Are New Music Tiers Segregating Fans?

from the hasn't-that-always-happened? dept

Chris O'Donnell alerts us to a post from someone who originally thought things like Trent Reznor's massively successful Ghosts I-IV business model experiment was a good thing, but who is now worried about the eventual consequences of somehow segregating fans. The argument is that only a small group of true fans will buy these really high end offerings, that include certain things that other true fans will recognize, making them part of an elite tribe. The fear is that these tribes will exclude those who don't pay up for the super duper deluxe versions.

It's an interesting theory, but I don't think there's much to support it in reality. First of all, as a recent excellent Hypebot piece explained, true fan tribes are nothing new, nor is the fact that many will shun outsiders or newbies until they've really shown themselves worthy of acceptance. So I don't see how this is particularly different. Also, a lot of these super deluxe packages aren't necessarily about stuff you can "wear" that would be noticeable in gatherings. On the whole, it just doesn't seem like that much of a problem. There will always be elitist fans and some will always snub less enthusiastic fans. I don't see how that changes now that those more enthusiastic fans have more ways to support the artists they love.

Filed Under: business models, music, segregating fans, tiers, tribes