The music industry and the internet have had a fairly tumultuous relationship ever since the days of Napster. Ever since the revolutionary music sharing site was shut down almost 10 years ago, internet users and musicians, alike, have been discussing, some more heatedly than others, the merits and ethics involved in the issues raised by the internet and its effect on the music industry.
Independent musicians often cite the fact that the internet provides a platform which gets their music to the world in a way never before possible. Bigger bands, such as Metallica and Blink 182 are of the consensus that downloading costs them millions of dollars per year.
Napster was shut down in 2001; however, peer-to-peer file sharing soon took its place. Many countries, including Sweden (the home of Pirate Bay), have passed legislation, which makes it illegal for people to download creative property that is protected by copyright. The penalties include heavy fines and even prison sentences.
Alternatives, however, are arising. Many bands have put entire albums up on their websites for download. Radiohead shocked the record industry by offering their 2007album “In Rainbows” for as much, or as little, as the listener wished to pay for it. Other bands have offered their albums for download at a cost lower than that offered by the major retailers. Alongside this, another alternative has surfaced. Companies such as offers.com, have begun offering deals, coupons and discounts for and at major retail stores, for those who want the music, but not to miss out on taking home the cover. Companies like offers.com don’t deal exclusively with music; however, their invention has produced yet another interesting facet and alternative to the ongoing conflict.
The future of the music industry is as assured as ever. However, the form it will take and whether the roles of its greatest profiteers, the record companies, will dissolve is another question all together.
As always, we shall wait with bated breath to see what happens next.
