Why Luddites are saving music single-handedly (Or: Small group needed to spoil it for everyone else)

We keep gettin' bees in bonnets about the ol' illegal downloading thing. Thing is, when you care for somethin' so bad... so bad that you sometimes think it's becoming a problem... you hate to see it hurt. So what's the skinny? Well, latest stats show that worldwide music sales have tumbled to their lowest level. This year, album sales were down 11 per cent. You gettin' worked up about 11 per cent? Damn straight I am. Since the advent of filesharing, sales have started to plummet. Before then, CD sales were in decline and vinyl sales were on the up, balancing things out. Now, thanks to robbing fuggers, the whole thing has gone weird.

So thank gawd for luddites. The people who are keeping money circulating through music are those that can't work out how to download. By complete accident, these papes are ensuring that record companies have some money to sign more bands.  Y'know? Those people who make records you like?

See, this is the way it is. Record companies can't take as many chances as before thanks to illegal downloading. They can only sign big bankers. That means it's unlikely that there'll be another Tom Waits, Bjork... or any other weirdo that doesn't tick the boardroom boxes. If you're a iThief, then it's your fault. Thankfully, it looks like something will be done about it.

The IFPI (who look after the recording industry worldwide) are in talks with internet providers to put a end to this blatant robbery. John Kennedy (no, not that one), its chief executive, said that between 50 per cent and 80 per cent of internet service provider traffic was accounted for by illegally swapped content. It's looking like internet providers are going to start revealing details of their customers who illegally share music with a penalty of cutting off any subscriber who breaches copyright three times.

Governments are also looking into this 'three strikes' ruling. Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary, said that while regulation was not the first preference, he did not feel that he could stand by and ignore wholesale breaches of copyright. “British music is one of our biggest success stories. I don’t want to see it wasted away.” Basically, the government who rather not get involved, allowing the internet providers the opportunity to sort it out for themselves. However, if they don't play ball because they like the money from iThieves (the irony kills me), then officials will have to intervene.

Of course, all this taken into account, doesn't mean that the recording industry is stonybroke. Far from it. However, job cuts are already underway and those that are getting hit are those that represent the new talent and the off-the-wall outfits (album shifters as opposed to single-shifters) and if this trend continues, then the people who claim to care so much about music and are sticking it to the man are only ensuring that we have more Coldplay styled bands and more dreadful stadium filling R'n'B. So thanks for that.

[mof]

Comments

[mbd]

Before anything else, I should mention that my wife and my brother work in the music industry, and that I buy more music than most people I know.

That said, does it matter if the big record companys dont make so much money? Maybe instead of worrying so much about large corporations that really don't give a shit about good music is the wrong track to take. I bet if you doubled their record sales year over year, all we'd end up with is twice as much shite that sounds like the crap that sold well last year.

Perhaps the large record companies aren't really needed so much? We don't really need them so much anymore to distribute product. We don't need them to promote to large scale retail outlets who only want to underpay for the top 20 releases anyway when you can hit dedicated niche blogs/sites (like this one), or even myspace, etc.

Seriously, if you think about it, a band can create/produce/mix an album on home computers, release it via the Internet through online retailers such as iTunes, and promote it through more direct means.

So, I don't care if the big record companys lose money and die. As far as I'm concerned, most of the people involved in them (and I've met many) are there to make cash by pushing the latest cross promoted CD in conjunction with McHappy meals.

I agree with your sentiment that stealing music is bad - but I'd rather give it to the band or a small label rather than mega corporations.

(end of rant)

[mof gimmers]

So if the record companies die, your wife AND your sister lose their jobs. That's reason enough to care I would have thought.

I see what you're saying, but for someone who likes to buy an tactile-album, as opposed to a download, I see a great need for the record company as I don't think bank managers will look to kindly on some spotty kids asking for a loan to press up a load of 45s. Never mind the cost of organising a tour.

Mof

[mbd]

My brother actually, not sister. Of course I don't want them to lose their jobs, but I don't think they will for long, being the clever and intelligent folk they are. And they're both fairly specialist (neither working for a major label).

I too like a tactile album, in fact I don't buy digital music except in rare circumstances (like when A&C released Stars' 'In Our Bedroom After the War' digitally at the same time as releasing promo copies, but a month or so ahead of actual release date in order to try and combat piracy and remove the excuse of downloaders that they wanted to support the band but the album wasn't available yet).

That said, most of the albums I'll buy are based on having listened to them first through legitimate or illegitmate means, and I've been surprised how often one can buy an independent (as in truly independent, not a 3rd level down subsidiary of a subsidiary of Sony) artist's release from the band themselves via their website or their label's website. Look at AC30 for example - you can get all kinds of great stuff from their site and know that just about any release will be worth a listen (if you're into shoegazer-esque stuff at least).

Regarding pressing 45s - well, yeah there's a cool factor to it, but perhaps the band wanting to do that can fund it buy digital and CD-R releases? Enough indie bands have hand made covers for vinyl in the past that I'm sure a music (as opposed to scene) lover would excuse a greenish gold hue on their CD instead of silver, especially if the cd label and artwork look like they were made with love. No?

The argument I get back is usually 'but you're not like a normal music fan'. I agree. I like the music and I want to support the small acts that make great stuff that shouldn't be ignored. But after years of seeing decent bands compromised by the system, I don't have that much faith in supporting the majors that run it in the blind hope that maybe a good band will get their share.

[Pumpy]

From what I remember, around a third of the price of an album goes to the publisher, another third to the wholesaler, and a final third to the retailer.

Given that, record companies should probably consider something like CD burning kiosks, with secure data sent from company HQ, with savings (probably 50 percent or more) passed on to the buyer.