Tired of being told I'm a crook for liking music...

[harmlessinc]

Please read through this piece and give your thoughts.

Record labels continue to sucker punch music consumers.
http://www.fastandloud.com/music/record-labels-continue-to-sucker-punch-music-consumers-newest-copy-protected-cds-no-mp3s-no-macs-some-pcs-some-cddvd-players-some-car-stereos/
"Newest copy protected CDs: no MP3s, no Macs, some PCs, some CD/DVD players, some car stereos
I am a consumer of music. Always have been. But record labels don’t want my money anymore."

I personally haven't bought a new CD since the the music industry was fined for price fixing and given a slap on the wrist - you mind notice there hasn't been any change in price.

Comments

[fiddlinfool.livejournal.com]

See, this is why you need to get into music that nobody else listens to... like traditional Cape Breton fiddling.

[harmlessinc.livejournal.com]

I have no problem with niche music, but sometimes I like stuff that is on a major label.

[(Anonymous)]

I think what J. was trying to say ... in five words or less ... is that a lot of musicians also see your point and are releasing their own music themselves under their own terms. If your tastes run toward these genres, (which, really, is most of them) then this whole copy-protection thing is largely academic - it's interesting to watch, but it has very little personal impact. Are record labels shooting themselves in the foot? Sure they are. And they can tell something's wrong; they're just not fixing it the right way. It's a little counterintuitive to think that the solution to illegal copying/ downloading of copyrighted material is to make it *more* widely available, so I can see why labels are reacting the way they are. Things probably won't change much until public opinion has a chance to affect the marketplace.

[ottery.livejournal.com]

Sorry .. that was me, just not logged in.

[anvilchorus.livejournal.com]

More fascinating than the record industry's efforts to alienate real fans, is the size of that folder in the URL.....

[die-zauberflote.livejournal.com]

Are you a crook? Depends on your point of view I suppose. If you ask me, I would say no. If you ask the person whose livelihood depends on recording sales, then probably yes. Copying music has been going on since the invention of the dual cassette deck. It was never an issue then and not even when CD burners came along, but now there's file sharing. Now instead of making copies for all your friends, you can share with millions and millions of strangers as well. It's the millions and millions that has the industry's panties all up in a bunch...now it's copyright infringement and now you're a crook. From a purely legal standpoint, I think the industry has a strong case. From a purely moral standpoint, I think you're just stealing from a thief. As Captain Lucky Jack says, "always pick the lesser of the two weevils".

[harmlessinc.livejournal.com]

Look at it this way:
I'd love to be able to buy a CD.

I'd love to be able to pay money to listen to the CD on my MP3 player.
I'd love to be able to pay money to listen to it on my computer.
I'd love to be able to pay money to listen to it in my car stereo.

I can't do *ANY* of the above things with a DRM enabled disc. Hell they aren't even allowed to call them Compact Discs anymore because it's a trademarked name referring to a certain type of technology that you can... gasp! play on any CD player.

So if I want to listen to music on the multiple hundred dollar MP3 player,
If I want to listen to music on my multiple thousand dollar computer,
If I want to listen to music on my many multiple thousand dollar car,
What option do I have left? Itunes is a step in the right direction, but I'm still being limited in how I can listen to the music, how many times I can tranfer it from a device.

And the best part of all of this? It assumes I'm a crook. Kinda like how you did. The record companies are telling me "We don't trust you with our product." What the hell, can you imagine any other business doing that and sitll being in business?

[ottery.livejournal.com]

I think the problem is that the industry hasn't caught up to the technology. So you can blame the recording industry for being short-sighted and not realizing that people might want to have music in a form that they can play on their mp3 players, or in their car CD players or on their XBox or whatever in the living room. Eventually, bands like Coldplay (and their financial wizards) will realize that heavy copyright protection isn't doing anyone any favors and is alienating that portion of their fan base that chooses to use mp3 players or their computers or whatever to listen to music on.

[harmlessinc.livejournal.com]

Sure we can blame them.
They did the same thing to the player piano, to cassette tapes.

Maybe if it was a new trend, but like the movie industry fighting against VCRs the new technology only increases there market share. Over and over, and yet they fight tooth and nail each time.

[ottery.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about this on the way home ... could it be that the industry's long-term economic model is to (for example), sell a DRM-enabled disc for $20. You want a format that plays on more devices? That'll cost you $30. If a disc that plays on one kind of machine, basically, becomes an industry standard, then features that allow that disc to be played on many machines become possible moneymakers.
Other than that, I'm wondering if you're just not feeling pissy about this for some reason I'm not getting.
It's not like all that many people use mp3 players yet, anyway. I think this whole thing isn't affecting enough people to raise a proper, industry-changing stink yet.