Classical Music Experimenting With Modern Business Models
from the mozart-cast dept
We pointed out last year that classical music labels were quite shortsighted in their opposition to the BBC's making recordings of Beethoven available for free. Considering that classical music already suffers from low sales and many people find it intimidating, making it more freely available, should increase the popularity of the genre. It seems like the industry is getting the message, albeit slowly. Labels are now embracing digital downloads (still through paid services) like iTunes, dipping into their large archives, and releasing concert recordings soon after they happen. Already, they've seen some renewed interest and an uptick in sales. But does it make sense for the industry to be charging for downloads at all? The biggest risk, for classical music, is that people stop caring about it entirely. Furthermore, because there is a huge difference between the live and recorded classical music experience, free downloads should only bring more people to live concerts. Another advantage is that since all of the composers are long dead, they don't even have to bother with sticky issues, like songwriter royalties for recordings and broadcasts. It's a positive sign that the head of one distributor is openly talking about monetizing file trading, as opposed to fighting it. It would be quite ironic if the oldest form of music led the way in reshaping the business in the modern era.
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The live experience is better?
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Wow, lookie there! An ignorant bigot!!!
The toughest part classical orchestras have vis a vis digital distribution is that orchestras are unionized and the union contracts that orchestras and opera companies have with the musicians generally do not permit digital distribution.
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But then, the same thing is happening to Asian martial arts, where most contemporary Asians consider martial arts embarrassing and old-fashioned, while martial arts studios in Asia are usually packed full of white guys eager to beat up people at bars.
Why not have Extreme Violin Violence XXII?
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For example, I rather like Messiaen's "Quartet For the End of Time" (which was cheap at about $12) but looking at Amazon.com I see most of his stuff at the $16-17 range and a notable few at over $30.
Surely there are college orchestras who are playing this stuff and from whom I might be able to get a downloadable taste. Generally if I like music I'll buy it on CD, but I'm not going to buy stuff without having a chance to listen to it a few times to see how I like it. And while things like Vivaldi are often available at decent prices, more modern composers are much harder to find.
Certainly there are copyright issues for the composer - but Messiaen (for example) is dead and oddly enough I don't feel like I owe his family (or whoever bought the copyrights) much - if anything.
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Get a grip
Once they're gone, we will be able to download the music we love. Sure, perhaps the era of the rock megastar will end, but who cares? Are we really going to miss the antics of those like Mikey Jackson? Even "normal" rockstars are usually coked up ass-heads with all the sociologically redemptive qualities of an engorged cyst.
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Once they're gone, we will be able to download the music we love. Sure, perhaps the era of the rock megastar will end, but who cares? Are we really going to miss the antics of those like Mikey Jackson? Even "normal" rockstars are usually coked up ass-heads with all the sociologically redemptive qualities of an engorged cyst."
couldn't have said it better myself...
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As it is, most of my classical music comes in the form of 'discount bin' CDs that the big stores can't move.
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Downloads and concerts
How many rights owners stage concerts? My guess is not many. So how to rights owners cover costs and make money to invest in new recordings?
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If I can't monetize the genre, why should I care to popularize it? T-shirt and concert sales?
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The musical composition is generally out of copyright (although more recent composers work is usually not). The recorded performance is copyrighted and that copyright is usually owned by the people who staged the performance.
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Re: The live experience is better?
So please, the next time you read something on Techdirt, or any website, and you have a thought... just... let it go. No one wants to hear from you.
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