Marillion Takes The Next Step And Gives Music Away For Free

Looks Like That Plan To Remove Songs From iTunes Didn't Work Out So Well

from the music-back-on-itunes dept

Thu, Sep 11th 2008 5:08pm — Mike Masnick

Last month, we wrote about how some record labels were experimenting with waiting until a song became popular and then removing it from iTunes, hoping that this would somehow encourage people to buy the physical CD instead. Of course, it appeared to really just help cover bands who quickly filled the void (and it's likely that unauthorized file sharing shot up). However, it didn't create a huge boost for CD sales -- though, it didn't appear to harm the artist all that much either. Jon Healey over at the LA Times lets us know that the music of Estelle, for whom this experiment was conducted, is now back on iTunes, and the Nielsen SoundScan data suggested not much of a change in album sales. They went up slightly during the time period, but not significantly -- and clearly the label decided that it was better just to have the songs back on iTunes. Hopefully other labels recognize that making it more difficult to get music isn't a particularly intelligent idea.

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Filed Under: estelle, itunes

12 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 6:06pm

Bait and Swap ?
So, they "pirate" the publicity and then remove the product in hopes of huge demand willing to pay top dollar ?

What a bunch of morons.
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Anonymous Poster, 11 Sep 2008 @ 6:14pm

Only one way to describe the people behind this
One word, two syllables: dumbass.
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Steven, 11 Sep 2008 @ 6:43pm

Wow
In theory, it should have worked...

But that's theory. Ever heard of a little thing called file sharing?

They didn't take that into account and that's why it failed. It always will. People will find a way to get things for cheap, regardless of legal standings.
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Mark Regan, 11 Sep 2008 @ 7:40pm

iTune and YouTube et al
I'm not sure the music industry (the "big four") has any employees with the capability of understanding that people will NOT travel dozens of miles to the few "authorized" retailers the music monopolies happen to have contracts with to sell their CDs and DVDs. Neither will the public buy music they have not heard, either on the monopoly radio or tv sources, or through the various free internet sources.

The music industry must GET WITH IT AND ADAPT their marketing strategies to MAKE IT EASY for prospective purchasers to not only listen to new music, but also to easily purchase it.

I recently tried to purchase the DVD Celtic Thunder: The Show. It has been number one on the Billboard World charts for over four months, yet not one single retailer in my town sells that DVD, and I made several trips to cities within 100 miles with the same results. It is available on YouTube and iTunes, but for some reason, major retailers like WalMart only sell it via their website. I have had the same problem purchasing other world famous DVDs, including those by Hayley Westenra.

This music is ONLY available on the internet. The music companies need to find some way to sell their products to legitimate purchasers like me before we throw in the towel and resort to illegal downloads.

With today's high gas prices, I will NEVER again drive hundreds of miles trying to find a retailer to buy a CD or DVD from. The music industry MUST make their products available to internet users to listen to and view before deciding to purchase, and then to make it EASY for us to buy their products.

Either that, or get the heck out of business.
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jimmy dean sausage, 11 Sep 2008 @ 7:49pm

Fuckin retarded
What a very intelligent idea, more like fuckin retarded idea!
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Allen (profile), 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:58pm

This experiment had pretty much the outcome you might expect, but, I think that you've got to give them a little bit of credit for trying. Maybe next time they'll come with an idea that has a hope of working.
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former asshole, 12 Sep 2008 @ 6:42am

@ Allen
No, because every idea they have is somehow about getting something from the music lover and not giving something. They refuse to listen, learn or give up control. They are a bunch of assholes, the lot of them.
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NPGMBR, 12 Sep 2008 @ 6:47am

This Is Good
I have had this issues on Zune Marketplace for some time. At first I blamed it on Zune but then I discovered that they don't control the availability of the songs/albums. Because Zune represents only a small portion of the market the labels didn't give a shit but since they tried it with iTunes and failed it brings attention to they stuid very strategy.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Sep 2008 @ 9:53am

Re: Wow
By what convoluted theory? Why would that have worked?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Sep 2008 @ 9:56am

Re:
Sure, give them credit for trying an incredibly stupid idea, one that any human, with even a single functioning brain cell, would have figured out would not work. Most people have the intelligence to avoid the obvious non-starters.
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Reason, 12 Sep 2008 @ 9:59am

Re: @ Allen
. . . every idea they have is somehow about getting something from the music lover and not giving something. They refuse to listen, learn or give up control.

You nailed it exactly with the first sentence.
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wasnt me!, 12 Sep 2008 @ 12:08pm

evru1 criticizing but
there is no harm in experimenting, should never take things for granted.

i think it was a smart move on there part: they aren't comfortable with having most or all there music sales revenue depend on a 3rd party that doesn't compromise or negotiate. That attempt failed and there back using itunes probably in the future they will try again with new ideas hopefully better ones (im pretty sure thats how you get innovations).
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