A Look At The Death Of The Record Industry In 1980
If you had your doubts that the 'sky is falling' on the record industry, this video will seal the deal. Growth is slowing; there aren't enough super-sellers to bring revenue back. Albums are over shipped and stores are sending them back. Fans have access to too much free music. Rock is no longer viable. Fans just don't have to buy record anymore in order to hear music and the industry is in hard times. Major companies are folding. Layoffs are abundant. And the illegal copying of records is eroding profits. Yet, video might save the industry from this great despair. What year is it? 1980.
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I remember a meeting with a manager of the italian division of Polygram in the early nineties, long before the internet phenomenon; he was complaining about the decline of the music market.
in the sixties a golden record was awarded to 1 million records sales in Italy, 100k in the eighties, and it was lowered to 50k in the early nineties.
back then, the shame was put on the audiotapes piracy.
internet was just the last straw, a good scapegoat used as a pretext to ask for laws in order to add alternative revenue sources to a dying market.
all this being said – take the rampant illegally free supply without consequence out of the equation and sales will rocket.
remove the illegally free supply, and the paid supply will increase. simple math. simple economics.
the amount of denial and rationalization the surrounds piracy is stunning.
RIP the music business. It was almost dead then over paid music business execs. who did not pay attention finally killed it off.
Onto Apps. games and the virtual world – music is done.
Thanks for the memories, even the unhappy ones. Nostalgia rules.
Back to black @ 33⅓ rpm – http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c9345132b5f6d91ae901dd6/back-to-black-33-rpm?index=11
I nominate this comment as “Most Ironic”.
You won’t be able to remove the illegal supply of music without either removing an artists ability to promote themselves or an individuals (listeners) freedom… or both. And both those things are essential for there to be a market for recorded music at all. So who’s really rationalizing and in denial? (hint: I’m pointing at you)
Oh and don’t forget to REMOVE all the crap music being made by a bunch of 9 to 5er wannabee musicians…
Simple. Simply unclog the networks from the crap and then the market might come back.
So as an artist your telling me I need a pirate who takes my music without permission to promote my music. Yes, it’s a great time to be in the music business !!!
No. I’m saying that in order to preserve the ability to promote your music, you need to preserve the pirates ability to take it.
It’s not quite the same thing, but thanks for taking time out of your day to twist my words.
Simple math and simple economics don’t apply when you’re asking for the impossible.