The record companies are trying to stop the huge web distribution of unauthorized recordings. Their enemy, Napster, provides a very convenient "sharing" program and service that allows users to trade these MP3s free of charge. Their complaint is that Napster is virtually aiding in international pirating. It's pretty simple, download files from other users' computers, and Napster's hands are clean, right? Maybe. For example, with my limited knowledge and some widely available hardware, I could download songs in MP3 format, decode them to Wave files, and burn them onto a CD. Presto, a free CD. Now many others out there can and will do the same in order to get free music. But let's jump back into reality here. How many are going to just bypass all that "work", and just go out and buy a CD already? Answer, plenty. As someone who downloads MP3s all the time, I feel like most of you, I'm just trying it out before I buy it.

Since music videos, the business hasn't been the same. Sex appeal has always been a great marketing tool. Record companies have prospered so much since the 80's when videos became popular and the two have become the ultimate marketing tool. These strategies are probably the biggest blow to the integrity of the business. Record companies are trying to MAKE stars instead of finding REAL talent. Don't stop reading, I'm coming to my point. With current technology, they can make anybody sound good, no matter how bad they actually sound. TECHNOLOGY USED TO FOOL AND SUCK IN YOU, THE CONSUMER. This new MP3 phenomenon is bringing a halt to what the record companies "want you to do." They want buying a CD to be an impulse buy. The company will make sure these artists have at least 2 good singles for radio play and music videos to basically push the sales of the album, because you like them.

How many times have you bought a CD based on the fact that that artist had one or two songs you liked? How many times have those songs been a collaboration with someone else you like? Too damn many. Wu-Tang clan owe me about 50 good songs to replace the shitty ones I got from their CDs. After getting burned buying bad CDs when you were younger what did you learn to do? Try before you buy, listen to somebody elses, so you don't buy a whole CD for one or two good songs and the rest filler. That's the impact of MP3s in my opinion. Record companies get these no talent artists and rely on their marketing strategies to sell the album. After you buy the CD they get paid, you either like or hate the album, and the artist just get pennies from actual album sales. If you could listen to the whole CD before you buy it like you test drive a car, you could make a better decision. That's where the whole system goes out the door. MP3s are for most people, the test drive. The companies know about bootleggers, but chasing them down isn't worth it, they could just flood the video, radio, and media markets to get you to make that impulse buy. However, MP3s sometimes are released on the net two weeks (I've seen them more a month) ahead of their release dates, and this blows all their marketing efforts if the CD isn't good and word of mouth gets around. That's why they are attacking Napster.

Napster gives people that extra preview other that the one or two singles they've allowed you to hear in videos, and on the radio. If the artist actually has a good product, MP3s will only help sales. Eminem's latest CD was on the net three weeks before it was released, and guess what happened? It went on to sell 1.7 million copies in it's first week, the second highest total of all time. Did anyone attribute this to the fact that people all got to preview his material before it was released? No, because that's what record companies are afraid of. If his CD wasn't as good as it is, the tables turn on them, and TECHNOLOGY COMES BACK TO BITE THE RECORD COMPANIES IN THE ASS.

I'm not sure if Napster can withstand the record companies paranoia and continue to operate. They have a pretty strong case. Metallica and Dr. Dre have filed suit and won judgments to have users banned who download and share songs by them. I recntly tried to get on Napster, just because I was bored, and guess what, I've been banned. I am still wondering how. I definitely don't have any Metallica songs, and only one Dr. Dre file which was in a directory that I don't share. In fact I haven't been on there in over a month, I'm guessing they just banned everybody. Anyway, I got no beefs with them, they did what they had to do. I'll get back on, life goes on, and so will this REVOLUTION move on. Peace, until tha next episode...
 

© THUNDER 06.07.2000