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Music: Snapshot of an industry in turmoil

Started by mathewi · 1 year ago

(This is a column I wrote that appeared in the Globe today. I’m reposting it here for anyone who might have missed it).

Want a snapshot of an industry in crisis? Take a look at the music business right now. If you can see any signs of a coherent strategy, feel free ... Continue reading »

4 comments

  • Ryan

    1 year ago

    Have you read The Pirate's Dilemma?r
    reply
  • mathewi

    1 year ago

    I haven't, but I'm planning to. As soon as I can find a torrent of it :-)
    reply
  • srini kumar

    1 year ago

    Record companies should clone (or even innovate on) an old-school iPod and then give it away by the millions. This clone should have integrated wi-fi and be able to download music without connecting to a PC. You shouldn't be able to easily use it as an external hard drive. This would create a second market for digital content. Freebies could be given away to each one every day to keep people using it as well as provide the majors with a way to break new bands. People could subscribe to download bundles or buy them by the bundle.

    Actually what if it was an iPod-combination-cd-burner ? Labels could control the digital rights, users could make mix cd's easily (labels should concede users the right to make a reasonable number of copies for this usage), and it'd be different enough from the iPod to possibly trump it. Sony is looking for a hit in portable music to counter the iPod, and their brand name would make the units very popular. The labels however, should buy and distribute the units, as they are closer to the end consumer and they want to control the final music sales mechanism. Think of it as a "one laptop per child" for digital music.
    reply
  • mathewi

    1 year ago

    But the iPod already exists, why reinvent it? If they're just going to give
    away music anyway, that's already happening -- they just need to accept it
    and find a way of working that into their business models.
    reply

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