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Re: Napster (aka: The New Digital Realm) - Bulls-Eye!



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 This is an outdated, and unfortunate attitude towards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
> >
> >
>
>