http://www.mrclay.org/2008/03/11/music-is-killing-music/ Steve Clay on programming, music, public policy and other junk Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.mrclay.org/2008/03/11/music-is-killing-music/comment-page-1/#comment-90924 Steve Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:08:27 +0000 http://mrclay.org/index.php/2008/03/11/music-is-killing-music/#comment-90924 <p>I didn't mention the subscription model like <a href="http://shop.rhapsody.com/plans" rel="nofollow">Rhapsody</a>, but they at least solve the "essential" album problem by leveling the playing field. An interesting idea about subscriptions vs. physical record sales: An artist may see diminishing returns on releasing good songs after a point. Let's say the Beatles are in the subscription plan and they release a new album that every Beatle fan must hear. In the physical model, this means a huge windfall, but in the subscription, all those fans now spend less time listening to the back catalog. The new album would only get them a short term promotional bump in income.</p> I didn’t mention the subscription model like Rhapsody, but they at least solve the “essential” album problem by leveling the playing field. An interesting idea about subscriptions vs. physical record sales: An artist may see diminishing returns on releasing good songs after a point. Let’s say the Beatles are in the subscription plan and they release a new album that every Beatle fan must hear. In the physical model, this means a huge windfall, but in the subscription, all those fans now spend less time listening to the back catalog. The new album would only get them a short term promotional bump in income.

]]> http://www.mrclay.org/2008/03/11/music-is-killing-music/comment-page-1/#comment-90892 Dana John Hill Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:38:43 +0000 http://mrclay.org/index.php/2008/03/11/music-is-killing-music/#comment-90892 <p>A similar phenomenon is occurring in the classical music field. Indeed, there is an embarrassment of riches out there, and while some lament the decline of the major labels and the inability of performers to make it long term at one label, buyers are spoiled for choice. A major label, in fact, competes against itself in the marketplace, when they have multiple recordings of the same music available simultaneously. This probably doesn't hold true for popular music, though.</p> A similar phenomenon is occurring in the classical music field. Indeed, there is an embarrassment of riches out there, and while some lament the decline of the major labels and the inability of performers to make it long term at one label, buyers are spoiled for choice. A major label, in fact, competes against itself in the marketplace, when they have multiple recordings of the same music available simultaneously. This probably doesn’t hold true for popular music, though.

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