Comment A business model that would work... (Score 1) 188
Consumers want convenient, cheap, quality music. Labels want money, but high cost, complexity/incompatibility of DRM, etc. angers consumers, driving them away from the labels and into filesharing.
Solution:
Labels should make two versions of each music track. One (really) low quality version, one high quality version. Take the low quality version and spread it all over the filesharing sites in multiple file sizes with multiple names (like "High Quality Version Guaranteed"). Maybe let it skip a beat here or there. The point is to flood the "free" market with a version of the song that is essentially only good enough to be an advertisement for the song. Now, take a high quality version of the song and sell it for download from walmart/amazon/iTunes, etc. for $.75 to $1.50 each (depending on demand).
Think about the consumer's options under this scenario:
1.) s/he can spend 4 or 5 hours downloading free copies of the song (and still never find a good version),
2.) s/he can get it from a friend, or
3.) s/he can buy it for less than a dollar within a few minutes.
Think about the implications:
Option 1: takes too long and isn't guaranteed, and record companies could continue their current lawsuits against websites sharing the high quality version (but the more anonymous the sites become, the easier the labels will be able to flood the sites with the low quality version).
Option 2: has been happening for a long time (mixed tapes), requires some technical skills many don't have or are too lazy to use, and is not worth preventing via DRM due to consumer backlash. I've never downloaded music b/c of fear of spyware, detest of advertizements, and ethical reasons. DRM tempts me though.
Option 3: So cheap it makes it worth it to the consumer, and importantly, the online sites could provide services that would make it more attractive, such as connecting with the band, finding out concert dates, similar music, etc. Can you immagine a facebook-iTunes type relationship?
Conclusion: The label executives need to take a vacation from their offices and find out what the consumers really want.
Prof.
P.S. The above idea is Copyrighted, Trademarked, Patented and protected using the latest DRM technology. Mod me up Scotty.
Solution:
Labels should make two versions of each music track. One (really) low quality version, one high quality version. Take the low quality version and spread it all over the filesharing sites in multiple file sizes with multiple names (like "High Quality Version Guaranteed"). Maybe let it skip a beat here or there. The point is to flood the "free" market with a version of the song that is essentially only good enough to be an advertisement for the song. Now, take a high quality version of the song and sell it for download from walmart/amazon/iTunes, etc. for $.75 to $1.50 each (depending on demand).
Think about the consumer's options under this scenario:
1.) s/he can spend 4 or 5 hours downloading free copies of the song (and still never find a good version),
2.) s/he can get it from a friend, or
3.) s/he can buy it for less than a dollar within a few minutes.
Think about the implications:
Option 1: takes too long and isn't guaranteed, and record companies could continue their current lawsuits against websites sharing the high quality version (but the more anonymous the sites become, the easier the labels will be able to flood the sites with the low quality version).
Option 2: has been happening for a long time (mixed tapes), requires some technical skills many don't have or are too lazy to use, and is not worth preventing via DRM due to consumer backlash. I've never downloaded music b/c of fear of spyware, detest of advertizements, and ethical reasons. DRM tempts me though.
Option 3: So cheap it makes it worth it to the consumer, and importantly, the online sites could provide services that would make it more attractive, such as connecting with the band, finding out concert dates, similar music, etc. Can you immagine a facebook-iTunes type relationship?
Conclusion: The label executives need to take a vacation from their offices and find out what the consumers really want.
Prof.
P.S. The above idea is Copyrighted, Trademarked, Patented and protected using the latest DRM technology. Mod me up Scotty.
