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Music and the Internet Reprise

Posted by michael on from the play-it-again-janis dept.

Paul M. writes "Janis Ian, nominated for nine Grammys since 1967, writes, "RIAA's claim that the industry and artists are hurt by free downloading is nonsense." She wants the industry, artists, and consumers to work together 'to make technology work for all of us', something I've advocated all along. Record companies were to provide a means for exposure; now that the Internet provides near-universal exposure at comparatively no cost, the record companies' utility has expired." Janis' interview makes for good reading as well.

7 of 325 comments (clear)

  1. Required Related Reading... by TheGreenGoogler · · Score: 5, Informative

    Be sure to visit Boycott-RIAA for further coverage of this and all issues anti-RIAA (Not that there are any /.'ers against the fine institution of the RIAA, but link provided just in case ;)

  2. corrections by I+Want+GNU! · · Score: 4, Informative

    It doesn't stream, it downloads the album in a protected albx format. It doesn't let you burn to CD but you can listen to it all you want on your computer and again, it's free (as in beer). He could theoretically release the whole thing in OGG or MP3 format but since people could copy and burn the CD easily and legally then it might hurt album sales, which I think we can understand him not wanting to do. Still, this is an amazing step!

  3. The FULL article on Ian's website by BigDaddyJ · · Score: 5, Informative
    Check out the full article at http://www.janisian.com/article-internet_debacle.h tml. It's a lot more useful (and interesting!) than the USA Today snippet.

    --bdj

  4. A Sidenote... by crashnbur · · Score: 3, Informative
    If you scroll down past the (ugly) header, the meat of Tony Fletcher's iJamming article/feature is entertaining and insightful. It was published in March 2002 in response to Michael Greene's speech at the Grammy's.

    He slams Greene, record labels, and the industry in general and promotes the best interests of artists and consumers. His points are laid out cleanly in numbered paragraphs with bold "headline" statements, which makes it easy to skip the ideas with which you may disagree or of which you've heard too much of, and simply get to the stuff you want to read.

    It's a very good article, but Fletcher misses the point a little when he says:

    Selling albums is no longer the only way for artists to make money. They have other options - publishing, touring, merchandising, soundtrack commissions, TV commercials, Djing or other public appearances, sponsorship

    Correction: Selling albums was never the only way for artists to make money.

  5. Re:Urge to Rant Growing, Growing, AHH! by teamhasnoi · · Score: 3, Informative

    Janis Ian's solution.

  6. Actual production costs by Animats · · Score: 4, Informative
    If you want to have CDs made in moderate volume, they're cheap. $1,485 for 1000 CDs, with jewel box, art on the disk itself, liner, shrinkwrap, barcode, etc. They even put your product on Amazon.

    Airplay, though, in the Clear Channel era, is the problem. What's needed are some popular webcast channels of non-RIAA material.

  7. Hilary Rosen at the Oxford Union by danrees · · Score: 4, Informative

    On a related note, Hilary Rosen (chief executive of the RIAA) is debating in proposition at the Oxford Union tomorrow evening, with the motion 'This House believes that "the free music mentality is a hreat to the future of music.'.

    Get there early to get a chance to speak from the floor!