Would Free Music Sell Cars?

rhfrommn writes "An opinion piece on news.com says the old method of selling music CDs is doomed and suggests the best new method is to give away the content. No more 'piracy' or 'rights management' to worry about! The author discusses ad based models, giving music away as a promotion (buy a car, get 1000 hours of music free type stuff) and other methods. All based on cheap hardware like MP3 players as the new medium to replace CD."

Comments

The opposite is much better

[KDan]

Buy 1000 hours of music, get a free car!

I'm sure more people would fall for that :-)

Daniel

Why does everyone ignore live music?

[Infonaut]

From what I've read, even the multiplatinum musicians make most of their money from live performances. I've always gone to see live acts based on their recorded work. If more recorded work were available (perhaps even for free), wouldn't that improved exposure give an artist the ability to pull in larger crowds and therefore make more money at live gigs?

I'm sure I'm missing something, but why do artists need labels any more?

Re:Why does everyone ignore live music?

[incrustwetrust]

the downside to this idea is then there are musicians like me who make music that literally cannot be reproduced live, unless you just play a rough sounding recording and look like you're actually doing something.

then again, i'm not out to make money... and neither are most people who make music like mine that i've ran into... although, being able to have my own studio would be the greatest thing ever.

hmm...

on second thought...my music HAS been used in avant-guarde performance art performed live, but that is a different thing entirely from a live show to me.

Re:Free content for all!

[ip_vjl]

... music through the air. [snip] I hear it's called 'radio' or something.

I know your post is meant as humor, but it reminded me of something I was thinking about on the way into work this morning.

I was listening to the radio and there was a song I liked - don't know the name, don't know by who. There was no DJ break at the time, and by the time there would be one, I would no longer be in the car ... so not much chance of finding out who it was.

Now *THAT* would be something that I would like ... potentially as a way of selling this new digital satellite radio crap.

When I hear a song ... I can click the 'buy this song' button on the radio. It doesn't even need to download it to the car (though I suppose it could). It could just charge me a reasonable fee (maybe 0.75 - 1.00) and make a good MP3/OGG available for download in my "account" on the site.

That way, music would become an impulse buy. Same way they leave the candy bars next to the cash register at the supermarket.

See/Hear it ... want it ... buy it. (R)
oh yeah. that would be the way.

Re:Free Cars.

[hpavc]

I think that insurance/finance companies will bundle cars with their services. Basically like a lease, the insurance company dolls out the car to you and you pay them a monthly fee with covers the insurance for the vehicle.

The companies would buy at large fleet discounts and offer safer vehicles.

Potentially they could use their lobby to get government to give them insentive credits on using certain better energy resources/methods that are currently stalled.

Oh yeah and they could offer free music too.