Global Record Sales Down ... Piracy?

[Sip]

Just wanted to see what the hyeforum perspective is on this ... all the recent data published anywhere seems to indicate that music sales are "down" ... down by a lot. And almost always the "down" sentence seems to be followed by something along the lines of "internet", "file sharing", "music downloads", "cd burning" etc.

 

But is it just that people have figured out a way to pirate music or is it also that most new music just SUCKS that are hurting record sales?

 

I mean take a look at Britney, Aguilerra and all the other supposedly top "artists". It's all the same old boring stuff ... same formula ... same voice and body undulations with the same tired old lyrics over and over with a slight change in the background beat here and there.

 

Is it just me (getting old?) or do you also think that the "pop music industry" (US anyway) is seriously suffering from a lot more than just people getting their stuff for free?

[ED]

Your right Sip, industry along with artists (if you want to call them that) is suffering because not just things like internet cd-burners etc... but they luck creativity in many aspects, this has become dollars and séance same old same old, just like movie industry, not to mention this new form of progressive/alternative rock, I really don’t enjoy it, maybe its the age thing, but for past 3 days I was watching Martin Scorsese "blues" on PBS, I got so much joy out of it, nothing is like good old blues.

 

Did anybody saw it?

[Armat]

Your right Sip, industry along with artists (if you want to call them that) is suffering because not just things like internet cd-burners etc... but they luck creativity in many aspects, this has become dollars and séance same old same old, just like movie industry, not to mention this new form of progressive/alternative rock, I really don’t enjoy it, maybe its the age thing, but for past 3 days I was watching Martin Scorsese "blues" on PBS, I got so much joy out of it, nothing is like good old blues.

 

Did anybody saw it?

I also enjoyed watching the Blues series on PBS. I agree that lot of music today is simply mediocre level. I am sure there are plenty of great music out there but to get them out and market requires serious money which many creative new start up bands lack. Radio stations are more corporate and business oriented then promoting new Artists.60 minutes did a segment where it shows how radio stations take thousands to play same boring music.

Here in Boston known as the most influential rock and jazz city I can go and see great bands for less then ten bucks live. I suggest exploring live music and buy the music directly from the artists which they depend very much.

[vava]

the Recording industry has committed gross retail crime: they've stopped listening to their clients. Instead of the old, 'shove-what-the-record-company-chooses-down-the-public's-throats' approach, they should really let the demand drive the popular musical styles and the sales.... As it stands now, they produce the music, then they market the music, artificially 'creating demand'. That kind of musical interest is fickle, and as we see, doesn't translate into solid fanbase, nor longterm sustained sales. Let the music market itself, define itself, and evolve... the fans will buy-in in droves, 'cause it will be THEIR music.

 

I'm sorry if i'm not so coherent right now... just finished a bottle of Cos D'Estournel (St-Estephe Grand Cru Classé) it was pretty fine....

[Azat]

Very true Vava(about the music industry and I am sure the wine as well). Record Industry is pretending that they can stop the sharing. At some point they will realize that the public wants to walk into a store(online or off) choose the 12 songs that they want an a single CD and pay 12-15 bucks for it. They do not want to pay 15-20 per CD with one 1-2 good songs on it.

 

Plus I am not sure it is is stealing. If I give you a copy of my cd, what are you stealing and from whom. You have not deprived me of listening to that CD and you have not deprived the artist of that music. You may have deprived the company/artist oh possibility ot making some money, but chances are you may have not purchased that CD anyways.

 

Besides. the record industry is going to screw up once again by going after Kaaza and other file sharing software. I own a small USB drive keychain (256MB ram) and I can carry 40-50 songs on that. how are they going to stop me from giving that to movses or Harut or Sip? And that is just on the 256 MB chips, many people carry IPod like players that are 10, 20 ever 40 GB of with 1000s of songs, what do they do about people who would just copy all those songs from one iPod to another PC?

 

But like in everything else the Entertainment industry is run by a few who are blind.

[vava]

Part of the problem:

 

ClearChannel Communications

 

And here are a few quotes about the company:

Before passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, a company could not own more than 40 radio stations in the entire country. With the Act's sweeping relaxation of ownership limits, Clear Channel now owns approximately 1225 radio stations in 300 cities and dominates the audience share in 100 of 112 major areas. Its closest competitors--CBS and ABC, media giants in their own right--own only one-fifth as many stations.

 

and later:

Far from fostering a diversity of voices, Clear Channel's monopolistic mode of operation is accelerating the homogenization of programming on our airwaves.

 

Read some perspectives HERE and there's a funny one at 'CheapChannel'.

 

 

You can even sign a PETITION against Clearchannel.

[hyeclass]

well i guess so many people have downloaded allot of mp3's now there sick of music now they have so much music that they are already tired of listening to music so it could be both.

[vava]

Hyeclass - my point above was that if the music is garbage - it's easy to get sick of it. However, good music is timeless, and as long as nobody's shoving it down your throat, you'll be listening to it for years (yes, years! )