Tape Deck Friday, August 29, 2014

There is no way to put the cat back into the bag. Digital media was an inevitability, and there’s no immediate solution in sight. Piracy IS bad. Anything that says “music is free” other than the artist, IS bad. “Why pay when I can get it for free” IS bad. We don’t have to argue about it. The only people who are in favor of the concept of music being free are those too naive to understand how expensive it is to make, and that much of what they appreciate can only be made after a decade or two of hard work in lieu of more profitable careers.

But we understand this. We understand that CDs are dead. Physical media is circling the drain, where it pertains to information. We DO have to accept this. And digital media can not be adequately protected from the unscrupulous. We have to simply accept that as well… because you can’t appeal to the sense of right and wrong for an individual who just doesn’t care. You will never be able to protect something that can be delivered in MP3, FLAC etc.

Basically, I believe the rejection of this problem is to directly support the arts you care about. You go to as many concerts as you care about. You try to buy your products directly from the artist when possible. You join the kickstarters. You tip. You do whatever you can. It doesn’t matter to The Foo Fighters. It matters to the little guy. You can get involved on the grass roots level. The difference between $100 split 5 ways and $500 split 5 ways can be the difference between a tour continuing or failing.

What we have to accept is that we are in a new “dark ages” of popular music, where probably 9 in 10 can’t perform without pitch correction or guide tracks… a new Tin Pan Alley of artist exploitation, where those who dedicate their lives to their music are also those delivering your pizza. You won’t see a solution to any of this in the next decade. What’s the incentive? Philanthropy towards an industry is a pipe dream. Google and Apple are not your friends. Neither are Spotify or Pandora.