Rednex Release New Single On Pirate Bay, Explain Why Record Labels Will Die

from the pirate-eyed-joe dept

If you're a NY Yankees fan, for at least the past decade, you've probably become familiar with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" that is played in the middle of the eighth inning of every game. That version of the old southern folks song is done by a Swedish band, Rednex, and the song was quite a hit for the band back in the mid-nineties (hit number 1 on the charts in 15 different countries). Since then, the band has sold millions of albums -- but it has decided to go in a somewhat different direction with its latest music: it's promoting it on The Pirate Bay along with a massive 28 page pamphlet explaining why record labels will die (pdf), but file sharing will thrive -- and they want to be in front of that wave.

The explanation shows that the band really does seem to be embracing both aspects of the CwF + RtB mantra. The band says that some of the reason the old record labels don't like them is that they don't try to hold themselves out as being better than their fans, but really like to hang out with the fans and party with them. As for the "RtB" part, the band isn't just giving away its music for free, it's got a variety of ways for fans to support the band and get value back. The band claims that it has no idea how to make money, but that doesn't appear to be the case in reality seeing it offers up a whole bunch of ways to support the band:

At our website one can also get a membership. You can be a free member but also a paying member for anything between 3 to 666 Euro. For this you can get free stuff, such as a cap with a cow that says, "I want moooore!!!" ( ... We didn't say it was funny, just that you could ... ) or free downloads of music, pics and videos, chat with us, read articles and interviews, win backstage passes or even order a prank call from us to your boss in the middle of the night! At the website we also have ads where we get some money if they are clicked on.

But the band also realizes that perhaps its fans might have some good RtB ideas as well:

But also -- we want your ideas!! So how the hell can we make a living on our music now?? Tell us. Help us. Call your local bar and tell them to book us for a show! Call Jack Daniels and ask him to sponsor us! Call the circus and ask for vacancies! Any support we can get are we happy for...

But in the end the band is sure that file sharing isn't just the future, but that it benefits everyone. While I don't fully agree with the band's claim that record labels will disappear in 12 years (perhaps a more accurate version is that record labels as we know them will disappear in that time), the entire explanation of what's going on in the music business is well worth reading. The band points out, quite accurately, that file sharing is not going away, and the moral and legal questions people raise are pretty pointless. It points out that the big four major record labels have basically done everything wrong with little effort to really adapt. Then, amusingly, they suggest that any employees at such labels might want to bail out sooner rather than later -- to prevent having such a dead end company on the resume for too long. They also suggest that new bands avoid signing with the majors, knowing that from here on out they'll just be stuck in the rapid decline phase.

And, in the end, the band is thrilled about all that opportunity:

Well, well, sad tunes, huh? Actually, not at all! The fact is that this development is only bad news to a few individuals. For the rest of us it's fantastic and hugely beneficial, and not simply in terms getting free access to music and film, but in relieving all costs, borders and delay to obtain access to ALL information across the globe. The benefit to mankind is so monumental that it cannot be compared to anything that we have experienced before.

This movement is part of something much greater and we all need to expand our perspectives to realise the enormous value and potential that lies within it.

I'm just quoting a few select parts, but an awful lot of the arguments made in the paper sound like what we talk about here. Take, for example, this section on copyright:

This debate needs to be taken to another level. It is no longer relevant or even interesting to discuss whether someone has the moral right or not to exclusively demand rights to one's music or ideas. It is not at all as clear-cut as the music business and various law enforcement institutions claim.

The copyright is definitely not a holy natural right that people acquire at birth. The concept that as soon as someone has an idea they also have the right to it is absurd. Copyright is something that is claimed and needs supporters to then assert the claim. There is nothing wrong in trying to capitalise on one's ideas but it is important to realise that this is not a given right that everyone automatically must agree to and respect.

It's a good read, and definitely great to see yet another band that seems to have embraced what the technology allows, and are jumping fully into new business model experiments.

Filed Under: business models, music, pirate bay, rednex