My sixteen year old daughter is a typical teenager – sometimes she's rude and arrogant, but most times she's just asleep or grooming herself- If only she worked at math like she works on her hair. Like most teens she loves music. I have tried to broaden her appreciation of different genres by submitting her to music she wouldn't normally listen to. I've had some success with Billy holiday and Louis Armstrong and even some classics like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
As well as musical appreciation I have also tried to give her an appreciation of ethical behavior, and even though she exhibits none of her own, I think she gets the concept on the whole. Yet when it comes to downloading and file sharing, it all falls apart, after all 'sharing is caring' - what can you say to that? I tell her that she wouldn't steal a CD from a friend. She tells me no but she would borrow one. I don’t reply because I can't even remember if that's legal or not. The way she sees it is that she's simply borrowing music from other peoples files and not making a CD, and again I don’t know if that's legal or not.
Now I'm trying to tell my kids to behave ethically but I cannot understand the technology and the legal implications. I'm beginning to appreciate the annoying piracy ads on DVD's - at least you know where you stand. It's hard to keep up with the changing technology and now it seems to be changing again. Now we have so called legal free download sites.
I know I'm stretching things when I ask my sixteen year old if she's worried about artists maintaining their artistic integrity if they are being paid not for their work but instead for selling ad space on the internet. A little, she admits, well that's something I think. But then she continues I don’t really care; I just want to relax and listen to some music. What about the message in the music? But I've already lost this one, and I don’t even understand the argument myself.
Not only that but I feel like such a hypocrite having enjoyed a few downloaded movies with the kids – it seemed too innocent at the time. OK I concede, let's just try stick to the legal download sites, at least to avoid viruses.
by Gavi Eskin
download free music
Showing posts with label Digital Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Digital Music. Show all posts
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Next Music revolution
Last week they were playing Bob Dylan on the radio, and as I listened to him mumbling out the saddest song, I cried. This is crazy, because I was never even such a fan. I have no regrets about that- going through his work, I couldn’t help but think, what’s the big deal? I mean, he must be putting that on, no one could understand that. Now all is forgiven, and he makes me cry. Maybe I’m just getting old and sentimental but these days I’m touched by the music. Not like when I was seventeen, when the music told me what I was feeling,in a more mature way, where I hide in the car, sobbing.
I guess that’s what the point is - and its working because now I’m desperate to find that CD. In the old days, I would have considered buying the album, occasionally splurging thirty dollars. In these days of Illegal Music Downloading my stingy nature is too strong. Why should I pay thirty dollars when everyone else is getting it for free? But I have a few unfortunate ethical problems with stealing music off the internet so in the end I usually end up with nothing but the car radio.
But times they are a-changin’. A friend told me I can now legally download free music but now I’m really in trouble. It’s not the money, and its not the ethics. I have to finally admit I still haven’t figured out how to use the computer.
Actually I’m still waiting for truly user friendly software which basically does it ALL for me. I mean, isn’t that the purpose of computers? If they’re so smart, what do they need me for? Why can’t I just mutter to the monitor, “Download that song I heard the other day, will you? I forget the name but the chorus goes like this, kind of…”
Surely they see that we are a whole untapped technophobic market? And even if it’s only five or ten percent of the population, that must be a huge number. Anyway, my point is this- if even I’m about to start downloading free music, then I guess everyone will be doing it. How will this affect the world? It’s basically a revolution, it will change everything. Music has the power to affect us individually, and politically. Music helps us to feel, think and relate to each other. When the music changes, everything changes.
Historically, the music industry has been held ransom by the market (of fourteen year old girls and ruthless record producers. So how is that about to change? Firstly, the demographics. We will see a broader market, enjoying unlimited access to all genres of music. If we are lucky, we might see the end of the era of Britney clones (perhaps sacrificial style, ala South Park). At the very least we will see a resurgence of quality music as other consumer groups re-enter the market place.
In the end perhaps it’s not the style of music that really matters. The important thing is that more people, of many ages will be listening to a broader range of music. If the whole world is getting into their favorite music we might just chill out a bit and start thinking about what’s really important again - chics, cars and drugs !
by Gavi Eskin
download free music
I guess that’s what the point is - and its working because now I’m desperate to find that CD. In the old days, I would have considered buying the album, occasionally splurging thirty dollars. In these days of Illegal Music Downloading my stingy nature is too strong. Why should I pay thirty dollars when everyone else is getting it for free? But I have a few unfortunate ethical problems with stealing music off the internet so in the end I usually end up with nothing but the car radio.
But times they are a-changin’. A friend told me I can now legally download free music but now I’m really in trouble. It’s not the money, and its not the ethics. I have to finally admit I still haven’t figured out how to use the computer.
Actually I’m still waiting for truly user friendly software which basically does it ALL for me. I mean, isn’t that the purpose of computers? If they’re so smart, what do they need me for? Why can’t I just mutter to the monitor, “Download that song I heard the other day, will you? I forget the name but the chorus goes like this, kind of…”
Surely they see that we are a whole untapped technophobic market? And even if it’s only five or ten percent of the population, that must be a huge number. Anyway, my point is this- if even I’m about to start downloading free music, then I guess everyone will be doing it. How will this affect the world? It’s basically a revolution, it will change everything. Music has the power to affect us individually, and politically. Music helps us to feel, think and relate to each other. When the music changes, everything changes.
Historically, the music industry has been held ransom by the market (of fourteen year old girls and ruthless record producers. So how is that about to change? Firstly, the demographics. We will see a broader market, enjoying unlimited access to all genres of music. If we are lucky, we might see the end of the era of Britney clones (perhaps sacrificial style, ala South Park). At the very least we will see a resurgence of quality music as other consumer groups re-enter the market place.
In the end perhaps it’s not the style of music that really matters. The important thing is that more people, of many ages will be listening to a broader range of music. If the whole world is getting into their favorite music we might just chill out a bit and start thinking about what’s really important again - chics, cars and drugs !
by Gavi Eskin
download free music
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
the File Sharing Phoenix
There was a time in our house when Kazaa was the word of the day. My teenage daughters were delirious at the thought of being able to download whatever music they wanted for free and even though we parents took the moral high ground warning that it was illegal, somewhere we were thrilled to see the power of the mighty music
industry brought down a notch or two. After all we were a generation held ransom to the ever escalating costs of CD's despite a reduction in the cost of their production.
The music industry, dominated at the time by the "big four" (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal, EMI and Warner) watched music sales drop from approximately $38 billion in 1999 to $32 billion in 2003, during the years that peer to peer (P2P) software was launched. The artists were no-doubt affected but no-one cared all that much because ultimately we all knew it was the 'suits' that
were suffering, and we were able to access music freely, not just free of cost but free of form too.
"Music, like love" said my sixteen year old daughter, "should be free", and off she went to download the Dandy Warhols latest song. She was not alone. In a paper presented at the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, September 2008,
Mark Cooper, Director of research presented the following idea. He suggested that the dramatic decline in record sales had perhaps less to do with piracy and more to do with the natural changes brought about by the technology , ie. Consumer demand for singles over albums - made available now by the new technology.
Prior to this revolution, consumers were dictated to by the industry who decided when and how single songs were made available. How many albums have been purchased for want of a single track. In the conclusion to his presentation, he proposes that "technological change shifts the balance of interest between private rights and social goals and frequently triggers"piracy panics," wherein the gatekeepers of content feel the financial security of their intellectual property is at risk. These panics play out in furious legal battles."
In a series of vicious legal battles between the music industry and peer to peer software companies, such as Napstar and Kazaa, the record companies supported largely by a surprisingly conservative media put themselves forward as victims of piracy. The poor record companies were losing their monopoly and they didn't know how to deal with the revolution made possible by a technology they knew
nothing about.
Now we faced a real conflict. The media, traditional supporters of the underdog had done an about face and were supporting the record industry we had pushed up against our whole life. Where was the progressive forward thinking social conscious of the day, surely not in the lapel of Sony and EMI record producing magnates?
And so we continued to download free music.
Today it seems a new story is emerging. The record companies have joined the century using the same technology that seemingly threatened its margins just a few years ago. Peer to peer software is now being developed to redirect traffic to legal music files for downloading. The legal file is available for purchase with charges billed into internet costs by way of Internet Service Providers, and everyone is happy again.
Will this stop my teens from downloading free music, probably not, but it will hopefully be used to also stop other more harmful and illicit file sharing, and for that the rejuvenation of peer to peer software, with a legal and moral backbone, and the support of the industries that tried to bring it down, must be praised. Technology moves on, reinventing itself to serve the needs of those who use it, if sharing music is one such outcome, let the world join in and sing.
industry brought down a notch or two. After all we were a generation held ransom to the ever escalating costs of CD's despite a reduction in the cost of their production.
The music industry, dominated at the time by the "big four" (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal, EMI and Warner) watched music sales drop from approximately $38 billion in 1999 to $32 billion in 2003, during the years that peer to peer (P2P) software was launched. The artists were no-doubt affected but no-one cared all that much because ultimately we all knew it was the 'suits' that
were suffering, and we were able to access music freely, not just free of cost but free of form too.
"Music, like love" said my sixteen year old daughter, "should be free", and off she went to download the Dandy Warhols latest song. She was not alone. In a paper presented at the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, September 2008,
Mark Cooper, Director of research presented the following idea. He suggested that the dramatic decline in record sales had perhaps less to do with piracy and more to do with the natural changes brought about by the technology , ie. Consumer demand for singles over albums - made available now by the new technology.
Prior to this revolution, consumers were dictated to by the industry who decided when and how single songs were made available. How many albums have been purchased for want of a single track. In the conclusion to his presentation, he proposes that "technological change shifts the balance of interest between private rights and social goals and frequently triggers"piracy panics," wherein the gatekeepers of content feel the financial security of their intellectual property is at risk. These panics play out in furious legal battles."
In a series of vicious legal battles between the music industry and peer to peer software companies, such as Napstar and Kazaa, the record companies supported largely by a surprisingly conservative media put themselves forward as victims of piracy. The poor record companies were losing their monopoly and they didn't know how to deal with the revolution made possible by a technology they knew
nothing about.
Now we faced a real conflict. The media, traditional supporters of the underdog had done an about face and were supporting the record industry we had pushed up against our whole life. Where was the progressive forward thinking social conscious of the day, surely not in the lapel of Sony and EMI record producing magnates?
And so we continued to download free music.
Today it seems a new story is emerging. The record companies have joined the century using the same technology that seemingly threatened its margins just a few years ago. Peer to peer software is now being developed to redirect traffic to legal music files for downloading. The legal file is available for purchase with charges billed into internet costs by way of Internet Service Providers, and everyone is happy again.
Will this stop my teens from downloading free music, probably not, but it will hopefully be used to also stop other more harmful and illicit file sharing, and for that the rejuvenation of peer to peer software, with a legal and moral backbone, and the support of the industries that tried to bring it down, must be praised. Technology moves on, reinventing itself to serve the needs of those who use it, if sharing music is one such outcome, let the world join in and sing.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Digital Pop Machine
Anyone born during the sixties remembers the decade digital music swallowed pop. The transition from weary rock to synth pop was as fast as the technology that fed it would allow. In 1980, Devo, Blondie and Joy Division topped the charts with their digital pop synth sound and video clips that boasted special effects made possible only by digital video technology. Drum kits were reduced to a single lone stand with a thin boy in a striped shirt playing in time to a pre-recorded overproduced sound of a Roland drum machine. The theatrical piano replaced by a sorry single digital keyboard. Even the guitar was reduced to a mere accompaniment to the digital pre-recorded sequences of a machine that could reproduce the sounds of a thousand instruments.
In 1981, Roland released their first synthesiser supporting the MIDI format. MIDI (Musical Instrumental Digital Interface) is an industry standard protocol that allows musical equipment and computers to communicate with each other. In the early eighties, MIDI, developed sequences which allowed one to record, edit and play back. Soon after interfaces were released for the Apple Macintosh, Commodore 64, PC-Dos and the Atari ST. In 1991 the MIDI was tweaked to allow all types of media control devices to communicate with each other. A number of music file formats based on the MIDI-byte stream are used today to store music in the very compact form used for ringtones and video games.
Today the music industry has come full circle with the decline of record and CD sales and the marked growth of digital music sales in the form of mobile phone ringtones. Full circle in that Joy Divisions "Love will tear us Apart' has made a digital comeback, and can be heard from many a teenagers mobile phone, betraying the anonymity of the caller, and full circle in that once again, music has been reduced to its lowest common denominator. Simple notes on a simple scale encoded and decoded in the simplest possible way.
Yet, there's nothing simple about the digital music business. In July 2008 New Motion Inc (now Atrinsic) a leader in the internet advertising, mobile technology and entertainment industry announced that for a mere $6 million plus, it had acquired the asset of Ringtone.com, a valuable internet domain that receives over 1,000 sign ups per day for the downloading of mobile content.
Burton Katz, the Company’s CEO, commented saying “Ringtones are the historic growth driver behind worldwide mobile content sales. Over the past year and a half, there have been fundamental shifts in the subscription based business model supporting these services creating unique opportunities in a business continuing to see strong consumer demand."
At the same time, Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), an organization that collects royalties for song writers and publishers, is forecasting that overall ringtone sales in the US will fall 7 percent in 2008 to approximately $510 million. That drop indicating an 8 percent drop in 2007 to $550 million. BMI claimed that the market hit its peak in the US in 2006 with sales of $600 million.
CEO of Advertising web Service Steven Bermeister remembers recording music on his Roland Jupiter-8 keyboard. His family established one of the first retail computer shops in Sydney where the now retro Atari ST, with MIDI interface was sold. Even then his love of technology merged comfortably with his love of music. These days he's on the other side of the music business selling digital music and all its applications online through peer to peer networking.
Realizing that the ringtone business in the US was about two years behind Europe in terms of off-deck mobile content plays, in 2003 he established The Ringtone Channel. He wanted to get in early to be well positioned to "ride the wave of success that was seen in Europe and Australia when the US market caught up."
Bermeister says "The heat is coming out of the Ringtone market which means that the flood of players who came into the market late and have been losing money are getting out." He believes that will stabilize the business and bring down the cost of acquiring customers. The players that remain (those who got in early) will divide the market between them.
Madonna's Hung Up was almost certainly written to be downloaded onto a mobile phone and Britney knows it's her Prerogative to join the ringtone game too. The pop industry has fully ingested the digital music platform and is now spitting it out in ever devolving incremental bursts of half digested compositions, catchy enough to dance to and just short enough to forget.
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