The Music Industry Blame Game

Paul Resnikoff

August 28, 2012

What if the entire industry is simply doing it wrong?

These days, if you’re not blaming someone else, you’re probably in the minority.

20 Responses

@buffaloreynolds August 28, 2012
Use thy high powers of perception on yourself, Dr. Lecter
Clintone August 28, 2012
In psychiatry they call this ‘projection’. If one doesn’t like the ugly face in the mirror simply turn the mirror on someone else.
Eric G August 28, 2012
Who is responsible for content value? Who commoditizes content through shotgun marketing? Who connects the dots to optimize value to end users? Who decrees value is only a price point? Who ignores the ecosystem in favor of just being a predator? Who …
- McG August 28, 2012
  Who tosses around flavor-of-the-month buzzwords in an effort to look intelligent and informed? Eric G, and just about everyone with a VP title or above at the Majors, that’s who…
  - Blake August 28, 2012
    This make me lol at my desk in my quiet office to myself, whilst everybody stares.
- lroose August 28, 2012
  ^^^turd
Jim August 28, 2012
Blame no one. Fix it. Only registered owners can listen to any piece of media. TheDCE.com
- Visitor August 28, 2012
  Yeah, Jim, it would seem that the only thing that the web is not set up for is fixes, ironically. The zeitgeist of the web is Build It and and (See If) They Will Come/They Will Sue. So we get Spotify, UltraViolet, Pandora, iTunes Match, Google Music, .. but not even so much as a single think tank funded to fix the ecosystem. (Can anybody here name one? I can’t.) There’s just little Jim Yates and theDCE.
  As to registration … you are right. We use the user ID/ password system for everything under the sun, EXCEPT for the one thing that would save copyright: populating an app with everything that the logged-in user owns or is borrowing. That would actually give users some value for the media that they buy. Instead, we give users the exact same value for what they steal as for what they own. Stupid!
Manilows Marshmellow August 28, 2012
I blame Digital Music News for not covering my half-baked startup.
matthew king kaufman August 28, 2012
this by it’s nature was an industry founded by technology. “the phonograph industry” and it’s by products need to adapt to the new technology, “digital.” the music business in the late 70s abducated it’s functioning to the record business. now there aren’t enough savy operators to replace the ones lost to 30 plus years of “marketing only” multinational national record sellers. it’s not a problem with an overnight solution or omnipotent villian.
@CarolineCollier August 28, 2012
Paradigm shifting is rough.
Bob August 28, 2012
content has become devalued over the years… there are numerous reasons’ for this with the most notable being people are to busy bitching and moaning vs trying to come up with a solution. Funn Networks has been working in stealth for ten years from we understand and will be opening soon with a solution. From what we have read streaming and radio will see ten to twenty times higher royalties than we see today… Stay tuned. I know we are.
- Danny August 29, 2012
  Oh, such gradual and subtle spam.
Visitor August 28, 2012
It’s all your fault.
Kahne August 29, 2012
My solution to sold this debacle is to just turn your back on the large publishing industry and focus on the people you know.
Get local, collaborate, get live and get paid. Music is about communicating with the people around you. It’s not a skill to be used like stock broking where you learn a few tricks and then rake in the cash.
every communities needs there musicians I believe if we focus on a local approach we will all benefit.
live music shared face to face is powerful and valuable.
regards,
kahne
founding director
musomap.com – connecting local musician
- Alex Kane August 30, 2012
  This dude gets it. Let go of the bullshit dream, redefine your audience, dont blow money trying to prove you heard of the 70s and 80s and get on with it. If youre only in it for the big reward youre a fool and a tourist. You do this because you have to and if you sell 1000 units indie (a miracle, btw) youre doing ok. Harder work with less but more immediate rewards. Live less in delusion and get your shit out there. No one cares or will do it for you. You’re smart and creative. Always have been. Now you have no one to blame (which is the real reality) so get out there and do this.
lifer August 29, 2012
It is the media’s fault. No, seriously.
What is the story? Who IS to blame? Didn’t that use to be journalism’s role? Why does the loudest (read: RIAA) most monied voice get to cry like a baby until they ensure that they control the future. Maybe there should be two industries–one for catalogue and one for current/future.
Let the catalogue companies take their toys and go away to keep their dwindling business. But please make sure they take their influence over the future with them as they clearly are not satisfied with controlling the past–they want to get rich off the future as well. OK. Fine. In addition, let them have all of the American Idol/X Factor/The Voice winners/runner ups that they want. But that’s it.
These people neogotiate for the future of civilization the same way they negotiate every contract, be it with an artist or a retailer. The only thing they care about is their next bonus. And their next bonus is the result of a zero-sum strategy. Bonuses are related to how much they can take out of someone else’s pocket.
Where’s the journalism?
Written while listening to Carlos Cipa on vinyl
iggypopbarker August 29, 2012
I blame the parents
JD August 29, 2012
You should have used the middle finger:)
@davidreyneke August 29, 2012
Take responsibility for your own misfortune, music industry. Majors AND indies.