THE GREAT DEBATE- Match 8. Freak vs Reilly

Reilly

"The Downloading of MP3s is seriously harming the music industry"

Freak (Believes MP3s are a threat to Music) vs Reilly (Does not believe it has an effect).



I will put forth my first post in this heinous challenge any hour now.

Give it time

Reilly

If anything, the free file sharing and MP3 downloading that goes on within the internet helps the music industry.

With new technology the people gain more access to a wider range of choice, and the music industry has always steered the way forward in mainstream technology. Using such technology is a tool of promotion, the original method was radio. And the last huge milestone in music promotion was during the 80’s, when music videos were no longer short documentaries on an artist, music television was born.

Now, the internet offers music to people on a much wider scale than ever before, what could be wrong with it? It is an introduction for the consumer to an artist, which they could go on to love. The only difference (but it’s a biggie) is that the artist gets no money for it. Of course they get recognition for writing the song, its ridiculous for an artist to complain about having their rights completely stripped off them, they get credited of course.

Un-protected downloading of music does not take money from big bands, in most cases not at all, in some cases it simply diverts the money to another group which the downloading public may feel is better.

This technology gives fresh talent a chance in a music industry which is becoming over-run with money obsession and record labels. It could be argued that free file sharing is keeping the industry afloat, it is a way for an artist to cut out the middle man (Record label execs.) and find their own way of selling music.

Independent labels are getting harder to come by after the 90’s, without the tools that major record labels have, many indie labels only have the option of getting their music out using the internet, as promotions beyond that would be way too expensive. Without the internet, indie labels don’t have a chance, and without indie labels, the music industry would be completely run down by impatient record label “gentlemen�, who seek not creativity and recognition, but record sales, tour sales and 7 figure numbers.

With the emergence of born-again independent label Sub Pop, and with their main band of the moment (Hot Hot Heat) having been discovered and given the chance to tour by setting up a Geocities website for downloading their songs on MP3, it is obvious that the internet definitely offers new bands the chance to go somewhere.

The mindset that ‘Pop will Eat Itself’ is becoming more and more accurate as the industry’s albums and singles are being bought by more people then ever. The idea is that, what is popular, get’s taken over, get’s exploited, has sky scraper high expectation, and simply cant deliver, gets over-run, gets forgotten. People don’t seem to mind this happening if it happens to Geri Haliwell or Nick Lachey (Haha but seriously his pop career is over) as they hardly have much input or creativity in song writing, but it’s a damn shame to see bands who had the potential to make some crucial albums just get completely ruined by a record label. I would’ve loved to see what Alkaline Trio could’ve done, if given more time, but its over for them. I guess their last single just didn’t sell enough.

To the point (At last)- the intervention of new music genres and styles cannot happen without the freedom of the musician. Gimmicks created by men in suits will not stand the test of time, and in an age when anything that is popular gets eaten by itself, we must rely on the alternative to bring something new to the game.

At the current point, hip hop is headlining everything, which is completely because of Eminems influence on the music industry. And “Eminem� was not a gimmick created by freakin Richard Branson. From that, spurred artists like 50 Cent, the Neptunes, Obie Trice, and as Hip Hop became more popular we then saw artists like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera changing their bubble gum image to a ghetto gangster superstar image in order to sell records.

I know, that bands and artists can still (Hopefully) be discovered because of raw talent, live shows, great music etc. But thats how things rest at the moment, in years from now, without free music or labels, huge record labels may not have the time to risk their money on new sounds, its much more safer and a much better business investment to go with what works. Someday independant artists may rely fully on the fans who possibly are downloading their music, in order to gain enough popularity to hit record bosses. Thats a scary thought, but a possible reality.

Without the freedom of expression and artistic merit, there would be no change within the industry and no record bosses to have the patience to make a change, rather than what works. Therefore, in this crucial time for music, in some years from now freedom of musical creativity may hinge on people being given the access to new music through the internet. Otherwise, all in the industry would dry up.





Oh dear what have I done.

Give it time