1) The unseen sides of the music piracy argument
As someone who is interested in a career in entertainment journalism, I'm significantly invested in the music industry's success, but I personally believe they have exaggerated the dire impact of music piracy to a disgusting degree. Over the past decade, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) has shamelessly villainized hundreds of small-time downloaders, demanded comically absurd and frivolous settlements, and refused to adapt to the changing face of music distribution and enjoyment. Artists and music lovers tell a different tale though, one where downloading helps to spread the word and gives listeners a chance to hear more music, love more music, and ultimately, go on to support more music through live shows, merchandise, or even record sales. I would like to take a deeper look into this subject, articulating the RIAA's grievances, establishing my own view on the subject, and offering a compromise of sorts that the recording industry could implement if they hope to move forward.
-How does the RIAA define "theft"? Does that definition equate with "piracy"?
-Does one illegal download truly constitute one lost sale? If so, how much money does the recording industry on every illegally downloaded song? Album?
-How many albums were being sold in the 80s? 90s? 2000s? How much has this decreased?
-How much money do the recording companies think they have lost as a result of piracy?
-At the same time, how much of that is merely a result of shifting technology and digital distribution (we will call this "the iTunes effect").
-What do artists think of music downloading? How have established artists watch their fanbases grow or shrink over the past 15 years?
-What about the impact on new artists? Is it harder to "make it" in music now? Are fewer artists, technicians, managers, etc. making their careers in this business?
-Do we believe that a digital album is worth the same amount as a physical release? How do the principles of supply and demand impact this new business model?
-Why are record labels still clinging to the idea of the album as the primary musical distribution method?
-Have we returned again to an age of the single (a la the 50s and 60s)? Or does the fact that the album still thrives for many music fans dictate the need for its continued prominence?
-How have streaming services like Spotify and Pandora changed the way people listen to music? How can the music industry make money off this format? Are these services, that barely compensate artists and give minimal amounts to labels, really that much different than piracy?
-Is the idea of "the cloud" likely to destroy the record label model entirely?
-Are labels going to continue to exist, or will they fall out of business and relevance? What could take their place?
-What role do other sources of income, like tours, merch, vinyl sales, etc. play into all of this?
-When the labels shut down Napster a decade ago, did the action help at all? Or did it merely break up that userbase and scatter them to many different P2P networks across the web, thus making the problem worse?
-How many piracy lawsuits have the RIAA pursued since the piracy explosion?
-What is their average requested settlement amount? How much do they feel owed for each "stolen" song?
-How are these lawsuits viewed by the general public? How has the reputation of the recording industry changed in the past decade?
-How is music piracy different from the idea of "mix tapes" or "mix CDs"?
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