > future. > > Nothing is stacked against anybody.. The biggest hurdle in any artistic race > is to be the one with the biggest audience, right? The bigger the audience, > the bigger the revenue - no matter WHAT.. If you get caught thinking that > the only way to survive is to sell each and every CD you press for >$10.00, > then you've lost the game already. Giving away art is the best way to >get > it heard. Once you're heard, you're known. Once you're known, you're > gigging. Once you're gigging, you're generating REAL revenue based on REAL > effort, not a snapshot of art (CD's), which is always pale in comparison to > the true stage of the artform. > > Now imagine that your MP3's are distributed (pirated) across the world, and > millions of people (who you think unfortunate because they didn't pay for > the initial recording) liked your work. Now some of these people WILL >pay > to go see your gig. WILL pay to buy your t-shirts.. WILL pay to get a copy > of the limited edition release with your signiature, and have a much higher > probability of BUYING your next CD to own a real copy etc etc etc... > > We can't allow ourselves to be boxed in by the feeding frenzy of the modern > capitalist world. We must allow music to flow freely, and as the artist who > is creating these ever changing realms of music and altering the mood and > minds of the listeners - we must not throw spite at those who can't >afford > to buy. We must focus on those who CAN. > > That's just my .02 on the matter.. (please keep the flames private) > > ------------------------- exit previous thread ----------------------- > > Ken > > -----Original Message----- > From: steve lawson <steve@steve-lawson.co.uk> > To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com <Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com> > Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 11:47 AM > Subject: Re: Napster > > > >>>>A bit off topic, but I just got Napster from my friend and it is > >spectacular!! Basically, Napster is a program which establishes a network > >of mp3 users. Since everyone is sharing, you can get pretty much anything! > >Completely free, no hassles, search by artist. It is simply amazing.<<< > > > >Hey, save yourself the bother - just break into people's houses and >steal > >their CDs - amounts to the same thing. > > > >If napster catches on, you can say goodbye to anyone making any money >out > of > >recording music, and therefor having any money to invest in getting > better.. > > > >thanks very much for hammering another nail into the coffin of the > >collective careers of all the world's musicians. > > > >Steve > > > > > >