Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Get yer avatars out

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  • Mark Harris,

    Presumably there will continue to be a conversion of old music to digital and making it available. Even if the demand is relatively small, the investment and ongoing costs for providing reasonable digital is probably pretty small, so over 20 years of selling not very much, that still makes a profit.

    See, this is why I think sales dropped off in the 90's - the big boost in sales in the 80's and early 90's could have been due to people replacing vinyl with CDs. Once they'd done that, the demand would lessen and sales would drop. It's almost a shame that Napster happened - without it, the industry would have had to seriously examine why sales had peaked, instead of declaring "piracy" every quarter.

    Digital downloads would enable the long tail to be profitable.

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Bruce Grey,

    the big boost in sales in the 80's and early 90's could have been due to people replacing vinyl with CDs.

    Can we get copyright credits for buying the same album on vinyl, cassette and CD?

    Auckland • Since Oct 2007 • 28 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    I'd like credits for buying the same Elvis Costello albums on CD *three times*. Greedy bastard. I'm sure the twins and Diana need to eat, but FFS.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • Bruce Grey,

    Good point Danielle, those "remastered" discs with a couple of rare and previously unreleased tracks. I had forgotten those.

    Another frustration is the lack of access to the US iTunes store. There are lots of iTunes only releases of rare Dylan performances That I cannot buy.

    Any record execs here? Make it easy for the customer to get what they want and you will sell more....

    Auckland • Since Oct 2007 • 28 posts Report

  • Peter Darlington,

    I love the way we can now draw, rather unashamably from whenever we want to create, and think most of the credit for that change comes from the worlds of hip-hop and electronic music. Technology and digital access just made it more accessible.

    Yes, but they also gained some of their inspiration from the experimentalist dub & version producers in Kingston. A culture of copying, recycling and mucking about borne out of necessity, as well as creating new DJ tunes out of old classics and massive (sometimes violent) competition for the coolest sounds created the blueprint (or part of) for hiphop and electronica.

    As is often the case, it all comes back to Jamrock.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    How are the singles charts calculated in NZ these days?

    Digitally...there are no more physical singles. The good old days are sadly gone and chart rigging, at least for singles has gone the way of the wax cylinder. The album charts though.....

    Once they'd done that, the demand would lessen and sales would drop.

    There's a lot of truth in that Mark but there are still genres that boomed until broadband became widespread and there were figures you provided that pretty much backed that.

    The digital long tail is all very well but the real profit in catalogue comes from sync, advertising use, compilations and a multitude of other uses, none of which are much affected by downloading.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Another frustration is the lack of access to the US iTunes store. There are lots of iTunes only releases of rare Dylan performances That I cannot buy.

    Sometimes, I really hate the iTunes Store. There are the geographical differences you note, and the fact that it's much more mainstream than my tastes. I still love pop music, but the fu in pop these days is what's breaking right now_ , not whenever iTunes NZ gets around to it, if ever.

    Although ... it does seem to have improved lately.

    I gave up on Beatport because their password reset emails all got spam-filtered out.

    eMusic remains my online music store of choice, plus Amplifier for the locals.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Peter Darlington,

    eMusic remains my online music store of choice, plus Amplifier for the locals.

    Exactamundo. Proof that if it's quick, easy and focused on their customers, they will come.

    Although several times I've yelped at the availability of a much wanted new release on eMusic only to find the dreaded words 'This release is not available for download in your country' :(

    What's wrong with my country? It's enough to drive a man to anonymisers.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report

  • Don Christie,

    c.f. Lily Allen. No slouch when it comes to building an audience through the Interwebs.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    anonymisers

    vital if you have an Indonesian IP. American servers think we're all phishing terrorists

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    Aren't you? ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    I'd like credits for buying the same Elvis Costello albums on CD *three times*. Greedy bastard.

    You're not a true fan until you've bought the special release on wax cylinder.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    In the case of Ms Allen it was a little bit smoke and mirrors. The real story is they way they used the net to create and market the story, not the story itself which didn't stand up to too much scrutiny.

    If you wander through this interview Ms Allen, after denying that there were record company machinations, doesn't know who owns the boutique label she's signed too and tries to insist they'd never heard of MySpace.

    That same ignorant label was doing things like this and this about the same time and had had a digital media division since 1998. EMI were the one label that kinda got it years ago.

    Doncha love hype.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Don Christie,

    In the case of Ms Allen it was a little bit smoke and mirrors.

    Story of her whole life. I wasn't trying to claim the Internet was *the* reason for her success. Just that she used it very cleverly.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    Consider yourself special...it's perhaps a little surprising that you still have access to dissident blogs and Gmail ;-)

    Yeah, us damn natives, with our overpopulation and refusal to snap to the march of the red white and blue. Special as.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    Story of her whole life.

    Apart from her songs, which are really good. Right? Right.

    Hey Sacha, where's 'Horified One'? I loved that single too. :)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    I just have a thing for Teremoana..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • jon_knox,

    Can we get copyright credits for buying the same album on vinyl, cassette and CD

    I've read about people manipulating amazon.com through purchasing their own music repeatedly (eg 100 times) to create enable them to brandjack the "people who bought this album also bought" recommendation. Then re-sold the (physical) albums, viewing amazon's cut as advertising/promo costs. That manipulation is even considered "clever".

    Friend of a friend works for EMI on Ms Allen. He recently got in a bit of strife for not bothering to turn up to her recent album launch. Increasingly the opinion seems to be FOAD gobby shite.

    Belgium • Since Nov 2006 • 464 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    Thanks Sacha, was hoping to hear some of that, sure beats the napalm death my boss was playing today. At a conversation over lunch with my kiwi colleague he broached an interesting point. Having lived here a while, both of us have been through the old 'clampdown on piracy' pantomime, usually pre-empted by a few international news articles, followed up by warnings in the local news, inevitably trailed by the disappearance of pirates from street corners for a couple of weeks before all returns to normal. It happens maybe once every couple of years. The point of me mentioning this being that despite the almost total nonchalance displayed by the government towards the infringers, the laws are in place, to combat this kind of misbehavior. As a necessity to placate the 'International' industry's need for blood.

    Anyway, he was quite strongly of the opinion, that 92a was written in a similar vain, not to switch casual users internet off, but in the same way, merely to placate the industry, with an unlikely series of repercussions for the average user. In this way, the protest was one founded in paranoia, and this result, more work and time wasting for the government and all concerned, with the potential for worse legislation in future. Most interestingly,it could be seen to reveal the fractured relationship and distrust between the populace and government or more so the netizen's perception of the government, and the reactionary nature it fuels.

    I was inclined to disagree, as we all know New Zealand is a police state and they really would imprudently start turning average Jonny's internet off pronto; )

    The one upshot, is that it has illustrated our support for Russell's ideology, as well as his political clout.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    I just have a thing for Teremoana..

    Same, but not that way. I've just always had a soft spot for both her and Danny. Nice folks and v. talented.

    Increasingly the opinion seems to be FOAD gobby shite.

    Had shockingly mixed reviews but my 14 yr old is a huge fan. This week anyway.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    FOAD gobby shite

    I am always rather suspicious of the 'she's such a *loudmouth*' thing about female musicians.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    I thought that was part of her crafted persona - though I should clarify I have a thing for Lily as well.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    I wouldn't go out of my way to hear Lily Allen's new stuff either, but what I have bumped into by chance has been okay as pop goes.

    The day when Katy Perry vanishes from the ether, on the other hand, will be a blessed relief.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

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