Re: [microsound] industry loses big

[Ben <bent@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jonathan Hughes wrote:

>Ultimately, the free-for-all downloading of music ultimately cheapens the
>music (and not just on monetary level). Instead of being something that's
>actively sought out, enjoyed, and valued, it just becomes an item to
>collect.
>  
>
Exactly. Soulseek has irrevocably changed the way I listen to music: I 
don't take it anywhere near as seriously as I once did, and I think I'm 
much better off for it. I've come to listen to a much much wider range 
of music. I've explored areas of music that I never would have. In fact, 
I probably would have never heard of microsound were it not for soulseek 
(someone told me about the microsound list in a chat). So, actually, 
it's possible that one of your microsound friends will get a purchase 
that they would never have had because of file sharing.

Ultimately, however, my gut instinct -- and obviously the gut instinct 
of the record industry and lots of other people -- leads me to believe 
that it may get harder and harder to sell records as a going concern.  I 
say, yeah, so? That's not to say that one will not be able to make money 
on music... there will still be live performance and swag. And really, 
that's not what music should be about. It's about listening, not about 
selling. If you once could make a fair living at it and now you can't, 
I'm sorry to hear that. But, well, I'd love to get paid to browse the 
internet and write stunningly insightful emails all day... I'm not 
holding my breath though. And, why not skip printing the 500 CDs all 
together and just share the music? Or at least if you're gonna make a cd 
to sell, why not make them one at a time, to order and with special, 
one-of-a-kind packaging?

What I really hope happens, is that the whole pop music thing kind of 
fades and gets diluted by the sheer number of options out there. I'd 
like to see the differentiation between a real (ie rock star) musician 
and all the contenders out there fade away. In a way, it'd be a shift 
back to the way it was before the music biz: just me and my music and 
you and your music... only now, there can be lots and lots of 
me-and-you's, all over the world.

b

>  
>

------------------------------