what do you people think should change for people to start buying music again?

[bandcoach]

I don't think people will ever pay for music again.

Cost of producing a copy of anything is as good as 0, so why would anyone pay for anything that costs nothing to make?

what about the costs during production?

every second of time spent recording, mixing and mastering has to be paid for.

Confusing the medium with the content is common enough most of the time but just because the medium only costs download time and storage space does not mean that the content has no intrinsic value let alone extrinsic and production (as in time) value and costs

 

[Exclusivo]

The majority of people make music out of the love of it. I highly doubt everyone who brought a copy of logic was thinking it would be a good financial investment.
Production costs are probably the only costs, and they're lower than ever before. Once the music is made, people can make copies of it for free themselves, so there's no incentive to buy except morals- same as a charity.

Of course people make music out of the love of it... But, there's still a cost. It doesn't matter what they or you think about buying something. It's a cost.

Nothing is free in this world. Music shouldn't be either but people expect it to be.

 

[acetheface954]

Other than good music, do you think the physical format will live on? Other than the over hyped and over priced "return" of vinyl, what could make you go out and buy a physical format album again?

There was a time when I bought a dozen new and used CDs, this was in the 90's. I was in my teens so times change. I think most teens these days would rather click on a mouse to download songs into their compact mp3 player.

Wasn't there a time when you were "addicted" to music? I bought albums from bands I never heard of, that was the allure of it all. I was never a person who heard a single on the radio and bought the single. I wanted the whole thing. Sometimes I went by CD album cover or how the band looked and or genre specific.

damn. I wish I joined this conversation sooner lol. I believe that things will never go back to the way they were during the 90s and before. here's why. buying music was a cool thing to do. if you didn't have the new bon jovi record or michael jackson tape you were a social outcast. a nobody. if you wanted to make friends all you had to do was grab a boombox (today we call them portable speakers SMH), walk down the street, and blast some lisa, lisa. OMG you became cool. buying music was the cool thing to do. to own a tape/CD/45 or whatever was cool. going to the record store and having to stand in line (old school social media) with your peers for a brand new album was--cool. man owning that piece of art was kind of like a right of passage. it meant you belonged man. we lost that after the world went digital. sad really. we gained easier access to the world and lost connection to it at the same time. I love that I'm able to create music by the flick of a finger but sad that it's worth has just diminished during these last two decades.

I could go on about what kind of safeguards that the industry could put in place to make people buy digital music once more but it would be for nothing. they (the industry) won't change. bastards. great topic man. truly.

 

[scrapheaper]

what about the costs during production?

every second of time spent recording, mixing and mastering has to be paid for.

Confusing the medium with the content is common enough most of the time but just because the medium only costs download time and storage space does not mean that the content has no intrinsic value let alone extrinsic and production (as in time) value and costs

This is the issue I'm trying to get across.
Music only has value before it's released. Once it's released, it's worthless because anyone can make a copy at zero cost.

Perhaps some kind of kickstarter type arrangement would be an idea. Once Taylor Swift has a new album ready to release, she lets her fans know (possibly giving out a teaser) and says she's only prepared to release it once x number of people pay for a copy.

 

[scrapheaper]

I could go on about what kind of safeguards that the industry could put in place to make people buy digital music once more but it would be for nothing. they (the industry) won't change. bastards. great topic man. truly.

The industry is becoming a ghost of it's former self. They're the middle-man which no-one needs anymore.

Besides, the industry want people to buy music. It's not their fault that technology gives us access to music without having to buy it. Blaming the industry is lazy 'rebel without a cause' thinking.

 

[Just Clauz]

The quality of music needs to be improved.

There's too much music out there, because internet have made it too easy to create and consume music it. The good side is that artists no longer need to be controlled by labels, but the bad side is that the market is overflooded with artist who think burbing on a beat will make them a star. Hip hop is the Mcdonalds of music right now. Yeah you consume it, because its cheap and you can get lots of it, but deep down you already know that its worthless.

 

[acetheface954]

The industry is becoming a ghost of it's former self. They're the middle-man which no-one needs anymore.

Besides, the industry want people to buy music. It's not their fault that technology gives us access to music without having to buy it. Blaming the industry is lazy 'rebel without a cause' thinking.

True enough to her you're right. They are the middleman that no one needs anymore by forcing their relevancy among the music community. Sad really. I mean just give up. You had a nice run but now it's the age of the creator not the processor. Bow out.

 

[acetheface954]

The quality of music needs to be improved.

There's too much music out there, because internet have made it too easy to create and consume music it. The good side is that artists no longer need to be controlled by labels, but the bad side is that the market is overflooded with artist who think burbing on a beat will make them a star. Hip hop is the Mcdonalds of music right now. Yeah you consume it, because its cheap and you can get lots of it, but deep down you already know that its worthless.

You can't say that hip hop makes the most cheap and easy tracks. Hip hop isn't even the most recognized sound. It's an industry issue not a genre issue.

 

[prodeucer]

IF the "industry" cared so much about the "industry" they would be the one to make the change!

damn. I wish I joined this conversation sooner lol. I believe that things will never go back to the way they were during the 90s and before. here's why. buying music was a cool thing to do. if you didn't have the new bon jovi record or michael jackson tape you were a social outcast. a nobody. if you wanted to make friends all you had to do was grab a boombox (today we call them portable speakers SMH), walk down the street, and blast some lisa, lisa. OMG you became cool. buying music was the cool thing to do. to own a tape/CD/45 or whatever was cool. going to the record store and having to stand in line (old school social media) with your peers for a brand new album was--cool. man owning that piece of art was kind of like a right of passage. it meant you belonged man. we lost that after the world went digital. sad really. we gained easier access to the world and lost connection to it at the same time. I love that I'm able to create music by the flick of a finger but sad that it's worth has just diminished during these last two decades.

I could go on about what kind of safeguards that the industry could put in place to make people buy digital music once more but it would be for nothing. they (the industry) won't change. bastards. great topic man. truly.

 

[prodeucer]

The digital music system is a great idea, don't get me wrong. The problem is it's easy to spread free copies of a song or album with a click of a mouse, that's the problem (unauthorized reproduction). If digital copies were selling as much as the physical copies at the peak of the CD industry (90's/early 2000s), there wouldn't be a problem I think because there are no physical inventories to hold on to if they didn't sell. With digital everything sold has no physical copy, if it sells great, if not, there would be extra inventories for labels, distributors, record stores (do they still exist?) to hold on to which sometimes are either given for free (aka the bargain bins). I wonder if music should follow the same model as the movie industry (if it doesn't already do so) where the music is only available at 1 central outlet (with movies it's the cinema theatre), which is why the movies can still earn blockbuster status during opening week etc. (unless it bombs!). Then again, some people wait for a month til a bootlegged copy comes out. I guess with music once someone has a copy it can easily be spread in various digital outlets. I thought with the Napster lawsuit that had been settled and figured out already?

There was a time when physical CDs were available at 1 central location (record stores) and every new album came out on a Tuesday (?), which I think "centralizes" music where and when it is available and not spread out available at a grocery store, etc. Kinda like pay per view is only available as pay per view, which is why PPV do well enough. I think when MTV started showing less music videos, the "centralizing" of music video kinda went out of whack IMO. Same goes with music, it isn't centralized the way movies still are.

 

[acetheface954]

The digital music system is a great idea, don't get me wrong. The problem is it's easy to spread free copies of a song or album with a click of a mouse, that's the problem (unauthorized reproduction). If digital copies were selling as much as the physical copies at the peak of the CD industry (90's/early 2000s), there wouldn't be a problem I think because there are no physical inventories to hold on to if they didn't sell. With digital everything sold has no physical copy, if it sells great, if not, there would be extra inventories for labels, distributors, record stores (do they still exist?) to hold on to which sometimes are either given for free (aka the bargain bins). I wonder if music should follow the same model as the movie industry (if it doesn't already do so) where the music is only available at 1 central outlet (with movies it's the cinema theatre), which is why the movies can still earn blockbuster status during opening week etc. (unless it bombs!). Then again, some people wait for a month til a bootlegged copy comes out. I guess with music once someone has a copy it can easily be spread in various digital outlets. I thought with the Napster lawsuit that had been settled and figured out already?

lol I'm sure record stores still exist. just wish I could walk into one and say "hey can I put up a QR code poster in your store of my music"? that's be so cool. but wow that's it! making copies of music is super easy. there are even apps that let you burn stuff off youtube for crying out loud. try to bootleg a movie. it's a hassle because of how huge the file is, sites like youtube ban you if you upload a movie that they probably have to view in google play, and if you're like me you want to see the movie in full view. people still do bootlegs??? SMH. going back to google play, how strange that they''' let anyone upload someone else's music that they have in google play but won't let you upload a movie. I really don't get it.



There was a time when physical CDs were available at 1 central location (record stores) and every new album came out on a Tuesday (?), which I think "centralizes" music where and when it is available and not spread out available at a grocery store, etc. Kinda like pay per view is only available as pay per view, which is why PPV do well enough. I think when MTV started showing less music videos, the "centralizing" of music video kinda went out of whack IMO. Same goes with music, it isn't centralized the way movies still are.

what's mtv? lolol kidding. but I'm sure people born 20yrs ago have asked that question. and you're right music did come out every tuesday. thought it still did.

 

[HipHopCreations]

The present/future is all about streaming, that's why hip hop producers get ****ed in the ass these days.