Five Problems with the Digital Music Report

[sabriel9v]

http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/five-problems-ifpi-digital-music-report

 

I read this article and was appalled at how the writer makes such harsh and unfounded criticisms of the music industry and its head honchos, but he provides no sufficient evidence as to why his claims are superior and his message is very black and white and one-dimensional. He reminds me of those crazed and radical liberals who ultimately resort to using the shallow tactics utilized by their enemies, even though they claim to despise and hate the conservative extremists.

 

Here are some immediate red flags that popped up in my mind when I was reading this:

 

 

Most importantly, though, it fails to acknowledge a core difference between the Korean and other Asian music industries and their non-Asian counterparts: Sociocultural and linguistic barriers prevent most artists outside of these nations from being successful in them. Thus, it is rare for an American pop star like Lady GaGa to even come close to the popularity in South Korea of K-pop idols such as Rain. This lack of "foreign invasion" in turn prevents profits by the local industry from leaving the country, thus sustaining and expanding local A&R.

 

 

 

Why these two points matter is economics. In a recession economy, with the industry reeling from piracy, the Big Four's core properties in non-Asian countries (more on that later) are their "local" artists, i.e. most of their American/British artists and any "international" artist that either breaks through in America/Britain or in a significant amount of other markets. The successes of these core properties are far more profitable than local artists from other nations, whose reach tend not to extend beyond their home nation or native language. In turn, the profits from these core properties fund not only the main corporation, but also the international branches. As such, the first to be hit in a downturn for the Big Four are their international branches, and the first division to be hit in those branches are the least profitable, i.e. the A&R and local marketing divisions.

 

 

As a solution to the music business's problems he says,

 

The industry's implementation of "360 deals," which give labels a stake in every aspect of an artist's business in return for managing and marketing those aspects, is a promising start, but more needs to be done in exchange for increased profitability.

 

[paulz]

 

http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/five-problems-ifpi-digital-music-report I read this article and was appalled at how the writer makes such harsh and unfounded criticisms of the music industry and its head honchos, but he provides no sufficient evidence as to why his claims are superior and his message is very black and white and one-dimensional.

 

 

don't worry too much about it, it's pretty much de rigeur for Tiny Mix Tapes

It's written by a bunch of volunteers that consider themselves the music 'intelligencia' and don't bother to fact check.

Like that "freeloading" article, the guy calls Lessig an piracy 'apologist' -- Lessig even addressed that specifically at the LoC digital future lectures in 2005,.

did our boy take time to do the research? hell no! he was too busy coming up with what I think he'd hope would be the next buzz word

 

TMT - edgy, subversive, topical, progressive... maybe, maybe not

accurate or at least diligent...nope

 

Journalism is a lot like how we complain about the dilettante music glut -- lots of guys spilling out their 'insightful works'

 

it's Journalism Jr.

[sabriel9v]

I already replied with a rebuttal article. You can read it here:

 

Shot From Guns