Napster

I have a lot to say about this "Napster" thing, so I figure I may as well write it all down.

Some quick thoughts?

It's bullshit.
It's stupid.
It pisses me off.

From what I can understand, the problem is that the record companies and a few artists are mad because their music was being distributed and they weren't getting paid. (Greedy little fucks, aren't they?) Not to completely bash the once supreme Metallica, but I can't help but wonder if it ever occurred to them that the reason their album sales dropped is because their music quality declined. If it wasn't for "illegal" distribution of music, Metallica would never have even made it as a band. Because their fans passed on cassettes they made at home to their friends, Metallica became well known. Their thanks? Bite the hand that feeds you. Thanks guys.

Lets look back a bit.

From the beginning of the recording industry until sometime in the '70's, people bought albums because it was their only choice, if they wanted to listen to what they wanted when they wanted. That is part of what sold albums. You heard a good record, you told a friend and they went out and bought the album, or invited them over to your place to hear it, and if they liked it, they bought a copy of it for themselves. As a "fan", you wanted everything your favorite artist released, you also wanted to see what they looked like, wanted to see the cool cover art, wanted to read the lyrics, and sometimes you'd even get a poster! That too sold albums.


In the 70's, that changed with the invention of the cassette recorder. Suddenly, people could record off of the radio, or make copies of their albums to share with friends. You could make mixed tapes for your sweetheart, make your own radio show, the possibilities were endless. What sold albums? A few things. #1 When you bought the album, you got to see what the artist actually looked like! #2 Sometimes you got lyrics! #3 Sometimes you got a poster! #4 AMAZING cover art! #5 As a "fan", you want the real thing, not some copy. So, the same reasons were there, except for the fact of the cassette player. Did album sales decline? I dare say they did. What did the companies do? Easy. They found something else that would bring in money. Concerts. Suddenly, artists like Kiss and Elton John, and T-Rex and Bowie were HUGE. Why? Because of the glam. Their shows sold out stadiums and venues everywhere. You couldn't get that with an album! So, the industry was saved. (woohoo!)

Then... Video killed the radio star.

All of a sudden, people didn't need to pay for a concert ticket. All they had to do was get their MTV and they could see every last pock mark in Bryan Adams' face. Uh oh. Trouble in the industry again. Now what? Between the album and the video (the video was pretty much free), listeners were all set.

What to do? What to do?

I know! QUALITY!

All of a sudden, the CD was mass marketed.

...the day the album died.

Great picture on the cover! Got a magnifying glass?

So, the industry was "saved" again. The "high quality" of CDs couldn't be duplicated.

But then... uh oh.... trouble trouble trouble. Someone went and marketed a CD burner that people could use at home.

Then... the evil of all evil... NAPSTER came along.

Now, Napster was no different than Sony, or Emerson, or Sanyo. They just made swapping music a hell of a lot easier. Actually, it benefited many artists in that if their song was good and one person heard it in bumfuck, Virginia, it could immediately be heard in Tokyo and a good band suddenly had quite a world wide following. It also helped to revive older artists. It made older songs available again. Suddenly, at the age of 37, you're overcome with a desire to hear "Weekend In New England" by Barry Manilow. Using Napster, you download it from someone who has it. You listen to it, weep uncontrollably, and the next day, what do you do? Go to CD Now and order the complete Barry Manilow collection. Yes, you could just get the songs online and burn a CD... but FUCK THAT! I WANT THE REAL THING!

There's one other thing about fans. They actually WANT to give their money to the artists they idolize. Would I really want to rip off Phil Collins? Fuck no! If I have it, I'll pay twice as much for the real thing rather than some downloaded copy. It's Phil I'm paying for the CD. It's Phil that I WANT to pay for the CD.

So, what is the answer to the problem? Sue Napster? Are you nuts? That's not going to increase sales. If anything, it will decrease sales. No one buys recorded music just to discover a new artist anymore. People buy CDs and cassettes because they want the real deal. Fans are not content with a copy, and non-fans won't buy it at all, even if there is no Napster. They'll either hear it on the radio, get it on a mixed tape from a friend, or die not giving a rat's ass about whether or not they ever heard it. Napster gives non-fans the chance to become fans, and the chance for fans to spread the word about "the best band ever!"

If record companies are losing money, it's because the industry is, #1 geared to 10 year olds, #2 full of some REALLY greedy people, #3 unable to figure out a way to produce a unique product.

Instead of hiring lawyers, why not put the money into doing something like taking concerts to the next level? Give the people something BETTER than videos!... Something they CAN'T get anywhere else! Start thinking about what makes the fans happy, what the fans want, and what you could possibly provide for them that will make them want to spend their hard earned money on their favorite artist. I guarantee that the fans will, once again, line your pockets. Killing off Napster is only pissing off the people who actually do spend their money on music.

My hand is bit. I'll never buy another Metallica album again.