[ Alternatives | Conclusions ]
This page was written in April 2005, just after the music industry decided to start advancing against private websites with song lyrics or guitar/bass tabs. This article only expresses my opinions and I am aware of the fact that there are really bad people out there who really violate copyrights and make profit from this. But I am a paying customer and feel more and more patronised.
My point of view
I really like music. In fact, I love it. I hardly listen to the radio, though, because hardly any station meets my taste. But that's not a problem, you can always listen to your own music. Music you bought. Well, we can now but where are we taken by the music industry?
I thought, I write this article because I am severely disappointed by the music (and film, BTW) industry for mainly one reason: Paying customers like me are punished for things that "bad guys" do. Just consider the advertisements in cinemas where the paying folk is annoyed with the stories about criminals who steal ideas. I don't want to see that. I payed to see the upcoming movie!
Let me elaborate: At the beginning of file sharing networks, everyone was downloading and sharing music files. There was no real legal framework how to handle such issues. I can understand that musicians want to get money for what they produce. I do not only understand that but really find it necessary. Otherwise, where would the incitation for musicians be to put efforts into something that can't make them for a living?
What I do not understand, though, is the music industry starting to bug people like you and me with threats of law suit or limitations in the usage of legally bought CDs.
A Dreary Vision
I do not understand why it should be illegal (and that's the ultimate goal the music industry wants to achieve, as I see it) to produce as many copies of a CD as you like, just because you use it on your car or mobile phone as audio files? Not to think of a music library on your PC where you don't have to be a disc jockey… Why should it be illegal to lend CDs to a friend? Will it be illegal to play a CD more than, say, 42 times in the future? Or will CDs be equipped with a self destruct feature?
By now, there are several CDs that cannot be ripped into audio files any more, copy protection is spreading like a pandemia. And what's the consequence? My freedom to place these files on MP3/OGG CDs and ths carry only one of them with me or to use this music in my mobile phone/MP3 player is restricted.
In an ideal world, we would not need any copy protection at all, because everybody would be honest. I know that we do not live in this world. But is it really appropriate to scare the small customers who occasionally buy CDs by enforcing the law upon them? I say no, I don't know how to handle and track real criminals who make money with zillions of illegally copied CDs. But that's not my task.
Factum is, that I bought a lot more CDs since file sharing was introduced than before. Simply because there's a greater variety of music and easier availability. If someone tells me to try Song A by Band A, I listen to it first. If I like the sample, I go any buy the album. This argument might not be valid in the eyes of the music industry. It has become a little weak, I admit, since many bands now offer samples of their songs on their websites. And that's great! If you don't like the majority of a band's songs but especially one, there are always legal ways to get that. I already burnt (and payed) some CDs from Musiktankstelle, which is a platform installed especially for Austrian music, based on i-tunes.
I believe that the majority of users (music listeners in this case) are willing to pay for music.
Do you note something? I wrote music
, not record labels
.
I recently saw a report about the money distribution of one produced CD. I don't remember the exact figures but it was shocking how much the music industry gains in comparison to the artists. If this relation was corrected a bit, I think, this would have a great impact on the customers: Would you think twice to buy a CD if the whole album cost 5€ instead of 20? I hardly would.
Copyright Violations
I am disappointed by the current proceedings of law suits against web page owners who run lyrics databases or guitar tab databases and similar services. Literally, this is a violation of copyright. If I now argued that these "publications" are no violations of copyright, but interpretations of the work of somebody else? Maybe even only a quotation? Are quotations going to be illegal as well? As exaggeration, how would you write a scientific report, if all references are subject to severe copyright limitations?
If a band (not a record label) really insists on "closed lyrics", as I call lyrics that are not published in textual form, and does not want others to try and interpret them, then please, dear band, state that clearly yourself.
As a reverse, all these copyright issues and law suits would go away if you, dear band, stated that you explicitly want others to spread your lyrics and tabs and percussion sheets. After all, it takes you closer to the people who buy your work. The fans.
[ top ]
Alternatives
What are the alternatives to the current procedure? Well, I can only point into some directions. If you take a look at the Austrian radio station FM4, they have something that I find really ingenious: the FM4 Soundpark. This is an institution where bands can interact directly with the radio station and the fans. Bands can upload samples of their work and if they're lucky, they are either played on radio or find so many fans online that they can think of producing CDs and send them via webshops. There's hardly any promotion going on apart from the only important one: feedback and hearsay from fans.
Another great project in Austria is Monkeymusic's project space. Yes, this is a (rather new) record company, but it has good ideas. This project space is an institution in the Kunsthalle at Karlsplatz in Vienna, where artists — be it musicians, painters, literates or whatever — can meet their audience. And best of all, most events are free.
There might be other ways of legally spreading music, but currently, the WWW seems the best way to do so.
[ top ]
Conclusions
Let me state again: This is all nothing but an expression of my personal opinion.
- I seriously doubt that the great differences between musician earnings and record label earnings are justified.
- I use the possibility that some bands offer to order CDs directly via WWW. No deviations through stores. (I am aware of the fact that there's still music industry involved)
- Dear musicians, try using the WWW as a platform to reach your fans directly without the filtering mechanism of the music industry.
- I still buy CDs in stores, but less than over the last years.
- Considering lyrics and guitar tabs, how can a quotation or interpretation be a copyright violation?
Thanks
I'd like to thank all my favourite bands — Julia, Zeronic, K's choice, R.E.M., Core, Paradise Now! (the former version of Core), Radiohead, Die happy, thorn.eleven, Bananafishbones, The Killers and many many more — for the good music that assisted me in the past and while writing this article. Your music just rocks! Thanks to FM4 for providing a very diversified radio station and its sound park.
A paying customer and music lover.
[ top ]
Contact & Imprint — Kontakt & Impressum
Created: 2005-04-21 — last update of web site: 2010-06-27
Follow me: 
