stop buying CDs for the rest of 2003

[miriam_e]

The music industry is trying to stuff the file-sharing genie back in the bottle by attacking their own customers instead of moving into the 21st century with an appropriate business model. Musicians who try to earn a living through that backward-looking industry risk long-term ruin. Around 60 million Americans share files, and heaven knows how many in the rest of the world. This is a massive market waiting to be tapped, but the industry is gripped by fear of the new technology, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. This is the same way they reacted when recordable audio cassettes were marketed, and when listening booths were introduced in record shops. It is the same way the film industry reacted about recordable video cassettes. They are completely out of step with a technology that could revitalise a sagging, top heavy industry.

We need a large-scale movement to stop buying CDs for the rest of 2003. Xmas is traditionally a windfall period for the record companies. Deny them this. Let the record shops and artists know, and the Luddite executives just might change course, stop hurting little people, and save their industry before too much damage is done.

Buy from artists who share and sell their music online. For example:

Alanis Morissette Ani DiFranco Beastie Boys Beggars Banquet CD Baby Chuck D David Bowie Einsteurzende Neubauten Green Day Ice T Janis Ian Justablip Records Kristen Hersch

Matador Records Michael Franti / Spearhead Paula Cole Pearl Jam Phish REM Smashing Pumpkins Sonic Youth Streaming Geeks They Might Be Giants Ween Wilco Wonderlick

Comments

[apocraphilia.livejournal.com]

Only problem with a boycott is that if it works, the record industry will scream even louder that pirating is driving down sales - instead of taking the hint.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought of that too, but if sales rocket back up in early 2004 it would make a joke of that complaint, and if the artists who deal over the net are unaffected then it should stick out like dog's balls.

It is a risk I know, but the alternative -- to sit still and make nice stationary targets -- doesn't appeal to me. I was reading about how people take being executed as political prisoners in Chile and during the Nazi Holocaust, and it never ceases to amaze me that most people just kneel down and obediently take a bullet in the head. I promised myself that in a similar situation I would make sure I hurt my executioner really badly.

If these asshole executives get their way with these phoney lawsuits it just makes them braver to try something worse. Already they speak as if it is their right to have their hand in your pocket. They say that they have "lost millions" in lower sales. But that is a logical absurdity. You can't lose something you never had. They think it is their right to expect people to spend a certain amount on CDs, and when it doesn't happen they will hurt people to get it. They already consider it their money even though it was never given to them. What will they do next if we let them get away with this bullshit?

The ridiculous thing is that there is evidence that mp3 filesharing increases the public appetite for music rather than reducing it. There is actually some doubt about whether sales really are down -- they may be cooking the books in order to attack file sharing), but if they are down then they probably need look no further than the terrible way they handle business -- they attack their customers; they rip off their artists, casually destroying them with a flick of a pen; they vastly overcharge for antiquated technology; they live in isolated ivory towers on obscenely high wages; they "fix" the markets and foist shallow music upon an increasingly sophisticated audience.... on and on it goes.

By the way, love the icon. :D

music industry

[(Anonymous)]

yeah no shit huh... i could hardly believe it when i heard they went after a 12 year old girl for downloading music... they are shooting themselves in the foot and its up to the rest of us to let them know we wont put up with it... ive only bought a handful of cd's in the last few years ... primarily because i got tired of being let down... ya hear one or 2 good songs from an album then ya go out and buy it... only to find that you paid $20 for 2 good songs and 14 shitty ones with a bunch of filler... this is primarily with alternative music... ive yet to buy a metal cd that i didnt like entirely... dont know what it is about alternative bands, but 99% of them suck ass... and the radio sucks even more because they will play the best songs from the cd and let u wait to hear the shit songs when u buy the record and get disappointed... i think they are just making up shit to excuse the shittiness of the bands they market... file sharing is beneficial to music... its their fault for not taking advantage of it... matter of fact, apple has a file sharing thing that is successful.. they charge something like 50 cents a song and theres millions of users on there... in this day and age, whats stopping people from buying a cd and burning the whole thing and giving it to someone... no one cares if someone tapes a song off the radio... its just an excuse to me... just as metallica did with napster cuz they wasnt selling as many records... when it was really because they sold out and thier music sucked entirely after "...And Justice for All" ... but no.. of all things, they attack the fans and/or customers... talk about biting the hand that feeds you... course this is just a small piece of the problems of the world... but i suppose i shouldnt get into that :)