leyton.org

I’m convinced that music is undergoing a massive change at the moment, and the BPI (equivalent of the RIAA in the US) are taking the fundamentally wrong approach in suing people who are downloading and sharing music. The reason they are distributing files “illegally” is no different from the practices of the past, when – as kids – we happily copied tapes and records and make compilation albums of our favourite music. The BPI and the RIAA are running scared because they rightly fear that artists will be able to engage directly with their fans, and quite literally “cut out the middle man” – which means the records stores and distribution labels. We’re now able to go to the artists, and buy music directly from them.

Until recently, finding new music on the internet has been a case of running a gauntlet with the various file swapping services, and the remote but real threat of the BPI or RIAA tracking you down and launching a lawsuit. Of course there are iTunes previews, but it’s painfully limited. However, there’s another – entirely legal – approach that’s out there, and should be encouraged.

iRate connects people keen to discover new music with artists who are happy to distribute their efforts for free in the hope that honest and interested listeners will then buy their music. It might not be (initially) the millions the major bands accrue, but it’s a fan-based and populist way to earning a good living if there’s something there people are eager for.

iRate downloads music legally (the artists put their music forward) by matching music you’ve rated with music others who share your tastes and have indicated they like. Like the music? Buy the tracks from the artists, and know that you’re doing so in the knowledge that sizeable percentages of the money goes directly to the artist, rather than some middle manager at some anonymous record label. Companies such as Magnatune open up their artists for complete evaluation, trusting listeners will pay if they like what they hear.

There are various clients, the best of which I’ve found (for a Mac) is a Java based version downloadable from irateradio.com. indy is a client for Windows users. In both, listen to the music made available (much like a radio), and rate it: from “Bin it”, through 1 star (Yawn) all the way to 4 stars (Love it). As you mark up tracks you like, it starts downloading more in that vein. This exposes you to new and independent artists, and it’s then a simple process of finding out more information about the artist and buying one or two of their tracks.

The sooner Apple iTunes offers this sort of service (I already enjoy the weekly free music, and have discovered a few good bands as a result), the better, as – despite some misgivings that ‘fair play’ isn’t as ‘fair’ as Apple like to portray – it’s the least worst DRM system out there.

The sooner the record labels (and, implicitly, many of the major artists who are better able to influence the major labels) understand that digital music is here to stay, and adjust their business models accordingly – embracing digital music rather than actively seeking to discourage it – the better for everybody: Fans will get more of the music they like; Artists will reach new audiences and encourage new talent; The record industry too will have a business model that can cope with the 21st century.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 22nd, 2005 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Apple, Business, Comment, Technology, Thoughts and comment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.