The RIAA Armageddon has begun

they were probably factoring singles or something in there -- looks like AC/DC has sold about 70 million albums in America whereas N'back stand at about 20 mil

otoh Nickelback doesn't even appear here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists_in_the_United_States

waiting for the first ILXer to do the Pauline Kael-on-Nixon moment ("No one I know listens to or owns any Nickleback").

I must have some relatives who do...

i worked with someone who was a pretty serious nickelback fan. like, she knew the name of the drummer.

Nickelback is one of the most commercially successful Canadian groups, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide,[3] ranking as the 11th best selling music act of the 2000s, and is the 2nd best selling foreign act in the U.S. behind The Beatles for the 2000s.[4][5]

ok the DJ glossed over the "for the 2000s" caveat, my bad for not checking before repeating it. but still!

If people have the incentive to download, to use file-sharing etc. they will. Until you change that incentive it won't change the habits of most users.

I do like how ten years removed from Napster and we're still loling at NPR articles where Kids Who Download are given a blue book and asked "What does fairness mean to you?" and "What role do you think an artist plays in a Late Capitalist society?"

and NPR is f course still stunned to find out that people don't care who is getting ripped off because free music is pretty righteous, Mr NPR Man.

if the future is streaming instead of ownership of media, then what would a fair price be to stream a track/album once? how do we go about calculating this? does a microtransaction model work or is the 'all you can eat' model of spotify the only thing people will pay for?

― ciderpress, Tuesday, June 19, 2012 1:20 PM (11 minutes ago)

I think people are still bugged about the "they only pay 0.00000005 cents per stream" scare, but every industry thing I read about it suggests that it's something like, I don't know, a third of a penny per stream now? At least for major labels? You would certainly think that giant companies like Universal have managed to negotiate decent deals by now.

Anyway, using the ten-track album example, an album played ten times by 30,000 users (over time, of course) generates $10,000 in royalties at the third of a penny rate.

LOL, btw, of NPR of all outlets playing even a peripheral role in a debate about paying or not paying for content, seeing as it's entirely supported by donations and a modicum of taxes.

would also like to point out that performance royalties drive a lot of revenue if the performer is a songwriter, especially if they get their music into TV/films. I imagine the guys who did the friends theme song never had to work another day in their life. not sure where that leaves nickelback's drummer.

i've been in the offices/studios of our local NPR branch (mpls which is in fairness a fairly large and money making NPR branch) and i also co-host a show on the local Clear Channel sports talk station here....NPR has suuuuch fancy and awesome facilities compared to the "commercial" radio station

LOL, btw, of NPR of all outlets playing even a peripheral role in a debate about paying or not paying for content, seeing as it's entirely supported by donations and a modicum of taxes.

you realize that when people donate to NPR, they are essentially paying for content, right?

Sure. But there's no price being put on it, per se. You also don't have to pay (or listen to ads that pay for you). I wonder if NPR was a subscription model how many people would pay.

I guess I'm confused as to why you think they can't play a role in the debate, just because of how they make their $$

Not to the extent of commercial radio, but public radio has plenty of "(show) is underwritten by (advertiser), makers of fine (crap)" messages!

Via Maura on Twitter:

the one thing that stuck out to me in the emily white piece was the college radio station's library going digital. that made me sad. where will all the heated debates about records' merit go? in the mp3's id3 tag?

Re: Nickelback's drummer - isn't he that guy with the two arms?

lol

I wonder if NPR was a subscription model how many people would pay.

"If you want NPR you should have to pay for it yrself, instead of getting this music sharing service for free at the expense of other people" would be an amazing troll session to do on All Things Considered.

confuse NPR with Slsk numerous times on air.

I guess I'm confused as to why you think they can't play a role in the debate, just because of how they make their $$

Never said this. Just thought it funny that this debate was sparked in part by NPR.

Do NPR bumpers generate mechanical royalties?

Will Sheff and Carl Newman also discussing this on Twitter at some length. What's amazing is the number of people telling artists on Twitter LOL YOU SUCK ANYWAY.

"your music should be free because its terrible imo"

Do NPR bumpers generate mechanical royalties?

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, June 19, 2012 5:01 PM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i could double check but i think i was told by a guy that put out my band's record that NPR has some clause that says it doesn't have to pay into BMI or ASCAP

Will Sheff and Carl Newman also discussing this on Twitter at some length. What's amazing is the number of people telling artists on Twitter LOL YOU SUCK ANYWAY.

― Julie Derpy (Phil D.), Tuesday, June 19, 2012 6:13 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark

i'm enjoying the chatter on beauty pill's twitter

frogbs should read that feed.

@nathanleighsays I love making music, but I'm not that concerned about releasing it anymore.
4 hours ago

@nathanleighsays To be clear, I feel no hope. You notice I have not put out a record, right?

couldn't they make records instead of wasting time delineating the collapse of their idealism

I'm waiting for the "you wouldn't steal a car" tweet

And now...Travis Morrison!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/travis-morrison/hey-dude-from-cracker-im_b_1610557.html

lmao at morrison calling him "dude from cracker" as if he'll be better remembered

Hey frogbs Morrison thinks downloading is pretty much just like the shoplifting he did as a kid. You'd better get over there and set him straight.

that is a sad piece. it's funny how he lists all these methods for stealing music that actually involved people paying the artists or buying the product somewhere along the line (ie, taping other people's purchased copies, taping things off the radio, etc.)

as opposed to today, where a leaked promo copy means nobody pays for it at any point

Taping things off the radio was "stealing music?"

is William & Mary really the place where intelligent grinder kids go

Travis Morrison

Director of Commercial Production, The Huffington Post

Taping things off the radio was "stealing music?"

dude you should read RS and Billboard in the early eighties. The labels were obsessed with this point.

I don't remember much hubbub about it growing up apart from U.K. record inner sleeves that had the cassette with the skull and cross bones.

i remember all the home taping is killing music stuff growing up in the uk

I def remember that, but it was more about dubbing cassettes, not necessarily restricted to radio iirc

of course then they invented the CD boondoggle

which ended up completely fucking them so, hey it all worked out!

Marketing: "Hey! We can charge DOUBLE for this new format. It's DIGITAL, so it's better!"

Technology: "What about copying CDs? A digital media can theoretically be digitally copied pretty quickly..."

Marketing: "What part of CHARGE DOUBLE was unclear to you, pinhead?"

Technology: "Pretty quickly. That's all I'm saying."

Marketing: "Copy SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY MEGABYTES? Whatever a megabyte is, that's big, right? Dude, my pee cee only uses floppies!"

Technology: "I'm going to lunch now."

Marketing: "In your FACE! CHARGE DOUBLE! WOOOOOOO!" /fistpump

basically

I didn't add the five years later of: "Marketing: HALP ME RIAA! YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE!" Thought it was overkill.

Can't copy a vinyl. They should have stuck to something you couldn't put in your computer.

the cd biz started long before your average american family had a pc

well the vinyl/home taping thing had them freaked, but there was no way to do that QUICKLY, which was the real reason it didn't hurt their sales too much. digital copying magnified the scale of the problem exponentially.

xp

i was looking at early 80s Billboards and every other article was about a special tax on blank cassettes or whatever.

And anyone who didn't see PCs in every house coming wasn't looking.