Artists: Don't Expect To Get Paid For What Imeem & Snocap Owe You

from the sorry,-too-bad dept

We always hear the record labels and politicians screaming bloody murder over the concept that musicians aren't being paid "what they're owed" due to piracy -- but when there's a situation where musicians might actually not be getting paid what they're owed? Silence. A few weeks back, MySpace "bought" Imeem in a fire sale. But, the details of the deal suggest they didn't actually buy the company, but "certain assets," which means they get to ignore the liabilities. Guess what those liabilities include? You got it: paying artists what they're owed. Now, as the Wired article notes, there's nothing technically wrong with MySpace acquiring just the assets, but it is notable that it's the musicians left without getting paid what they're actually owed (not some theoretical concept like what they might be "owed" due to unauthorized file sharing). And, yet, we don't seem to hear any politicians or record labels screaming about this. Funny, since they keep insisting that they're really just interested in helping artists...

Filed Under: copyright, money, music, paid
Companies: imeem, myspace, snocap

Basing Your Business Model On Copy Protection Perhaps Not Such A Good Idea

from the making-things-worse-for-consumers-isn't-a-recommended-strategy dept

I have to admit that I never understood the purpose behind Snocap, Shawn Fanning's "second act" after Napster. The idea was that it would help artists sell music... by wrapping it up in DRM. As we pointed out when it launched, any business model based on DRM is doomed from the start. So, just as many bands start rushing to free their music from shackles, it should come as no surprise that Snocap is laying off 60% of its workforce and trying to sell itself. It may find someone out there willing to buy the company, but it's a sucker's bet. The very core of the company's business model is based on limiting what customers can do -- just as bands are figuring out how to provide more value to customers by not limiting them.

Filed Under: copy protection, drm, music
Companies: snocap

After Accusing Them Of Being Criminals For Years, Record Labels Want Kids To Shill For Them On MySpace

from the somehow,-I-think-not dept

Do the record labels really not realize how much they've pissed off their best customers for the last decade? It would appear so, because they're now hoping that the kids they've alienated for all these years will become shills for them on MySpace and other social networks, pushing all their friends to buy music as well. That might have worked years ago, but these days it seems like plenty of kids have been so turned off by buying music from record labels that treat them like criminals first, that it seems like an uphill road to convince them to not just start buying music, but shilling for the record labels as well. Especially as reports are coming out that legal purchases have stagnated as unauthorized downloads have continued to grow -- it's hard to believe that the record labels are suddenly going to get everyone over to their side this easily.

Filed Under: music, recording industry, social networks
Companies: myspace, riaa, snocap