Thursday, March 20, 2008
In reading about a proposal to offer unlimited downloads as part of the ipod's price and in noticing that compensating the artists wasn't even part of the conversation - the following ironic joke came to mind:
That's inaccurate, though, the real story is closer to:
That negotiation, having gone well, has led to:
This still doesn't quite capture it. Part of the analogy that I need to work through lies in the necrophilia involved - the industry represents all those living and dead with their enormous back catalog. There are far more dead than living at this point. I think there is a lot more margin for the music biz to shower the graves with silver than promote the living...
I've often thought that the current atrocity of copyright law existed not to protect new artists or markets, but to obsolete the old markets by taking old product off the market. Now, we're finally in the situation where the back catalog is always there (and paid for over a year), who is going to want new music, new books, etc? I haven't bought anything but old music for years, and I'm only about 1/7000th through the Gutenberg library on books, I read blogs and news and strip out the ads, and haven't bought anything other than food, housing and plane tickets in a year.
What's going to make you want new music? It doesn't mean I (or anyone serious) is going to hang up the guitar, but music making - like writing english, and for that matter code - are bad ways to make a living.
On a lighter note, I can't help but think about how adding a ball launcher like the one on the left would make endless kennels and SPCA zones happier places for dogs. And remember, on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog! I keep wondering if a dog would ever get tired of feeding a machine like this, if the Pavlovian reaction would finally exhaust itself.
I doubt it. But I'm not a dog... I tried to make a cat toy out of an irobot and a fishing rod once, but both the cats I tried it on were scared of it and stayed well away - and I hated the noise.
Most links courtesy of Andrew Sullivan's blog posts this morning. ¶ 3:32 PM
- Apple: Would you sleep with me for a million dollars a shot?
Music Industry: Um, yes.
Apple: Would you sleep with me for 30 cents a shot?
Music Industry: What kind of girl do you think I am?
Apple: We've already established that, now we are just negotiating the price.
That's inaccurate, though, the real story is closer to:
- Apple: Would you have your artists sleep with me for a million dollars a shot?
Music Industry: Um, yes. Well, Madonna might cost more. Also, we just signed up this new kid, Kristin, and she might be difficult...
Apple: Would you have your artists sleep with me for 30 cents?
Music Industry: What kind of pimp do you think I am?
Apple: We've already established that, now we are just negotiating the price.
That negotiation, having gone well, has led to:
- Apple: Can I have all your artists sleep with me all year for a 80 bucks an ipod?
Music Industry: Um, yes. Well, um, David Bowie's slept with everybody, you sure you want him?
Apple: Yea, definitely him. He's part of our "Screw Different" campaign. Would you have all your artists sleep with me for 20 dollars an ipod?
Music Industry: What kind of pimp do you think I am? I gotta make my Rolls payments!
Apple: We've already established that, now we are just negotiating the price.
This still doesn't quite capture it. Part of the analogy that I need to work through lies in the necrophilia involved - the industry represents all those living and dead with their enormous back catalog. There are far more dead than living at this point. I think there is a lot more margin for the music biz to shower the graves with silver than promote the living...
I've often thought that the current atrocity of copyright law existed not to protect new artists or markets, but to obsolete the old markets by taking old product off the market. Now, we're finally in the situation where the back catalog is always there (and paid for over a year), who is going to want new music, new books, etc? I haven't bought anything but old music for years, and I'm only about 1/7000th through the Gutenberg library on books, I read blogs and news and strip out the ads, and haven't bought anything other than food, housing and plane tickets in a year.
What's going to make you want new music? It doesn't mean I (or anyone serious) is going to hang up the guitar, but music making - like writing english, and for that matter code - are bad ways to make a living.
On a lighter note, I can't help but think about how adding a ball launcher like the one on the left would make endless kennels and SPCA zones happier places for dogs. And remember, on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog! I keep wondering if a dog would ever get tired of feeding a machine like this, if the Pavlovian reaction would finally exhaust itself.
I doubt it. But I'm not a dog... I tried to make a cat toy out of an irobot and a fishing rod once, but both the cats I tried it on were scared of it and stayed well away - and I hated the noise.
Most links courtesy of Andrew Sullivan's blog posts this morning. ¶ 3:32 PM
