State of Online Music: RIAA's Efforts Paying Off

melquiades writes "The NYT (regreq) has a new article about online music, suggesting that the recording industry's war against P2P is paying off: pay-to-download services are rising in popularity. "Largely because of tough actions by the record companies to combat free music sites through the courts, legislation and even through techno-guerrilla tactics, there is a noticeable change of sentiment in a small segment of the downloading cognoscenti. Though their numbers are low, many are the early adapters who spot a trend first." Though the article falls into the common fallacy of equating P2P with illegal copying -- I'm one of the numerous artists who wants people to download my music for free -- it sums up the state of affairs well, particularly in this quote from online music consultant Michael Haile: "Record labels know what consumers want. We all do. They want a Napster you pay for. We all know that. But why would the labels want that at all? Making CD's is like printing money.""

Comments

People are downloading less pirated music....

[SpanishInquisition]

Because they are downloading a lot more pirated porn, thank God for cable.

Re:People are downloading less pirated music....

[StoryMan]

Vice always drives profit.

It pleases me to hear that porn and P2P music and video are (or have been) the new "killer application."

An old guy I know wanted me to set him up with DSL so he could find out what all this hubbub about music is all about. (He really called it "hubbub", too).

But I suspect he'll check out some porn, too. We all like porn and downloadable music. But very few us will admit it.

BTW, how come someone hasn't set up a P2P network that allows me to stream music from my buddy's computer. Wouldn't this be the same as listening to music at a friend's house? Would the RIAA shut this down?

Even cooler would be to stream video from my bud's computer. It's like we're in the same room together -- but we're just virtually there.

Anyway, I set the old guy I know up with DSL. Got him to sign on, fork over the cash. He's got an install in the next few weeks, and I've got a free PS2 coming my way (on account the DSL folks are giving away a free XBOX or PS2 to whoever signs up by Sep. 30.)

So soon he'll be able to check out that hubbub. (Is hubbub short for something? Or is it one of those words that sound like the thing they're describing? I've been in hubbub before -- and I've checked out a lot of hubbub -- but I'm not sure it ever sounded like 'hubbub' when I was checking it out.)

Re:People are downloading less pirated music....

[The Turd Report]

But I suspect he'll check out some porn, too. We all like porn and downloadable music.

Back in the day, an 80+ year old guy walks in to the front office of the ISP I am working for.
"I have a complaint," he yells.
I groan and ask what he wants to complain about.
"It is about all this porn on the internet," he tells me.
I once again groan. This old twit is going to rant on and on about porn...
"What about it?" I ask.
"I can't find any of it," he exclaimed.

RIAA, you're right

[dotgod]

Nobody downloads music off of the internet illegally anymore. Please move on.

Re:What are these services like? - emusic

[KelsoLundeen]

I was in the studio a couple years ago when Noam Chomsky was recording his latest album. He and Cornell West had a little "talking" rap going on.

Me, I sat off to one side just digging the shit out of it -- these two aged hippies just bopping and rapping like there was no tomorrow.

I stayed late -- long after the session had ended. Noam and West were talking about what it means to be a "radical Christian." West (you'll remember) always refers to himself as a radical Christian. He derives his basic spiritual vibe from Chekhov, Hegel, and Miles Davis.

But Chomsky was tired. He didn't feel much like sparring. He sorta stayed in the corner of the room, his feet up on a ratty sofa, and wondered whether or not there was any Chivas in the little bottle the soundman kept underneath the console.

"No Chivas, Noam," said the soundman.

West laughed at that. "Chivas? You're shitting me."

"Not me, Cornell," said Noam.

"Damn. If you want some badass Hegelian synthesis, I advise Jack, man. Jack D. all the way."

Noam said he hadn't had a shot of Jack Daniels since the march on the Pentagon. Then he laughed and remembered how he and Norman Mailer and Allen Ginsburg sat out on the Washington Mall, burning incense, and screaming "Howl" at the top of their lungs.

Man oh man. I'll never forget that recording session with Noam and Cornell.

Damn.