What Would Happen If Napster's Co-Founder Owned Warner Music?
from the questions,-questions dept
An interesting possible scenario arose last week, when it was reported that Sean Parker (recently fictionally immortalized by Justin Timberlake in the movie The Social Network), who was a co-founder of Napster with Shawn Fanning, is considering a bid for Warner Music Group, which has been fishing around for a buyer. Of course, Parker's money mostly comes from Facebook (and I assume, some from Plaxo), rather than Napster. And if there is a bid, it appears Parker would just be one of a few investors involved. But it certainly raises questions about what kind of impact there might be. Would Parker actually look at business models that really embraced file sharing? Or would he view things differently? It certainly would be interesting to watch...Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: ownership, sean parker
Companies: facebook, napster, warner music group
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Taking it in new directions
It also helps knock down one of the holdouts on getting Spotify to the US. Warner hasn't signed on yet. This would help turn them around. He's just got Universal left to deal with after that.
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Tin foil hat time
This is why nothing changes.
/joke
I don't remember where I got that from, but that's the first thing I thought when I read this post.
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Re: Tin foil hat time
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Nothing
Don't hold your breath waiting for change, things are not that easy and you'll probably pass out before things change.
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Typo
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Re: Typo
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Good
I also hope Google buys EMI, but that's just because I like Google.
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Well look on the bright side...
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I don't say I agree with Mike's opinion, but he didn't get anything wrong here (intentionally or otherwise).
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Remind me again of the scare commodity that Facebook produced and gave away. It really isn't the same thing, is it?
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Facebook (the platform, the service, the maintenance, the features, the advertising deals) does not make itself, it has employees and structures, yet somehow it turns a buck. Seems they figured it out, giving themselves away like they do.
iTunes is also freely given away, but gets paid somehow. Like Netflix.
They. are. services. That people will pay for in some way, by item, monthly, or with their eyeballs on ads.
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RE
http://www.mosesavalon.com/mosesblog/http:/www.mosesavalon.com/mosesblog/will-the-once-immor tal-warner-sell-to-their-mortal-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-2855
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There isn't anything of value to Facebook unless access is open. There isn't a lineup of people to pay for this stuff (ask the guys at Classmates how it is going for them). They don't sell product, plain and simple. They sell advertising.
Music industry sells a product (recorded music). If you give that product away, the only thing you have left to sell is the office furniture and supplied you won't be able to afford in that sort of business model.
So it is doubtful that someone with a past in Facebook would spend tens of millions of dollars just to give it away mindlessly.
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If it can turn a profit connecting you with people, why couldn't a similar platform turn a profit connecting you with music?
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You need to ask different questions of yourself or your industry.
A great many features offered by Facebook can be done elsewhere, via email or chat or personal website or Photobucket, etc., but people choose to use Facebook. Why?
You are fixated on the wrong things, or so it appears. You are fixated on violation of your rights, instead of what you could do to make money off of a product. You seem to have boxed yourself into only one way of seeing or thinking.
Perhaps you could start by asking this: how would you make money from production of art if copyright DIDN'T exist?
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No matter how you spin it, however, Facebook is in the business of page views. They have no "commodity" to sell to individual users (except those newer facebook dollars, nasty idea). They are selling ad space, created by usage.
Can you please explain how you would apply this to the recorded music industry, in direct terms? No wiggle here: What would be your personal plan to give music away and make a killing as a record label owner?
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You are in the *service* industry. It can be lucrative if you realize that, get flexible, and go from there.
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