Spring Break
RIAA, record labels once again hurt the consumer
By: Dennis Mongello
Issue date: 7/13/07 Section: Ed-Op
Originally published: 7/12/07 at 11:47 PM EST
Last update: 7/12/07 at 11:46 PM EST
Originally published: 7/12/07 at 11:47 PM EST
Last update: 7/12/07 at 11:46 PM EST
There has been a lot of digital music-related news these past few weeks, and all of these stories make the more traditional music sellers look like the money grubbing fat cats they are.
If the RIAA and brick and mortar music stores want to win the public's heart in the age of downloadable content, they are going to have to make a noticeable effort to try and connect with their one time customers, and not totally alienate them like they have been.
First up, we have Prince giving away his album to people picking up The Mail, a newspaper in the UK. Record stores and labels should learn from his example.
This is a great idea from a public relations standpoint because by getting his music to as many listeners as possible, by any means necessary, Prince is showing that to him, the music is not all about the money, but rather just about the art and getting people to enjoy the work he created.
It even makes business sense too, because, let's be honest here, he is not going to sell that many albums without all the buzz this little stunt is creating for him. However, how is his business backend reacting to this? Well HMV, the Sam Goody of England, as well as other record stores are threatening to refuse to sell the album if Prince gives it away.
Prince's record label, instead of embracing this move to make good with the fans, has decided to wash their hands of the album to appease the store owners instead. While Prince is trying to erase the mistakes of Metallica and show that not all artists are lusting for wealth, the record labels and music stores continue to be blind to the facts. It is not piracy or the Internet's fault for poor sales, but it's their image as the avaricious aural aristocracy.
Ok, I can understand the reasoning behind the record labels taking the side of the brick and mortar stores, because in their myopic view of their own business model, they need these stores to make money. So certainly, the labels won't be biting the hand that feeds them and pull product from digital stores, right? It only makes sense to back the digital music stores because while brick and mortar stores have been closing left and right over the past decade, album downloads have increased nearly 200 percent from 2004 to 2005 according to the RIAA and Billboard.
If the RIAA and brick and mortar music stores want to win the public's heart in the age of downloadable content, they are going to have to make a noticeable effort to try and connect with their one time customers, and not totally alienate them like they have been.
First up, we have Prince giving away his album to people picking up The Mail, a newspaper in the UK. Record stores and labels should learn from his example.
This is a great idea from a public relations standpoint because by getting his music to as many listeners as possible, by any means necessary, Prince is showing that to him, the music is not all about the money, but rather just about the art and getting people to enjoy the work he created.
It even makes business sense too, because, let's be honest here, he is not going to sell that many albums without all the buzz this little stunt is creating for him. However, how is his business backend reacting to this? Well HMV, the Sam Goody of England, as well as other record stores are threatening to refuse to sell the album if Prince gives it away.
Prince's record label, instead of embracing this move to make good with the fans, has decided to wash their hands of the album to appease the store owners instead. While Prince is trying to erase the mistakes of Metallica and show that not all artists are lusting for wealth, the record labels and music stores continue to be blind to the facts. It is not piracy or the Internet's fault for poor sales, but it's their image as the avaricious aural aristocracy.
Ok, I can understand the reasoning behind the record labels taking the side of the brick and mortar stores, because in their myopic view of their own business model, they need these stores to make money. So certainly, the labels won't be biting the hand that feeds them and pull product from digital stores, right? It only makes sense to back the digital music stores because while brick and mortar stores have been closing left and right over the past decade, album downloads have increased nearly 200 percent from 2004 to 2005 according to the RIAA and Billboard.
