[Slowhand] muzic biz

[James Fox]

 Some have been posting comments about the future of
digital music and possibilities for Clapton's
recordings.  Here are some thoughts about those in the
music "industry" who have been complaining about their
income reducing due to people sharing music. 
 For many close to the music the initial reaction to
music sharing may be negative due to apparent sales
loss. However, those who listen to hours of shared
music might be compared to those in previous
generations who spent hours cruising listening to the
radio. The majority of listeners like having the
soundtrack of their lives play in the background while
they do other things. Most don't care about song
titles and musicians names. But there may be a few
who, as the soundtrack plays, might hear something
that makes a connection more personally. They then
seek more music and information and a process begins.
They discover CDs with more than one good song.  
  The challenge for the near future of the business is
whether a process will be provided making it easier to
find information about that song or sound that caught
the interest. Will the investors in the "business"
look forward and help develop an easy to use Music
Search Engine that can recognize a recording and match
it to something in a database or will they continue to
punish customers using lawyers and problem causing
"protection" software? 
  Record companies a few decades ago objected to
recorders and blank tape sales but those of us who
taped from radio and LPs went on to spend more on new
products and performances than what was thought to be
lost in sales due to copying. 
Music is important to many people and they will buy
what they like if they know what it is. Sharing of the
music seems like a better way to start than listening
to broadcasts of narrow, marketing generated
playlists. 

 Best Wishes for 07 , 
 Jim 

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