4 ms·

This interview with prior RIAA head, Hilary Rosen is very insightful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5VBrDFxA9Q&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com

This interview with prior RIAA head, Hilary Rosen is very insightful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5VBrDFxA9Q&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5VBrDFxA9Q&feature=playe... As she notes the RIAA wasn't the only bad guy in bringing Napster down. Napster's VCs wanted too much money from an industry at the time that couldn't match CD sales. It's a business and thus the RIAA focused on the best money channel! A lot of readers here probably hated and or still hate the RIAA because they are viewed as laggards(even though those same ppl can't get enough of their content). This interview shows some in the music industry were laggards, some were not, while showing it wasn't just the industry who killed Napster, but the greed of Napster's VCs too. Changing a 100 year old business model won't happen overnight and even after 12 years it is still taking shape. My guess is the industry will see crazy Netflix like growth once Spotify, Pandora and other subscription services are built into cars; users use voice recognition to start playlists or songs. How many subscribed to satellite radio or still do? Spotify on every IP device, even in my car is worth paying $10 a month for!

r0s 15y ago
> even though those same ppl can't get enough of their content The RIAA produces zero content, they buy and sell content as a commodity. They add nothing to the industry of music creation but parasitic impediment.
- paul9290 15y ago
  Well if you feel that way do not consume any of their content. Let them die! Though say, you enjoy this new artist who is an awesome talent and who wants to make a living making music; have their music heard all over the world by millions. The best way to do this now is still the music industry. The industry acts a filter, a promoter and investor of talent (their the YCombinator for musicians). It's been 12 years since Napster and the industry is still successfully doing this, yet making less money as of now. Subjectively these music subscription services are the key to growing their revenue beyond present day. I mean why would the guy behind Napster and Facebook (Sean Parker) be an investor and promoter of Spotify if he didn't feel this way? Further, I think just like Netflix once Spotify is built in to every IP device including cars, the industry will be financially stronger then ever.
  - r0s 15y ago
    > The industry acts a filter, a promoter and investor of talent (their the YCombinator for musicians). The music 'industry' is huge and complex. They're like Righthaven, Microsoft, Linux, the startup scene, and all other players on every side of helping/exploiting artists. The RIAA has nothing to do with small record labels like the one I manage, struggling to promote great but fame-less musicians. I suppose they do effect us in that they pose an omnipresent threat of arbitrary litigation at any moment. What's the difference between Sony, some small tour booking company, and a music venue? I guess from the outside it all looks the same.
    - paul9290 15y ago
      The industry is just like Napster's VCs who most of us entrepreneurs strive to get our work funded and backed by. For me Rosen's interview highlights this fact. Every budding musician and entrepreneur needs a backer with financial muscle, connections and past experience to be a success. As for small labels like your own... once you hit the big time with an artist you are bound to make deals with the big guys to increase sales/profit. I mean are you not in it to make as much money as possible? As for your artists' if they are great then their talent will spread online (Youtube and Facebook). Once you have that artist I hope you would be doing everything for them to maximize profits and exposure.
      - jamesbritt 15y ago
        I mean are you not in it to make as much money as possible? As possible while not being a scumbag or making pacts with the devil. I'm not alone, either. We want to do well, ideally make a living, hopefully live large. But that doesn't mean doing everything and anything, morals be damned.
        paul9290 15y ago
        Well i agree with you there but if you look at the most successful people from Edison to the current crop of luminaries you will see they all were/are ruthless! Funny that the music industry gets such a bad wrap, yet we never saw VH1 behind the music like programs about the TV and film industries.
rmc 15y ago
Spotify on every IP device, even in my car is worth paying $10 a month for! Spotify is only available if you IP address is from certain countries.
- paul9290 15y ago
  Sure and I'm thinking in time where you live Spotify or other music services will be available to you. Overall content licensing takes time - too long I think and there is where the content industries are failing now. But that's because of laws and legal systems move at a sloth's pace.
paul9290 15y ago
Why the downvote?

r0s 15y ago

> even though those same ppl can't get enough of their content The RIAA produces zero content, they buy and sell content as a commodity. They add nothing to the industry of music creation but parasitic impediment.

paul9290 15y ago
Well if you feel that way do not consume any of their content. Let them die! Though say, you enjoy this new artist who is an awesome talent and who wants to make a living making music; have their music heard all over the world by millions. The best way to do this now is still the music industry. The industry acts a filter, a promoter and investor of talent (their the YCombinator for musicians). It's been 12 years since Napster and the industry is still successfully doing this, yet making less money as of now. Subjectively these music subscription services are the key to growing their revenue beyond present day. I mean why would the guy behind Napster and Facebook (Sean Parker) be an investor and promoter of Spotify if he didn't feel this way? Further, I think just like Netflix once Spotify is built in to every IP device including cars, the industry will be financially stronger then ever.
- r0s 15y ago
  > The industry acts a filter, a promoter and investor of talent (their the YCombinator for musicians). The music 'industry' is huge and complex. They're like Righthaven, Microsoft, Linux, the startup scene, and all other players on every side of helping/exploiting artists. The RIAA has nothing to do with small record labels like the one I manage, struggling to promote great but fame-less musicians. I suppose they do effect us in that they pose an omnipresent threat of arbitrary litigation at any moment. What's the difference between Sony, some small tour booking company, and a music venue? I guess from the outside it all looks the same.
  - paul9290 15y ago
    The industry is just like Napster's VCs who most of us entrepreneurs strive to get our work funded and backed by. For me Rosen's interview highlights this fact. Every budding musician and entrepreneur needs a backer with financial muscle, connections and past experience to be a success. As for small labels like your own... once you hit the big time with an artist you are bound to make deals with the big guys to increase sales/profit. I mean are you not in it to make as much money as possible? As for your artists' if they are great then their talent will spread online (Youtube and Facebook). Once you have that artist I hope you would be doing everything for them to maximize profits and exposure.
    - jamesbritt 15y ago
      I mean are you not in it to make as much money as possible? As possible while not being a scumbag or making pacts with the devil. I'm not alone, either. We want to do well, ideally make a living, hopefully live large. But that doesn't mean doing everything and anything, morals be damned.
      - paul9290 15y ago
        Well i agree with you there but if you look at the most successful people from Edison to the current crop of luminaries you will see they all were/are ruthless! Funny that the music industry gets such a bad wrap, yet we never saw VH1 behind the music like programs about the TV and film industries.

rmc 15y ago

Spotify on every IP device, even in my car is worth paying $10 a month for! Spotify is only available if you IP address is from certain countries.

paul9290 15y ago
Sure and I'm thinking in time where you live Spotify or other music services will be available to you. Overall content licensing takes time - too long I think and there is where the content industries are failing now. But that's because of laws and legal systems move at a sloth's pace.

paul9290 15y ago

Why the downvote?