The Good, the Bad and the Ugly …(a conclusion)
There is no disputing that technology in the past decade has changed many lives and the way we go about day to day tasks.
For some, such technology and new information is always welcomed, but clearly there will be those that suffer or/and are unhappy with the changes such innovations bring. Below evaluates the Good, the Bad and the Ugly side of Web 2.0’s involvment in the music industry.
The Good
Big business – Whilst artists may be unhappy with their sales of singles/albums, the technology industry has been very much licking it’s lips over the impact that Web 2.0 has made. Companies have been able to develop, and in turn bring in a lot of money, boosting economies.
The end user – New technology keeps us all interested. We live for change and the potential of technology. Whether it be vinyl records, CD’s or .mp3’s, there will have been massive hype at one time or another for the “next big thing”. And when such a thing becomes available, there’s no-one more excited than the end user.
An understanding – After the long running feud between illegal distributors and the music industry, there seems to be a shift in the feeling of illegal downloads. Radiohead for example have become the first high profile band to introduce a “pay what you want” concept. Wherby downloaders can decide whether or not to pay for the music, and if so, how much.[1]… a modern day “honesty box”.
The Bad
So what’s still ‘bad’ about the current situation?
Still illegal – To date the download and sharing of copyrighted material is still illegal. Steps may have been made to try and stem the flow of such activities, and new alternatives put forward, but the illegalities are still there.
The Internets image – Whenever the words illegal, scam and fraud are used in relation to the internet, it’s image is damaged. Large numbers of people still stay away from using the internet to buy products, purely because of the horror stories that appear every now and again in the media. So when it comes to music, confusion as to what is illegal and what isn’t, sometimes seem to confusing and put people off.
Didn’t see it coming – One critisism of the music industry is that no measures were put in place when the Web 2.0 boom took hold and new technology became available. The online music chart was a result of falling sales and no alternative technologies were put forward to help fight the copyright. Some believe many of these problems could be have been avoided, had the music industry seen it coming and/or reacted quicker.
The Ugly
Lack of information – When the initial download softwares were available, many people found themselves becoming internet pirates without ven knowing it. They would would be downloading and sharing copyrighted material and effectivly breaking the law. Questions like, how is this software available if it’s illegal? Surely illegal software would be taken down straight away? – these created confusion, with many users either ignorant or naive enough to continue using them.
An example of this comes here:
It wasn’t until the shut down of Napster in 2001, when people realised the dangers to themselves and the risks involved when downloading music frm the internet.
Final Words
The future is very much technological. Much like the mechanical and service industries of times gone by, the technological future has an emourmous amount to offer to everyone. It’s taken some time for the Music industry to realise that Web 2.0 and the applications that come with it don’t always benefit everyone, but at least there has been some common ground found and compromises made.
For the artists themselves, focus has begun to shift from pleading users not to illegally download music, to finding out way in which both can benefit.
Creation Records founder Alan McGee says, “live music and merchandise sales are booming“[2]… so it could be argued that artists and music labels are no worse off than before. Infact touring and merchandise has always been an improtant part of the income of any band or artist as well as physical sales.
So to finish, I expect the internet to hold a few more aces up it’s sleeve compared to the music industry. It’s very much a case of what the internet is going to do next and how can the industry cope.
However I don’t believe that Artists are so out of pocket that they’re struggling. No figures being released my individuals could be deemed as proof of this, as alternative incomes are very much hidden when it comes to the media and public knowledge.
That said, illegal music downloading is still wrong. Anything with the word “illegal” in it kind of gives that away. The problem being, is that very few can actually tell between the Right and Wrong of online download, and this is an area that has been poorly bridged.
So finally, the future looks good for the end users, just be smart, read up on the legalities, and don’t believe everything the media shows us without cosidering contrasting arguements.
Thanks for reading…
- Christopher McNair
