Big Giant CirclesThe music industry has changed a lot since Napster. I think its been obvious from the start that there was nothing they could really DO about music piracy except bark a lot about it, which is why sites like iTunes and other official MP3 download programs showed up quickly. I don't know what's going to happen next but I believe there are big changes ahead. See: last.fm: the social music revolution.
But with changes ahead, programs like last.fm aren't yet the future of the music/fandom interface. For people like me the appeal of downloading whatever I want for whatever purpose I want is too convenient, especially with a way to download albums and discographies in minutes flat. There is still no way to get what we want out of previewing and buying music in a completely legitimate way. I listen to a large library of albums from various artists with the intention of only purchasing a very select few.
The ultimate goal I think should be to provide a very lenient listening\preview program like last.fm coupled with a type of purchasing program like CD clubs. A completely free and convenient listening program that provided, say, 3 streams of each track every 3 months or so would work for starters, also allowing for continuous album play; and then a pay program offered through that which would be unlimited streaming. Last.fm I hope is well on its way to providing something like that. Coupled with this listening program should be a club type of program which rewards users for their monthly payments AND MP3 purchases with points for buying physical CDs over the internet.
For people like me, it would turn us legal for life.
Norman LegiesDaniel BaranowskyBig Giant CirclesStar SalzmanLuizaNullsleep
But with changes ahead, programs like last.fm aren't yet the future of the music/fandom interface. For people like me the appeal of downloading whatever I want for whatever purpose I want is too convenient, especially with a way to download albums and discographies in minutes flat. There is still no way to get what we want out of previewing and buying music in a completely legitimate way. I listen to a large library of albums from various artists with the intention of only purchasing a very select few.
The ultimate goal I think should be to provide a very lenient listening\preview program like last.fm coupled with a type of purchasing program like CD clubs. A completely free and convenient listening program that provided, say, 3 streams of each track every 3 months or so would work for starters, also allowing for continuous album play; and then a pay program offered through that which would be unlimited streaming. Last.fm I hope is well on its way to providing something like that. Coupled with this listening program should be a club type of program which rewards users for their monthly payments AND MP3 purchases with points for buying physical CDs over the internet.
For people like me, it would turn us legal for life.
Norman LegiesDaniel BaranowskyBig Giant CirclesStar SalzmanLuizaNullsleep
