The Powers That Be – Is the music industry pimping the music?

The multi-label music industry often gets a “bad rap”. No, they don’t force our kids to listen to the negative music they sell – remember we all have agency. However, what they are guilty of is flooding the market with the same types of music and being deaf to any music that doesn’t fit into their profit margin. So you don’t want to buy what you don’t hear. The music industry has always done this, but all the more so now that their profits are falling due to the popularity of online websites that offer a large library of music, not only from artists we know, but also from new artists who have not been able to. to break through the roadblocks of the industry. Music labels are known for keeping music that doesn’t promote their interest off the radio stations by ensuring that the music that piques their interest is played alternately – what kind of deals do they make? Is it payola? Not sure – that’s for a legal mind to determine. The fact remains that only certain music selections are on the air – and we keep listening and buying the same song, different artist – just the way the music labels want it to be.

The Pimp factor

Record labels have even been known to sign a contract with an artist so that they can own the rights to their music – and then refuse to promote it – why? To determine what you and I listen to on the .radio and to keep the type of music they want to promote at the forefront. In any other arena, this action would be considered “pimping”. This may seem like a harsh term – but what is a pimp? According to the website EduQna “What Does Pimping My Ride Mean?”, the explanation fits pretty well. “‘Pimp my Ride” is an expression meaning the change of (something), usually, impractical but very flashy way (think pimp-like). (making) changes, etc. I really love EduQna’s Rough translation: “Please sir,

The music industry is really shooting itself in the foot and is slowly bleeding out by not joining online music sites that benefit both. However, in their attempt to control the industry as it has in the past, they are missing out on a major opportunity to sell a wider variety of music to their target demographic – 13 to 18 year old listeners. But those listeners are growing up and thanks to their computer and internet capabilities, they are “hacking” an online music market that the mainstream music industry can’t touch – Online Streaming Music.

Gently down the (music) stream

In 1999, an 18-year-old high school dropout named Shawn Fanning changed the music exchange forever with his file-sharing program called Napster. His idea (not the 60 hours to create the computer code it took to create it) was simple: a computer program that would allow computer users to share and exchange files, especially music, through a centralized file server. His response to complaints about the difficulty of finding and downloading music over the Internet was to stay awake for 60 hours straight and write the source code for a program that combined a music search function with a file-sharing system and, to facilitate communication, instant messages. Napster was born. But did Shawn get a pat on the back for his ingenuity? Are you joking? The Recording Industry Association of America has filed suit against Napster accusing them of copyright infringement,  meaning that Napster was not accused of infringing copyright itself, but of contributing to and facilitating infringement by others. However, Napster argued with some success that because the actual files are never in Napster’s possession, but are transferred from user to user, Napster is not acting illegally. The problem with P2P (Peer to Peer) applications is that if Napster is guilty of copyright infringement, so are Napster’s consumers. Likewise, if the consumers are not to blame, how can Napster be held accountable? that Napster is not acting illegally. The problem with P2P (Peer to Peer) applications is that if Napster is guilty of copyright infringement, so are Napster’s consumers. Likewise, if the consumers are not to blame, how can Napster be held accountable? that Napster is not acting illegally. The problem with P2P (Peer to Peer) applications is that if Napster is guilty of copyright infringement, so are Napster’s consumers. Likewise, if the consumers are not to blame, how can Napster be held accountable?

So Shawn and his small company of 50 employees in Redwood City, California were pitted against media empires like Universal, Sony and BMG. But what the music industry failed to see is that whatever the outcome of the Napster lawsuit, Napster had opened a proverbial window of opportunity on the Internet and more companies would emerge over time. After a lengthy legal battle, the site would eventually shut down. Years later, after being bought by Roxio, it would re-emerge as a popular digital music service. Since that time, thousands of sites around the world have grown out of and perfected what Shawn started through the controversy and now deliver quality music to his online customers through a process called “streaming.” “Streaming” is a general term in the computer world. It basically means that the data being transferred can be used immediately, without having to download the entire song before it can be used. Audio (music) and video (that is a topic of another article) can be streamed successfully, and with a high quality result.

One of the most popular streaming audio and video providers is, of course, Apple Computers. With the introduction and explosion of popularity of the I-Pod, which was made for downloading, transferring and playing music and now video, Apple has created I-Tunes, a service that allows you to purchase individual songs or entire albums from an extensive library – of every genre you can think of – where customers can purchase tracks online for a small fee. This is due to the fact that I-Tunes and other streaming music companies have entered into partnerships through licensing agreements with some artists and some music labels. And with the I-Phone gaining in popularity, there’s no end to the “streams” of media that anyone with a media player can have.

While technological advances have been made in this area, megalomania is still rife. There is still a large population of record labels and companies that have chosen not to partner with digital/streaming music companies. Why? Control – the music companies want and have control over the majority of the music and artists of the music you listen to.

Where the “buck” stops

A vast majority of record labels in the music industry still own about 75% of the world’s most famous recordings, yes the world’s! All streaming music companies are clamoring for new media to sell to their customers, offering the record labels licensing deals that would allow wider distribution of legal music downloads and streaming – without a license for every single song they offer to the public – they now, after the successful ligation caused by the Napster controversy – companies can be successfully prosecuted. When the record label refuses licensing agreements, those songs or records cannot be offered to consumers like us to listen or buy online. This is the only reason why you can’t find many of the most popular artists or songs you’ve come to love on streaming music sites. It’s because the major record labels still haven’t gotten around to licensing these sites to offer their music. Who suffers? Really everyone. With declining CD sales, the music label, we the consumer and also the artists are suffering because they miss the opportunity to be heard on the largest media network in the world – the Internet. While money is a major factor in why the music industry doesn’t partner with streaming audio and video companies, it’s more about control. Fear of losing it has forced many to act unwisely, and sadly, music labels are no exception. because they miss out on the opportunity to be heard on the largest media network in the world – the Internet. While money is a major factor in why the music industry doesn’t partner with streaming audio and video companies, it’s more about control. Fear of losing it has forced many to act unwisely, and sadly, music labels are no exception. because they miss out on the opportunity to be heard on the largest media network in the world – the Internet. While money is a major factor in why the music industry doesn’t partner with streaming audio and video companies, it’s more about control. Fear of losing it has forced many to act unwisely, and sadly, music labels are no exception.