If The Music Industry Had It To Do All Over...

[JSngry]

What with all the panic about copy protection, file sharing, etcetcetc, do think that the industry is now viewing their "scorched earth" introduction of the CD and the similar attempted assassination of the LP as perhaps being the opening of Pandora's Box?

This is not an "analog v. digital" question. It's a question of whether the industy would/should have put a little more time and thought into the format change and protected their asses significantly better than they did before they went all gung-ho into the future. Or whether they COULD have.

Any thoughts/ideas?

[Jazzmoose]

Hmmm. Well, now that the "replace your crappy LPs with the ultimate in music technology" easy bucks are gone, I'm sure second thoughts are happening. But I don't know that it would have made any difference as far as far as file sharing goes now that computers are everywhere. Although I can picture the industry ad campaign painting digital as an inferior format with a smile on my face...

[wolff]

Funny, I was thinking about this last night and other times before.

Yes, I think they know they screwed up. But what's worse is, I do not think they think they did anything to the consumer or to the fun in collecting and listening to music. Think about the differences in enjoying recordings now to 20-30 years ago.

From day one my friends and I have been 'sharing' music. I think it's fine and most importantly, a promotional tool for the record companies. We buy/bought tons of music, because of the 'sharing'. I know this concept went out the window with the mass sharing that occurs with digital.

I guess the companies are in a no win situation. A new format is Sony's solution. And I guess I can't blame them. It's interesting that they are trying to think ahead with SACD. As far as I know the machines will not output the higher res signal for recording/dubs even though they could. This pisses me off, also.

Sony owned the CD(so long vinyl), now they own SACD(so long CD). CD royalties to Sony ended a short time ago. One of the biggest problems, if not the biggest is someone owning/controlling the format. I find this beyond comprehension and we let it occur. Besides my fondness for vinyl this is why I avoid CD's. No one owns the vinyl format...think about it.

Edited September 18, 2004 by wolff

[Tjazz]

I don't know the actual dollar figures, but I assume the LP sales weren't that great.

Going digital has probably sold alot more music and brought the industry alot more cash.

Just think about how scared the movie industry was when the video recorder was introducted. I"m sure there are alot more sales in DVDs now that pump alot of dollars into the movie industry. Rentals also became a big seller for movies.

Why can't people RENT music?

Most music is pop, and for the moment. People would RENT it for today and move on to the next hit.

The music industry is the similar to the movie industry. IMO.

Just scared of change.

LP production was more expensive than CDs, that's why the industry wanted to shift. They saved money, therefore, they made money.

Back in the LP days, there were people who would make tapes and trade them to save a few bucks. There will always be people who don't want to buy music. Most people don't buy very many albums. PERIOD!

What really sells? NEW STUFF.

Just like the movie industry. NEW STUFF.

[PHILLYQ]

When people first started downloading music, the response of the industry was to hire lawyers, stick their fingers in their ears and shout loudly to anyone who would listen(government, media,etc.). They COULD have decided to investigate the technology and offer that same service and try to make a buck from it. So what they got instead of an end to downloading was a ton of unpopular lawsuits and a downloading problem that's much,much worse than the suits could have ever imagined. If I own any of these companies heads would roll for being so myopic and missinga great opportunity, but of course the boobs who hired the lawyers are still employed.

[AmirBagachelles]

I have been thinking about this, and the crappy MP-3 future we all face. Good thing I bought enough music in almost-glorious AIFF to last 200 years. Analog and near-analog digital masters are unlikely to be offered commercially with perpetual usage licenses, someday. That is, the large companies will avoid this. I can see the day when the CDs we have already amassed are some kind of outlawed contraband, because of their superior quality as copy sources.

Disc Runner (Director's Cut) - burn it now before it burns you!! aarrrgghhhh

[BruceH]

I can see the day when the CDs we have already amassed are some kind of outlawed contraband, because of their superior quality as copy sources.

It'll be like Fahrenheit 451 FOR CD's, MAN!!!

(At what temperature do CD's melt?)

Start hiding your collection from the flamethrower-wielding police!