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Eminem #2 on Gracenote... Before Release
asavage writes "According to this article on news.com
last week, Eminem's "The Eminem Show," which was yet to be released, cracked the chart at No. 2. This is the first time an unreleased CD has been number 2 on this list of CD's played in computers." I've pre-ordered my copy
and am looking forward to hearing it. But its pretty amazing that Gracenote
registers a pirated CD #2 without the benefit of it being for sale yet.
Thank god they shut down napster and stopped piracy.
The two (well, 3) cases are pretty much incomparable. The bootleg versions of AotC and Spidey are much poorer quality than you will see in the theatre. Comparing a compressed DivX version taken from a guy with a camcorder in the theatre (which is the version of AotC that I saw making the rounds on the net) is nothing like seeing it in the theatre for yourself. The Eminem bootleg sounds (for most people) exactly like what they would get from the real thing. For most people, they have already bought their copy of the Cd, and unless there is some "super secret" extra on the official release, there isn't a reason to buy another version. The liner notes are not enough incentive for most people to spend $15 on a cd they already bought without liner notes for $5. But seeing a decent version of AotC is worth $15 even though they already spent $5 on a crappy pirated version that isn't near the quality.
"Information wants to be expensive" - Stewart Brand, the same guy who said "Information wants to be free"
They increase the price of new music in order to make up for supposed piracy, which in turn makes people more likely to pirate. Its a catch22 of the WORSE kind.
Newsflash: Eminem is not an artist. He is a product of some corp record label. He is as much of an artist as any ranting kook on a street corner.
Michael Loves Me!
The bootleg versions of AotC and Spidey are much poorer quality than you will see in the theatre.
Assuming, of course, that the theatre it is seen in is run by competent people. Although I didn't see the divx of either film, the quality of any motion picture in the only remaining theatre in my town is comparable to the divx movies I have seen -- only the sound is a bit louder (most of the time). I suppose that's what happens when a certain large theatre operator drops ticket prices to $2 just long enough to run all the competition out of business, and then jacks the prices back up. We're doing good here if the picture is centered on the screen. If it's on the screen AND in focus on the first try, well, it's time to go buy some lottery tickets.
[/end rant]
The best way to accelerate a windows box is at 9.8 meters per second square.
This goes to show just how much the RIAA needs to change it's sales models. They're still depending on air play to hype up people to purchasing a album. But no one wants to wait the weeks or months for them to release them. So those pirating are making out like bandits on the people who want it now.
Just having the assumption that they can eliminate piracy and continue using the same sales tactics isn't going to show the improvement of CD sales they're looking for. They should be releasing the albums for sale at the same time tracks are released for airplay. Then impulse buyers can run out and get the CDs immediately. If buyers have to wait for the overly far away release dates they will look to other means of getting what they want.
I think the same really applies to most media nowadays. Movies should be released for purchase sooner, TV shows should be released when their seasons finish, and so on. The public are tired of having to wait for what they want. Once it's been released and aired you should be able to purchase it then. You'll then have the choice of a possibly inferior in someway pirated copy or the real thing.
I wonder if the promotional versions of that radio stations and others recieve were somewhat different, say fewer tracks, for the public releases what will these pre-released bootleg versions be? Promotional releases are controlled so they should monitor that.
However now they'll just focus on the piracy issue and the public will suffer from it.
And the issue is the futility of piracy protection. It only takes one person to rip an MP3 and list it on (say) Audiogalaxy, and the success of the protection is null and void.
The Eminem album is a classic example: it isn't available (ie, people can't rip it) and yet the MP3s are doing the rounds. It just takes one person with a loopback cable and... poof... your copy protection is gone.
The irony is - of course - that copy protection might *harm* sales. If I know I cannot rip a CD and put it on my iPod, I might not bother buying it.
Those people that would never buy and would always find a pirate copy will anyway.
So, that's media industry logic for you...
--- My dad's political betting
His lack of talent and musical skills is what scares me.
Wow, the analytical mind of Slashdot. I would argue that if there was one artist who has an excess of talent when compared to the Corporate Songwriting of America, it is Eminem. Yes, I am aware that the vast majority of Slashdot hates rap/hip-hop, and Eminem makes an easy target, but your logic escapes me: he's just white! he a poser "whitebread" trying to make black music! and even if he was black, RAP SUX, so I win anyways!
C'mon, I know this is your opinion, and the 4 posts directly below yours as well, but I think we can agree that a.) Eminem writes his own songs, b.) Eminem performs his own songs, and c.) Eminem has a command of the English language [his ryhming schemes, on a poetically-analyzed level, are very complex]. All of the above point to the fact that Eminem does have musical talent. I am assuming that you think he sucks because he doesn't play classic rock or perhaps early 90's alt-rock, those untouchable bastions of geek-musicdom that everyone is assumed to like.
Eminem's got a lot of problems, plus he says "fuck" a lot, which as we all know causes Satan to enter childrens' groins [thanks Seanbaby], but I think his lack of talent is not one of those problems.
"What we elect to call imagination is mere combination of things not heretofore combined." - Frank Norris
How the fuck is that offtopic? Fucking moderators today.
Got friends?
Using anecdotal evidence to try to prove a point? Michael Moore should know better.
Serial killers have said sweet things. But finding a love letter written by a serial killer doesn't mean he's any better of a person. Statistical evidence shows that rap is on average more misogynist, homophobic, and violent than country music. I prefer listening to rap myself (and I don't really care about the objectionable content), but if you're going to attack the moralists, don't try to tackle the statistical basis for their claims by citing the exceptions that prove the rule.
Using that same type of argument, I could "disprove" global warming by pointing out locations that have gotten cooler throughout the 20th century. But I suspect Mr. Moore would throw a hissy-fit about someone else ignoring trends and citing anecdotes.
It sure sells books though.
Two cock in my pussy! It feel so good!