Little Mr Mahatma

In which the middle-aged Peacenik mouths off about War Drones--and all the other things that make him cranky.

Mr Mahatma--who is a Mr in real life--lives in the valleys of Southern California with his wife, a herd of Dears, and an impressive collection of books. Pnorny!
He is reachable at:
littlemrmahatma@yahoo.com

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Little Mr Mahatma

Thursday, June 19, 2003

Music To My Ears
The Music Industry and the RIAA have been crying for years now that music pirates and peer-to-peer networks have results in losses of billions of dollars. The loss of all that money, they say, has stifled creativity (despite many unique and creative offerings on the Web), deprived musicians of monies (though the Industry is well-known as a slave market), and generally thrown a group of over-40s Executives into a tizzy. Their homes on the Riviera have payments due - dammit!

Meanwhile, in the Real World, a Portland, Maine judge approved a settlement agreement in a music anti-trust lawsuit. 3.5 million consumers may receive some sort of settlement because the music industry and retailers of conspiring to set costs for music CDs.

So they conspired to keep music prices high and then complain about loss of revenue from pirates. Which is more likely: Pirates forced the industry to keep prices high to make up for lost revenue. Or because of high prices consumers turned to alternative and cheaper methods to get music.

Judge says conspiracy. One that's been going on long before Napster. Not that Net piracy hasn't had an effect. I'm sure there has been lost revenue - no argument.

But we're in a new age, a heavily wired age. If I hear a song on the radio I'd like to be able to buy just that song. I'd like to be able to sample the rest of the album. If I like the album, I'll buy it. Better, I'd love to be able to go online to a database. Select a set of songs, arrange them as I like, and have a custom CD mailed to me.

This is doable-now!

The problem is cost, not for the company but for the consumer. For example, the new Buffy Season 4 DVD set sells retail for about $60 but realistically you can find it for well under $50. Let's say $48. The set has 6 DVDs so you're looking at about $8/DVD. That's a DVD!!! DVD's hold more than 7 CDs. Music CD's go for $10-$15.

No matter how you do the math the consumer is getting screwed. Either DVDs should be priced at around $70 or CDs should be priced at around $1. I seriously doubt that it costs significantly more to press a DVD than a CD so certainly CD prices seem out of whack. But if companys can make money off DVDs going for $8 each in a set why then do they cost $10-$15 when single?

Here's a clue to the Music Industry. Price CDs down to $5 and maybe you'll see you revenue pick up as you gain back pissed off consumers. Think "Volume". Heck, if I could go online to your music database I'd pay $10 to create my own CD and have it shipped.

A friendly warning to the Movie Industry. DVD's at $20? Take a note from the Music Industry litigation. Reduce the prices to $8 and be heroes.

Simply put, you want to get rid of piracy or at least put a dent into them AND make money at the same time. Reduce your prices to the consumers. Plain and simple. Reducing prices gives no excuse room to the pirate and it gives purchasing incentives to the consumer. Yes, you may have wafer-thin profits but which would you rather have: no profit coupled with attorney fees, or some profit. Think Riveira...

12:12 PM

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