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New EMI Boss Says 'Downloads May Be Good'
warrior_s writes "Douglas Merrill was just installed as CIO of EMI (one of the big four that forms the RIAA). The ex-Googler recently stated it is a 'poor business model to sue your customers. I don't think that's a sustainable strategy.' Quoted by the Guardian, he was referring to Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG's current practice of trying to use legal systems around the world to force their customers into buying products rather than using the free P2P networks and independent music sites and services. 'Previously, the music industry has rubbished studies that claim file sharing can have a positive effect on music sales. "I think people will pay," Merrill said. "There is evidence that people we think are not buying music are buying music. They're just not buying it in formats we can measure."'"
Suddenoutbreakofcommonsense?
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
Here I was thinking that not even big business could afford the salary of Captain Obvious. Either I was wrong or he's doing pro bono work these days.
I hate printers.
poor business model to sue your customers
It's sad that has taken this long for "insight" like that to surface in the industry. You would think that would be an important topic in business 101, but I guess not.
I got a catholic block.
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
- Flat fee all you can download buffets.
- No DRM.
- Multiple quality formats.
- Wide variety of artists.
- Profit!
Sorry had to throw that last one in there.As a side note I don't think my ordered list worked. Bug?
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
April Fools was Monday
Wow, the music industry decides fighting the inevitable isn't a viable business strategy, and only a decade too late!
Prediction: The real iPhone killer is going to be sex robots from Japan. Think about it.
Holy crap! Someone in a position of power in the Big Four actually gets it.
I forget - is that one of the signs of the end of the world?
Unfortunately, this was not how the music industry reacted to this same method of magical delivery. I realize the analogy has flaws but one would think that this would be a gift to marketing and profits. Instead, they've reacted in possibly the poorest way possible. Ignore its existence and sue the hell out of anyone doing it.
My work here is dung.
The ex-Googler recently stated it is a 'poor business model to sue your customers.
Darl McBride was not immediately available for comments.
It's true no man is an island, but if you take a bunch of dead guys and tie 'em together, they make a good raft.
Something that even this executive hasn't received a clue about: Where do you and your corporation fit into a distribution system that you do not own, can't control, and add no value to?
Maybe I'm giving this bozo too much credit - since iTunes is currently the number one music retailer, then even this clown could figure out that music downloads "may have some value". I suspect the concept that their target market will obtain their music from the vendor that offers the most convenient product at the lowest price will completely elude him. They'll continue to turn out a substandard product, cripple it with intrusive DRM, and try to sell the digital version at the same price as a physical CD (or even higher).
The record companies need to take a look at the past to see their future. Much as the producers of buggy whips, button hooks, electron tubes (and many more) have had to either find another product to produce or go out of business, the record industry is rapidly sliding into irrelevance. "Record company" - their fate is in their name. Who produces, sells, or buys records these days?
"They're just not buying it in formats we can measure."
You're not writing, composing, or playing the music. There aren't any execs in the recording studios helping to put it on disc. Your only job is to take a cut of the money that someone who isn't you is trying to give to someone else who isn't you... and you can't even be bothered to keep track of how much money you're taking?! Is there anything scheduled in your day planner besides interviews, hookers, and blow?
Douglas Merrill CIO of EMI was just fired from his job!
It should be noted he's not the CIO of EMI, he's the President of Digital Business. http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-interview-douglas-merrill-president-emi-digital-business/ http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2008/press40.htm
"Too many people had the suss,
Too many people support us,
An unlimited amount,
Too many outlets in and out,
Who?
E.M.I.! E.M.I.! E.M.I.!"
-- "E.M.I.", The Sex Pistols, 1977.
"Flag on the moon. How did it get there?"
Reward this, by searching out the EMI catalog and buying a CD of a band you like. This type of thinking needs a reward to reinforce it.
Hi, I Boris. Hear fix bear, yes?
Film companies like Kodak and Fuji faced exactly that challenge. Imagine a world where no one has to buy film to put in their camera and no one has to pay for film processing to print their photos. Less than 15 years ago, Kodak made most of its money from camera film and photo processing supplies, chemicals and equipment. That market has all but disappeared and yes, Kodak has had to lay off staff and close plants, but overall the company is still doing well. How? Rather than fearing the new digital technology or trying to sue or legislate it away, they have embraced it. The music industry could learn from that.
Support Right To Repair Legislation.
.....there's two ways to get a broccoli, you can buy one at the store, or get a packet of seeds and make a lot of copies for cheap. Go ahead, share some with friends! I'm in ag, that's where my money comes from,yet I encourage everyone to grow as much of their own food as possible. Because that is just a good idea, cheap good food for everyone is the goal. That's the best this side of another industry that's been around a long time can offer, bioreplicator technology. Go buy your meats directly from the farmer, save bunches. Go to produce stands and farmers markets, save a lot. *Food is the original replicator technology*, buy a heifer, you can "replicate" a lot of beef that way. There are ways to keep it cheap(er) and affordable. (and I am against food patents and seed DRM..that's lame, use open pollinated/heirloom "open source" seeds).
The digital bits for expensive industries-music,movies,software- are out to lunch, just charge very small fees, make it quick, easy, and legal, don't annoy the customers at all, skip the DRM and all that other nonsense, and make some money on HUGE volume sales. Even 99 cents a track is pretty steep, it should be like a dime maybe. And stuff on a cheap plastic disk? Coupla bucks, tops...make it impulse item cheap, sell zillions of copies that way. They are stuck in a pricing model from decades ago when making copies was expensive..it ain't that way now, not even close, drop prices severely or deal with "piracy" as your customer base routes around digital prohibition because it is stoopid to put up with it and constitutes irrational price gouging. Example of how far out to lunch they are, you can get the HARDWARE to replay the music now at the low end CHEAPER than a single plastic disk with some music on it. Tell me that isn't an indictment of price gouging by the music industry, and skewed expectations. They just refuse to drop prices as technology proves they can, that's all, just tired old avarice.
just using new methods that prehistoric derelict of ceos are condemning in those music companies.
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