MacWizards Music -- Special Features
So when you're in the business of selling records and you see your sales go down by 4% while systems like Napster, Kazaa, and Morpheus sprout up around you, you know where to point the finger of blame, right? It's obviously those freeloaders who are the source of the problem.
But wait ... turns out that ain't so. What happens when you reduce your inventory by 25%? All things equal, you'd expect to see a drop of the same 25%, right? Well, turns out, this is exactly what the record industry has done. Well, that's not true ... they've also raised prices, although I can't argue since I picked up my Donnas CD for $10 and nabbed Joey Ramone's solo CD at CD Warehouse for $8. Life is pretty good within my four walls.
But the whole thing is obviously a sham, and the RIAA is looking for a scapegoat to justify their own existence. Better luck next time guys.
4 Comments
Agreed. I have no pity for the record labels. When CDs came out, they cost a whopping 18 dollars. This compared to 10 bucks for records and 7 or 8 for tapes. The labels assured the public that this was only initial startup costs, and the prices would drop dramatically. Well, CDs still cost 18 dollars (many of them, at least). You know how much it costs to make a CD? you don't even want to know. Bastards.
Well, I'm fully aware of the "marginal" costs of putting another CD on the market (if its more than a nickel, someone's lying). But in fairness, there are marketing costs (some ethical: advertising ... some unethical: payola), there's the cost of finding new bands & producing tunes, etc. And good luck if you want money for a tour. It can be done on the cheap, as there are several labels out there that skimp on production, send a band on the road in a beat up VW van, and hope for the best.
But to cook the numbers and claim that anything other than their own actions are leading to the very results they see is ridiculous. I wish I had linked it way back when I saw it, but I recall reading somewhere that the best selling CD of last year was also the most downloaded ... again, contradictory information if you buy the RIAA party line. It goes to support my claim that if you really like the stuff, you buy it.
Case in point ... me being the biggest pimp for The Donnas in the free world. I go out and get that CD/DVD combo on the Tuesday it comes out. I also downloaded a copy of the first release off of it when it was posted somewhere. I scour the world for Jason & the Scorchers tunes ... but I also have everything they've released on CD. I know I'm far from the exact match to "normal" people out there, but I do think that tendency is out there in some form or another.
Greg, when I was at the MDM show I saw a Jason & The Scorchers t-shirt. Not that it has any relevence to anything, but I thought of you when I saw it.
As for the topic at hand, Owen and I debated it tirelessly a long time ago, but I'm more or less in agreement with you all. The good thing about being king (or a monopoly or oligopoly) is never having to say you're sorry. Screw up? It can't be proven cause they rise and fall together. Easier to just blame the file-swappers.