Time for us to stand up and boycott the music industry

[Chip NoVaMac]

Sorry if I git this in the wrong group.

What spurred me was two things that I found on the web, one on MR, the other on Apple Insider:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=112884&page=1&pp=40

and

http://www.appleinsider.com/backpage/


From my rant in the first posting I mentioned:


Time for a boycott!


Let it begin here and now at Mac Rumors. Let us spread the word sincerely to very corner of the web, and other media outlets that will hear us.

Starting the week of May 1st (Sunday), 2005 through May 7th (Saturday), 2005 - lets band together and refuse to buy a single song from ITMS. Refuse to buy a single album from Best Buy or Walmart. Do not buy any song or album that you plan on giving away that week.

All it takes is the consumer to stand strong against the powers that be. Look at how few people had an effect at the FCC and decency standards. Depending on whom you trust, it was any where from 500 to 5000 complaints out of millions that watched that caused the fines.

This may sound like ************. But it is not! Time for us to put our words to action. All that is asked of you is not to send a single dime to the record labels for a single week. For those more motivated, we will provide addresses that you can send emails to to hit home that this is a boycott of the actions of the music/recording industry.

I call upon the moderators to help in a small way by posting a poll to gage support for this boycott. How many are with me on this? Or am I like Don Q. tilting at the windmills.

Again it is time to put our money where our mouths are.

I am tired of hearing that people feel this way or that in support of the consumer/listener of music; that the industry is wrong. This is now the opportunity to put your dollars/pounds/yens or what have you where your mouths are.

Success is not a given in a boycott. Never is. But if you never stand up to be counted against the people who decide what you pay, what you listen to, how you behave; then they have won.

Tomorrow is March 1st. Just 60 days till the official start of the boycott. You can start it at any time you wish prior to the May 1st date. This is a grassroots boycott at this time. This is not a US only boycott. I see it as a worldwide boycott of the music indusrty. I will as time allows get email addresses (with others help maybe) of key people in the industry to let them know of the coming boycott.

Keep in mind that ant "free" downloads during that week on ITMS would be against the meaning of the boycott.

I really want to know how many people would support this type of boycott. Not how many people think that it would be successful. Not to make this anything like Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement; but it may take multiple "actions" before the industry responds.

In the one thread I mentioned, some took and said that they would return to P2P. Some trashed their illegal songs in favor of going legal. It is time for those of us that are trying to support the industry, to stand up and be counted. And say enough is enough. That we are willing to pay a fair price for our music. That they don't need to send their "jack-booted" RIAA goons with lawsuits out after us. That there are many of us willing to pay a fair price for our music. That by-the-song downloads at the 99 cents or less level (US dollars) is fair. Any more than that, and we won't take it.

[rasp]

Well, lots of stuff in that post.

Lets start with p2p is no way to protest The Industry. It just proves they have demand.

As for the boycot... I really would like to think it would work, but think of all the walmart buying public out there who pay no attetion to much but Their next show.

Look at it this way, how many people are even aware of the broadcast flag? Ask around, you might be surprised.

(yes, my views are US centric, as that's where I'm from)

[mkrishnan]

Hmmm...I'd be willing to boycott the purchase of new CDs from the store, but I'm afraid, even after reading your other thread, I don't get why I would want to boycott iTMS as long as Apple continues to fight attempts to raise prices.

[Chip NoVaMac]

rasp- First I never said that one should go P2P. Boycott or not I oppose that.

As to the general public, we need to take a page from the RNC playbook, and show how it will affect the pocketbook. We need to paint the picture that we face increased costs for downloads on ITMS and other music services. This is also an opportunity to do some education over the next 60 days, as to what the media barons have in store for us as consumers.

mkrishnan - ITMS and other pay by the song services are included, because there are profits that are made by the industry off those purchases. And the increases the industry wants is based on those sales, not by the album sales (so far) at Best Buy or Wlamart. For me personally, there have been few albums that I would have purchased. Mostly now, it is single songs that I buy on ITMS. Point being is that so much that is now offered is not worth the price of the album. ITMS allows us to pick and choose. In the end the labels end up loosing $, only because they can. And now they want to make their money off the backs of those of us that are buying single songs of of our choice.

They are not trying to cut expenses on their own. They use the RIAA goon squad to spread fear. For one week, we have a chance to spread our own fear. The only fear that the industry knows, and that is the fear of them loosing even one penny. I do not want to hurt Apple, though Apple is only looking out for themselves. If you think they are looking out for you as the music buyer, then you are mistaking. Sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love....

[rasp]

rasp- First I never said that one should go P2P. Boycott or not I oppose that.


I didn't mean to imply that, sorry. It just irks me, the folks who use p2p to Stick It To The Man. Not the way to go, IMO.

And yes, education is the way to go. Talk to people about the real issue, but try not to push it all at once, it can overwhelm. The NRA is possibly not a good example right now, not really sure how much people like them at the moment.

I do try to point this stuff out to people as I can reasonably. I don't like the practices of the labels, but it's a two way street. "we" buy the stuff "they" feed us. and artists all to ready to "make it big" sign the first contract tossed their way. (yes, generalization)

[Lacero]

Well, I might change my mind about the music industry charging more per song if they include a firewire cable with the purchase of an album.

[Chip NoVaMac]

I didn't mean to imply that, sorry. It just irks me, the folks who use p2p to Stick It To The Man. Not the way to go, IMO.

And yes, education is the way to go. Talk to people about the real issue, but try not to push it all at once, it can overwhelm. The NRA is possibly not a good example right now, not really sure how much people like them at the moment.

I do try to point this stuff out to people as I can reasonably. I don't like the practices of the labels, but it's a two way street. "we" buy the stuff "they" feed us. and artists all to ready to "make it big" sign the first contract tossed their way. (yes, generalization)

You are right on so many levels that are not part of this thread. Only because I am tired of people complaining. I decided to take this stand. I don't want to pay more be a a song. I think most albums that are put out by the labels today are "crap". And the industry is taking note by talk of increasing the price of the per song download. Instead of asking/demanding better product from their big names, they want to pass on lost profits to the consumers.

The industry talks about piracy. And their take is to have the RIAA file lawsuits even against dead people. Instead of of taking an serious look at themselves.

Many other industries have taken and looked at the changing demographic/fiscal profile, and made changes. The music industry has yet been forced to do it, much like the movie industry. the difference is is much easier to share 3 minute song, than a 2 hour movie right now.

[alex_ant]

I had a few CD purchases on the to-do list, but now that I've heard about this I plan to make them all during the boycott just to support the RIAA in the face of all the irrational, greedy, spoiled P2P-using kids out there who are willing to go so far as emailing - EMAILING! - the RIAA and boycotting the music download services that they don't use anyway to force the RIAA into lowering its prices to some arbitrary level that said spoiled kids deem allowable.

[Chip NoVaMac]

I had a few CD purchases on the to-do list, but now that I've heard about this I plan to make them all during the boycott just to support the RIAA in the face of all the irrational, greedy, spoiled P2P-using kids out there who are willing to go so far as emailing - EMAILING! - the RIAA and boycotting the music download services that they don't use anyway to force the RIAA into lowering its prices to some arbitrary level that said spoiled kids deem allowable.

And that is your right.

But if you look at the post I referenced here from MR, there are some people that gave up P2P. Others purchased legal copies of music they had downloaded illegally.

Also there are many users out there that download through ITMS, because it is the right thing to do. the issue really becomes one of the "greed" IMO and many others that the industry wants raise the prices of downloads, even in the face of declining P2P sharing. If you read the post I referenced, there are a good number of people that feel that 99 cents is a fair and reasonable cost per a song.

I may have clouded the issue by injecting my bias that the industry is geared towards their "stars". But that comes from experience of "lesser" artists that are "ripped" off IMO on false promises of fame and money.

Whether we are talking music or movies we are talking about over saturation of the media market. And we as consumers end up paying the price.

I am old enough to remember standing in line for at least a couple of hours to see the Towering Inferno. This was before 10 to 20 screen mega theaters. This was also during a time that some radio DJ might just let a an unknown band or singer get some air play.

I am not some "spoiled rich kid". I am a person that pays good money for the music I hear. And I am tired of the industry forcing 10 to 12 tracks down my throat when only one is worth buying. And then when I vote with my dollars, they want to increase the cost because they can't produce anything better to increase their profits.

This call for a boycott is not about "the irrational, greedy, spoiled P2P-using kids", they could probably careless. It is about people like you and I that spend our hard earned dollars for music and entertainment.

[AmigoMac]

I almost did the same thing when in F1, R. Barrichello gave the victory to M. Schumacher in Austria, I started a boycott with some friends against Ferrari and we decided to not buy one, never... :rolleyes: ;) :p

[cyanide]

i cannot, under any circumstances, take anything referred to as grassroots seriously. shut up and pay ten bucks for a CD you stupid hippies. GOD!

[pseudobrit]

I guess this is the natural evolution of the "gas-out" slacktivism campaigns.

Now we're up to one-week boycotts, eh?

I'm sure it'll bring the recording industry to their knees to be missing income for 1 whole week.

Just like all the oil companies had to lower prices after those highly effective "gas-outs."

I haven't bought gasoline for my car for over two years (seriously) and I rarely buy music. Am I ahead of the game?

[yellow]

But, I'm a teenager in the MTV generation and I have troubles thinking for myself.. I am constantly inundated with soulless music from talentless bands and told that these people are the best in the business because they are tops on TRL. What is a vapid eeediot to do?