Duh. File-sharing wasn't done by mistake.

FILE TRADING PIRATES THIEVES! They stoles the PRECIOUS from us and we wants it BACK!

or so sayth the music industry anyways. in their eyes, they have never made a mistake and all their problems are entirely the result of bit torrent.

To sum up the article:

Large corporations are killing the music industry.

Was "releasing nothing but crappy music" on the list? DRTFA. Haven't really liked anything past the mid-90s, and that's stretching it.

/lawn
//off it

Piracy is theft. Only those who produce no intellectual property could see it any other way.

b2theory: Piracy is theft. Only those who produce no intellectual property could see it any other way.

Can't stop the signal.

b2theory: Piracy is theft. Only those who produce no intellectual property could see it any other way.

Well, here's Cory Doctorow, a published scifi author, and he sees it another way.

I don't pirate music ... because I already have just about every album I like. Majority of what I have is 80s or Classic Rock. I used to think I was just old and that's why I didn't like any of the new bands out - until I discovered my gf's 15 year-old neice doesn't own an album made within her lifetime, and neither do most of her friends. They're listening to AC/DC ferpetessake.

steveo: I don't pirate music ... because I already have just about every album I like. Majority of what I have is 80s or Classic Rock. I used to think I was just old and that's why I didn't like any of the new bands out - until I discovered my gf's 15 year-old neice doesn't own an album made within her lifetime, and neither do most of her friends. They're listening to AC/DC ferpetessake.

not surprising. most music these days is mass produced by committee and doesn't really come from the feelings/hearts/minds/souls of people any more.

isaaczeke: Large corporations are killing the music EVERY industry.

FTFY

L33t Squirrel: Was "releasing nothing but crappy music" on the list? DRTFA. Haven't really liked anything past the mid-90s, and that's stretching it.

Yes, actually. Focusing on the here-and-now crappy pop that sells rather than real music was one of their four things.

Talon: Yes, actually. Focusing on the here-and-now crappy pop that sells rather than real music was one of their four things.

Oh...

...

*Points and laughs.*

Thanks, I feel better now. :)

/scrolls through playlist for some J-pop

L33t Squirrel: /scrolls through playlist for some J-pop

You cant be telling people to get off your lawn in you listen to J-Pop. I like it also, dont get me wrong, but lawn dwellers do not listen to J-Pop.

Love the typo in the link's headline.

Weaver95: steveo: I don't pirate music ... because I already have just about every album I like. Majority of what I have is 80s or Classic Rock. I used to think I was just old and that's why I didn't like any of the new bands out - until I discovered my gf's 15 year-old neice doesn't own an album made within her lifetime, and neither do most of her friends. They're listening to AC/DC ferpetessake.

not surprising. most music these days is mass produced by committee and doesn't really come from the feelings/hearts/minds/souls of people any more.

i'd make you a list of 50 current bands that make music from their feelings/hearts/minds/souls if I thought you'd actually listen to any of them

Bonkthat_Again: isaaczeke: Large corporations are killing the music EVERY industry.

FTFY

Well, I dunno about that. I just think they're attempting to ruin every artform out there by controlling it to make the most money.

The Telecommunications Act of 96 should on the list (too lazy to read the article). It helped forge the way of Clear Channel dominance in which every station has the exact same play list.

MasterThief: b2theory: Piracy is theft. Only those who produce no intellectual property could see it any other way.

Well, here's Cory Doctorow, a published scifi author, and he sees it another way.

Interesting.... yet unconvincing. He failed at his stated outline. I read the portion on how DRM is bad for society pretty closely. I found his argument to be rather weak.

I personally believe this is a larger societal problem than simply the music industry getting "paid." It seems to be the start of systemic problem of honesty and corruption. Why is it fine to copy someone's music and not their CAD files? Will one lead to the other? I don't know. Is the rampant theft of IP in China the way we want to go?

Nemo's Brother: The Telecommunications Act of 96 should on the list (too lazy to read the article). It helped forge the way of Clear Channel dominance in which every station has the exact same play list.

It's there under "killing the DJ."

Nemo's Brother: The Telecommunications Act of 96 should on the list (too lazy to read the article). It helped forge the way of Clear Channel dominance in which every station has the exact same play list.

I came here to say the same thing -- that said, radio was already pretty crappy (and corporate) by 1996.

Derwood: i'd make you a list of 50 current bands that make music from their feelings/hearts/minds/souls if I thought you'd actually listen to any of them

I'm started liking Abney park lately. I'm sure they'd be horrifed to know that, assuming any of them knew who the hell I was....

b2theory: Piracy is theft. Only those who produce no intellectual property could see it any other way.

Like the record companies?
They don't produce anything. They're merely brokers.

b2theory: Piracy is theft. Only those who produce no intellectual property could see it any other way.

There are a whole slew of artists who have no problem with filesharing. And wouldn't you, as an artist, want as many people as possible listening to your music? How many times have people listened to pirated music, and ended up liking the band a lot, so much that they recommend it, buy tickets or merchandise, or even a cd or two? Bad music won't get spread, good music will, that's the free market-esque way of looking at how this helps artists.

Nemo's Brother: The Telecommunications Act of 96 should on the list (too lazy to read the article). It helped forge the way of Clear Channel dominance in which every station has the exact same play list.

This was on the list. Why post if you don't even read the article?

metalmyth: b2theory: Piracy is theft. Only those who produce no intellectual property could see it any other way.

There are a whole slew of artists who have no problem with filesharing. And wouldn't you, as an artist, want as many people as possible listening to your music? How many times have people listened to pirated music, and ended up liking the band a lot, so much that they recommend it, buy tickets or merchandise, or even a cd or two? Bad music won't get spread, good music will, that's the free market-esque way of looking at how this helps artists.

Nemo's Brother: The Telecommunications Act of 96 should on the list (too lazy to read the article). It helped forge the way of Clear Channel dominance in which every station has the exact same play list.

This was on the list. Why post if you don't even read the article?

Generally I find more genuine information in the comment threads than in the articles. No faith in modern journalism, I guess.

Gunny Highway: You cant be telling people to get off your lawn in you listen to J-Pop. I like it also, dont get me wrong, but lawn dwellers do not listen to J-Pop.

Precisely. You can only hang out on my lawn if you like J-pop, 80s, Hard & Classic Rock, Metal, Irish Punk, or anything else that doesn't get air time on the radio these days. Well, you could hang out if I had one. Stupid apartments. At least I don't have to bother with mowing it...

/goes back to feeling old

L33t Squirrel: Gunny Highway: You cant be telling people to get off your lawn in you listen to J-Pop. I like it also, dont get me wrong, but lawn dwellers do not listen to J-Pop.

Precisely. You can only hang out on my lawn if you like J-pop, 80s, Hard & Classic Rock, Metal, Irish Punk, or anything else that doesn't get air time on the radio these days. Well, you could hang out if I had one. Stupid apartments. At least I don't have to bother with mowing it...

/goes back to feeling old

Haha sounds like a very nice lawn and I hope to have one just like it some day. Until then my landlords lawn will have to do.

Conglomoration should have been added. Corporate radio, which i guess ties into the 'killing the dj' point, breeds mediocrity and blandness to a genre. Creativity and adventure is where music should go but it feels like for the last 15 years ive been listening to the same crap on the radio with new singers and bad band names/horrible rappers/ wanna be divas who are all no talent hacks and should FOAD

Rhianna I'm looking at you...you piss me off so much with your tiny outfits and your lack of talent.

GoteamVenture: Conglomoration should have been added. Corporate radio, which i guess ties into the 'killing the dj' point, breeds mediocrity and blandness to a genre. Creativity and adventure is where music should go but it feels like for the last 15 years ive been listening to the same crap on the radio with new singers and bad band names/horrible rappers/ wanna be divas who are all no talent hacks and should FOAD

Rhianna I'm looking at you...you piss me off so much with your tiny outfits and your lack of talent.

Do you notice what a receding hairline she has? That or a melon for a forehead.

L33t Squirrel: Gunny Highway: Precisely. You can only hang out on my lawn if you like J-pop, 80s, Hard & Classic Rock, Metal, Irish Punk, or anything else that doesn't get air time on the radio these days.

What's funny to me about this statement is that I think most of those genres have dedicated stations. Not Irish punk, though...

Nemo's Brother: GoteamVenture:
Do you notice what a receding hairline she has? That or a melon for a forehead.

You're looking at her head?

PizzaJedi81: What's funny to me about this statement is that I think most of those genres have dedicated stations. Not Irish punk, though...

I don't doubt that (I did find an 80s station in the area this weekend), but as a rule, the stuff I like can't be found on radio. Well, except for XM/Sirius, maybe. Besides, you only get a few minutes of music and then loads of boring chat and stupid commercials. My car has a CD player and a port that will let us plug in mp3 players, so more often than not I'm either listening to a cd I brought or my own personal playlist. And since I live 10 minutes away from work and don't travel much, it's kinda moot anyway.

Pop music used to not be made by marketing departments. Indeed it was made by some really good bands. Interesting how when that changed, the record labels fortunes changed.

b2theory: Piracy is theft.

piracy refers to production of physical product. That's not what filesharing is.

Greeat essays, both in the main article and from Cory Doctorow.

WhyteRaven74: piracy refers to production of physical product. That's not what filesharing is.

Perhaps we should call it "ninja-ing" instead?

Bonkthat_Again: isaaczeke: Large corporations are killing EVERY industry.

FTFY

Don't be ignorant.

L33t Squirrel: Perhaps we should call it "ninja-ing" instead?

hehe there ya go :D

I always felt the cd hurt the music industry because all of a sudden artists and record companies felt obligated to put out 65-70 minutes of music at once, because they could. The average LP was 35-45 minutes and that seemed just about right.

Record companies justified higher prices because you were getting more music, even though a lot of it was filler. Bands were in a position of releasing what would have been a double album every time they released anything, and so the time between releases was longer. The fans were the big losers all around, and they figured it out quickly

Yet another thread where people who haven't sought out new music in 15 years biatch about how great things used to be. Get over it.

There's so much good music nowadays it's hard to keep up - despite the internet making it that much easier to find the good stuff. Stop buying crap, and you'll suddenly find you no longer think albums only have one good song on them.

Who cares if the record industry disappears? It's not like music will vanish along with it.

isaaczeke: Well, I dunno about that. I just think they're attempting to ruin every artform out there by controlling it to make the most money.

Handsome B. Wonderful: Don't be ignorant.

A hundred years ago the idea of a company or corporation was to provide a product or service to the community and make a little money in the process. I believe the modern corporation is now just a tool to extract money out of every consumer using whatever methods possible. Sacrifice the product or service if you have to...but whatever you do, make sure your shareholders are happy.

SIDENOTE FIRST: Why the fark are some of you people posting without reading the article? Here to put your two cents in?

Out of all this 'killing the music industry', there is a new future arriving for music, far away from the radio: the internet.
Where an independent musician might not even have been able to find anyone to sell his music to before, now exists an active and vibrant market. Myspace (despite being crappy) serves as a good spot to hear tunes from emerging bands and make purchasing decisions, plus the internet radio stations on shoutcast that play some neat independent stuff.

And satellite radio plays some uncommon stuff too.

The future of the industry isn't R Kelly going double platinum. The future is small artists making a living selling their own CDs (and thus making more than 80 cents a disc), and making a living. It's a new distribution and marketing model, and it's incredible.

Think of the choice you have now if you stop listening to Clear Channel for a minute. It's incredible.

Bonkthat_Again: A hundred years ago the idea of a company or corporation was to provide a product or service to the community and make a little money in the process.



Ever heard of these guys? They were trying to take over the world.

It's been mentioned briefly before, but here's the most important part of TFA:

When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law, large corporate radio empires like Clear Channel destroyed the listener-DJ relationship by flooding markets with stations owned by a signle entity with programming decisions made at a regional level, far removed from the DJ and his/her show.

I know that radio was in a downfall before this happened, possibly even by 20 years according to who you talk to, but the Telecommunications Act of 1996 made it absolutely impossible for anything to change in regards to radio. If you have 2 companies per market controlling everything, you're not going to get much variety OR good music. You get people who don't give two shiats about music determining what people want to hear. It's an absolutely horrible idea to take the music out of the hands of a DJ (who don't really exist anymore on a local level) and give it to a Program Director who has to report to some corporate dumbass.

I think the author got it right in having "Killing the DJ" be the last section. People are going to stop buying good music if they stop hearing it. It's only been in the past few years that the internet has taken off enough to where we don't have to depend on FM radio to play the new, cool music. If you take the DJ out of the mix, the entire medium is worthless. Not that DJ's are gods or anything, but that 1 on 1 connection was an important part to the promotion of good music. I remember trusting DJ's opinions about music (and I'm not that old), when DJ's could be honest about what they played.

Unfortunately radio as a current medium is dead and for me that lead directly to part of the downfall of the record industry. Good riddance.

"Milking a 60 year-old genre till it's nipples bleed" also absent.

I was working for a radio station in the summer of 1997 when it was bought by Gulfstar Comm. (which was later bought by Clear Channel) and they fired all the DJs and piped in pre-recorded crap from Seattle. All of us who had lost our jobs were convinced that this little scheme would never work because when people found out that there wasn't anyone actually there at the station they would start listening elsewhere.
What we didn't anticipate were two things:
1. Gulfstar bought up four other stations and another company bought four of the other five stations and did the same thing, so there wasn't an alternative to the 'absent DJ' format
2. The herd mentality of the populace. Even today, I bet you 70% of the people listening to the top 40 radio station in their particualr DMA don't even realize that the 'personality' they are listening to recorded his/her segment two days ago in a little booth and there are 500 other stations across the country hearing the exact same thing as they are.

The only good news may be that the more satellite radio gains in the market the radio conglomerates will start getting out of the business and the 'mom and pop', one owner stations will make a comeback.

/crosses fingers
//not holding my breath

5. Whatever the hell they did with music starting circa 1980.

L33t Squirrel: Was "releasing nothing but crappy music" on the list? DRTFA. Haven't really liked anything past the mid-90s, and that's stretching it.

/lawn
//off it

I gotta tell you man, if you're a music fan, there is a LOT of really good music being released these days. You just have to find it and it ain't going to be on traditional radio.

But you can't listen to Farkers because they typically have a lot of disdain for everything. So, if certain bands on Indie labels are starting to tear it up, the minute they're mentioned on Pitchfork (or any other music site for other genres), Fark is going to condemn it to hell and back.

I was starting to give up on rock n' roll, and then someone brought me to an Arcade Fire concert ... simply amazing. It made me start giving acts I hadn't heard of a chance and I've started gobbling up new records again like it was 1994. Arcade Fire may not be your cup of tea, so I'm not recommending them per se, but I am confident there is new music out there that you'd love.

Pastor of Muppets: well, that is just a damn fine Fark handle.

Wrong_Intentions: 5. Whatever the hell they did with music starting circa 1980.

/That would be cocaine, Ken.

Also that record companies didn't release everything they had relesed on vinyl on CD didn't help. Especially after they said they were going to do that.