Music Industry - Online Age - Has the music piracy battle been won?

Has the music piracy battle been won?
Read full article here (from wired.co.uk)

Extract:
But they [the stats] show that very few people, proportionally, are interested in downloading music files, despite the BPI chief Geoff Taylor's recent claims (PDF link) that "the enormous scale of the piracy problem shows no signs of abating".

Music set the foundations for the current filesharing community -- it's what made the likes of Napster, Kazaa and Limewire so big in the first place. At the start of the 00s, you couldn't move for websites offering as much music as you could listen to for absolutely nothing.

For a while, the major record labels didn't notice -- people were still buying CDs, so it was less of an issue. But then they stopped, and all hell broke loose -- the major labels poured what was left of their rapidly-dwindling cash into their legal departments and the anti-piracy efforts co-ordinated by trade bodies like the BPI, RIAA and the IFPI.
[...]
In fact, what's more likely to have been the cause for the decline in music filesharing is the glut of good, legal, music services that have emerged in that time. The likes of iTunes and Amazon MP3 made it simply and easy to get music onto portable music players and mobile phones, and companies like Spotify and Last.fm proved that sharing free music isn't something to be feared -- it's to be encouraged, and it can be monetised.

With the evidence showing that pirates are the music industry's most valuable customers, and all the barriers to digital content nirvana having been removed by innovative technology companies and record companies that are willing to license more freely, is it really any surprise that music piracy is far less of a problem than it once was?

Music Industry - Gorillaz give away their new album made on an iPad

Gorillaz give away their new album made on an iPad
Damon Albarn, produced The Fall while on the road touring America. Fans can now download it for free
Whole story here.

Extract:
Gorillaz are not the first major band to release an album free via the internet. Radiohead put out In Rainbows as a digital download in 2007 employing an "honesty box" scheme. But experts suggest Gorillaz are at the vanguard in recognising how the business model of popular music is changing, with fans able to play games, become an exclusive member of its fan club and buy limited-edition artwork all on the website.

Pearse McCabe, brand consultant with Rufus Leonard, a digital consultancy, said that finding new ways of building relationships with fans is vital at a time when most younger consumers are reluctant to pay for music.

"The point of entry for bands is no longer dependent on buying an electric guitar and an amp and touring for three years before they gain recognition," McCabe said. "You can produce music from your bedroom and publish it online. People are asking what the point of record companies is."

Given the increased competition, successful bands needed to look beyond simply selling records, McCabe suggested.

"It's not just about the music any more; you can sell them merchandise online and hook them up with other brands along the way. It's about building a long-term consumer relationship."

Music industry analysts point to the success of American country singer Corey Smith, who is reported to have made almost $4m (£2.5m) from touring, merchandise and other revenues in 2008 but gives most of his music away free from his website. "We don't look at it as 'free'," his manager, Marty Winsch, told the Wall Street Journal. "When people come to the website and download the music, they're giving us their time, their most valuable commodity."

Music Industry - Piracy

Britons 'downloaded 1.2bn illegal tracks this year'
Online piracy is still growing, says latest BPI research
Read full article here.

Illegal downloading cost UK music industry nearly £1bn this year

Illegal downloading cost UK music industry nearly £1bn this yearOnline piracy is still growing, says latest BPI research

Read the whole story here.

Brand new OK GO video (A2 Students please have a look)

Here is a news story from NME.Com about the band OK GO's amazing new viral video which is stacking up the hits as we speak on Youtube. The video is at the bottom of the story. It is another choreographed masterpiece featuring the band and some dogs! Have a look......................................

James.

EMI - especially for A2 students

Start researching record labels such as EMI. EMI's story is an interesting one.
You will find an excellent archive of recent goings on at EMI at the guardianonline.
Receny headlines include:
EMI defends Duran Duran remasters
EMI go into reverse
EMI boss resigns after three months
Terra Firma close to finding £105m to keep EMI
and so on...

An older article from The Telegraph online is also an eye opener:
EMI and Warner Music should simply bite the bullet and merge
It is the story that's been running for a decade and once again the "will they, won't they" talks between EMI and Warner Music have failed to reach a deal.

Read the full article here.