Krankschaft April Update

[Carl Edlund Anderson]

On 02 Apr 2011, at 20:32 , Jonathan Smith wrote:
> CD are very overpriced (i don't mean obscure ones like Krankschaft, but
> those from Sony etc)-- digital downloads are even more of a rip off,
> especially iTunes

iTunes is a dreadful rip-off, IMO: you pay bascially the same that you do for a CD, except lower quality and less control.  But, clearly, my views are in the minority; iTunes does, after all, sell a lot of digital music and makes a fair pile of money.

I think the real issue we are seeing is that music consumers are a tremendously fragmented group, and different portions of this group relate to music in very different ways -- and are thus willing to part with their money for very different reasons or enticements, if at all.

Some people are major Kollektors, and would cheerfully part with significant sums for that vinyl or 8-track special edition, others want it on their hard drive, or streaming.  Some demand analogue, others digital, others don't care as long as it's convenient.  Some listen on audiophile systems, others in a noisy car where some of speakers don-t work, others in their headphones, others with the radio in the background.  Some passionately follow every nuance and detail of everything their favorite artist does, sings or plays, others simply listen to whatever is on the radio or the bar's PA. Some care a lot about musicianship and/or personal experience in live performance, others ... don't. :)

The thing is that the steady collapse of the one-sie-fits-all music industry that we knew is sort of exposing all of these different styles, and no one new approach probably can address all of it.  Industry-wise, the winners in tomorrow's music industry will be those who figure out best how to leverage the most different kinds of consumer attitudes towards music such that they make money from exploiting those attitudes. Versatility and agility in the music business environment will be key.  From the point of view of consumers and artists ... well, it's quite hard to tell who, if anyone will win.  But, then, both consumers and artists have never really been on the winning side in this equation .... ;)

Cheers,
Carl

--
Carl Edlund Anderson
http://www.carlaz.com/