Universal May Want Money From iPods

[apfhex]

Why should Universal get a royalty for my music player when I don't buy their crap? Why should they get a royalty when smaller labels don't?

I'm going to quote this and add emphasis because it's also exactly how I feel and it's some pretty thick BS from Universal.

It'd be like Comcast getting a royalty when I buy a TV even if I only use it to play DVDs and video games (or have Dish Network!).

 

[Linito]

about this only two words: f*** off

greedy bastards

 

[0010101]

Speaking of record company greed..

I was watching the Clerks II DVD over the weekend, and on the 'special features' section, they have an extended scene of Jay doing the 'Silence Of The Lambs' bit.

In order to include the song 'Goodbye Horses' just in the 'special features' clip it would have cost them an additional EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.

That's over and above what they had to spend to include the track in the film.

I wonder if it ever occurs to record companies that music piracy would be a heck of a lot less common if they'd quit gouging their customers.

I'm 100% in favor of a person getting paid for their work, but come on. Eighteen large to include a quarter of a track on the 'b' side of a DVD? That's insane.

As far as Apple having to shell out a buck for every iPod sold, the sad truth is that Universal, as well as any other large recording company, has them by the proverbial short hairs.

Pulling their catalog from iTunes would hurt iPod sales and marketshare far more than it would hurt Universal.. since they'd just sell their music on some other music site (like Microsofts). Customers would either be forced to use Microsofts store (with a compatible player) or go back to sourcing their music collection from the likes of 'VirusWire' or other such illegal file sharing networks.

The Zune doesn't look that attractive to customers because of all the digital protection junk, but you're kidding yourself if you think it doesn't look real attractive to large record companies.. especially since they're getting a buck for every unit sold.

Microsoft knows it can't compete directly with Apple in the MP3 market, so they appeal to the record companies greed in hopes of gaining favor with them.

Time will tell if that tactic gains them any leverage with the people who own the rights to the music.. but you can't blame Universal for saying to Apple, "Bill Gates is giving us $1 for every unit sold.. what are YOU going to do for us?"

 

[yadmonkey]

I wonder if it ever occurs to record companies that music piracy would be a heck of a lot less common if they'd quit gouging their customers.

Which is nothing compared to how they've gouged their artists over the year - the people whose sweat and blood is the real labor behind the music they sell.

I love the fact that artists are finding the means to record, produce, publish, and market their music without the help of major labels, thanks largely to the internet and to advances in home studio hardware and software. I think this, coupled with digital distribution, might actually save American music from the abyss.

Not that I expect consumers to suddenly develop taste, but for honest artists who've been f**ked by (or ignored by) the major labels, there are unprecidented means of pursuing their craft.

No wonder Universal is freaking out... they are becoming obsolete and failing to adapt. If Apple were to pay them per iPod, I somehow doubt they'd pass along a cent to the artists.

 

[0010101]

Which is nothing compared to how they've gouged their artists over the year - the people whose sweat and blood is the real labor behind the music they sell.

I love the fact that artists are finding the means to record, produce, publish, and market their music without the help of major labels, thanks largely to the internet and to advances in home studio hardware and software. I think this, coupled with digital distribution, might actually save American music from the abyss.

Not that I expect consumers to suddenly develop taste, but for honest artists who've been f**ked by (or ignored by) the major labels, there are unprecidented means of pursuing their craft.

No wonder Universal is freaking out... they are becoming obsolete and failing to adapt. If Apple were to pay them per iPod, I somehow doubt they'd pass along a cent to the artists.

You bring up a very good point. Used to be the only way you could even cut a decent demo tape was to either pay big bucks, or get signed.. and even once you had that master, it was cost prohibitive to mass produce, let alone distribute.

Nowadays, just about anybody with low cost equipment can do a pretty professional job, burn multiple copies of their CD, even print labels and jackets in no time.

Big record companies still control the majority of terrestrial radio, but with the advent of podcasts and places like MySpace, it's way easier to get your work out to the masses in a matter of minutes.

It may not always have the slick production work, but let's face it.. good music is good music.. and several 'unsigned' artists are carving out a decent living doing their own promotion and recording without the 'help' of the big labels.

No longer are the masses forced to listen to the same 15 songs over and over again.. people have a choice.. and that likely has the big money grubbing labels sweating a bit.