I just read your latest blog entry about the Nine Inch Nails and remembered that a few months ago there was an article I read about how Trent Reznor and other artists are outraged with the music industry. Reznor said he wants his music to be more fan-friendly and encourages fans to download songs illegally if they feel his newest album is too expensive. I wanted to send you the link because I think his fury with the music industry goes hand-in-hand with the decision to put "Hand That Feeds" on Garageband.Indeed, Traci! RadioHead went on to offer their cd for free online, requesting that people pay what they deemed appropriate for the album. This is one way to get around the conglomerated music industry. The new interactions between artist and consumer, though, might merely be creating another form of an institution.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Direct to Consumers
This is from Traci:
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1 comments:
Although I can see why Reznor wanted to go around the corporate music industry that I do believe has gotten out of hand (I mean didn't we learn in J201 that out of a $13 cd, the artists get a few cents...) it still brings up the question of access. If NIN only puts their cd online for free, what about all the people who don't have access to the Web. In my Com. Arts class we talked extensively about how many people are denied access to the Internet for different reasons. Although some do willingly opt out, others don't for economic or geographical reasons. This then presents the question of whether or not something like this is still embedded in a corporate world that really isn't that "fan friendly."
Maybe I'm being a cynic, but in order to have access to the Internet most people pay $20 or more a month for access. Doesn't this cost almost as much or more than a cd in a store? Although Reznor's intentions may have been good at the heart, he still only limited access to a medium that serves the privileged. Sue asked if this creates another institution and I really believe that it does.
Instead of going through the music corporations, now we have to go through the Internet which in itself is becoming an institution. Also, if you go through Charter let's say to get your Internet, well who owns Charter? If no big conglomeration does, how long before it does get bought out by one. And don't these conglomerates own music labels and companies? Mediums depend on other mediums and are so deeply intertwined that we cannot possible use one without affecting a subsequent one.
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