The Future Of Music Essay, Research Paper

In 1998, a computing machine scientific discipline major at Northeastern University, sat in forepart of his computing machine and started to make a plan that would assist the common adult male, flicker contention, and alteration and revolutionise the music industry. His name is Shawn Fanning, and his creative activity is Napster. Napster would forever alter the manner people would listen, portion and get music, and the music industry would ne’er once more be the same.

Napster, launched early in 1999, allows Internet users to portion and download MP3 files straight from any computing machine connected to the Napster web. The package is used by downloading a client plan from the Napster site and so linking to the web through this package, which allows sharing of MP3 files between all users connected to the web. While Napster does non excuse right of first publication violation, there is no chance in the package to halt this from go oning, or for a per centum to be paid to creative persons whose vocals are being duplicated for free.

Unlike similar file-sharing applications ( such as Gnutella, or Freenet ) , Napster limits users to uploading/downloading of MP3 files merely. These files are compressed moving ridge ( .wav ) files. The advantage of MP3 files is that they are about one-tenth the size of the corresponding.wav file and can be close-to-CD-quality. It is for this ground that many creative persons, record labels and other music industry stakeholders are concerned by the MP3 file format and applications like Napster that simplify the sharing of copyrighted stuff.

The reaction from entering creative persons has been varied, but chiefly anti-Napster. Hip-hop artist Jay-Z had this to state:

& # 8220 ; I believe that if person spends clip doing an album, seting their bosom and psyche into it, that their music shouldn & # 8217 ; t be traded so freely. & # 8221 ;

While largely record industries and instrumentalists have been in resistance to Napster, there are still artist that support the Napster cause, such creative persons include Dave Matthews, Madonna, Fred Durst, B.B. King, Dave Grohl, Ben Folds, U2 & # 8217 ; s Bono, and many more. Dave Matthews said this in defence of Napster:

& # 8220 ; Napster: It is the hereafter, in my sentiment. That & # 8217 ; s the manner music is traveling to be communicated around the universe. The most of import thing now is to encompass it, and that was the spirit by which we did this co-promotion. & # 8221 ;

In all this talk and contention the first action to be taken against Napster was by the set Metallica. In April of this twelvemonth, they sued Napster Inc for right of first publication violation. The instance was settled out of tribunal when Napster agreed to censor some 300,000 users who had allegedly downloaded Metallica vocals. After the opinion Metallica made the follwing statement:

& # 8220 ; From twenty-four hours one our battle has ever been to protect the rights of creative persons who chose non to hold their music exploited without consent. The tribunal & # 8217 ; s determination validates this right and confirms that Napster was incorrect in taking non merely Metallica & # 8217 ; s music but other creative persons who do non desire to be a portion of the Napster system and working it without their approval. & # 8221 ;

Again in June, Napster Inc. was sued for right of first publication violation by The Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) , a trade group stand foring the US recording industry, avering:

& # 8220 ; Napster is & # 8230 ; enabling and promoting the illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted music & # 8221 ; .

Napster claims that & # 8216 ; Audio Home Recording Act & # 8217 ; permits copying of stuff for personal usage, allows its utilizations to trade MP3s. The trail on Napster & # 8217 ; s & # 8216 ; trading & # 8217 ; engineering has turned into a argument over the 1st amendment. Napster claims that their merchandise should be covered by freedom of address, the industry argues back stating that the freedom of address doesn & # 8217 ; t cover copyrighted stuff.

Other creative persons and record labels have responded to Napster and similar applications in a more positive manner, encompassing the new engineering instead than rejecting it. On their web site, the Offspring says:

& # 8220 ; MP3 engineering and plans such as Napster [ are ] a critical and necessary agencies to advance music and Foster better relationships with our fans. & # 8221 ;

Interestingly plenty, the Offspring & # 8217 ; s last album, Americana, was made available on-line illicitly before commercially released, yet it is the set & # 8217 ; s best-selling album to day of the month. Furthermore, a figure of studies have proven that Napster users really buy more Cadmiums, after & # 8217 ; trying & # 8217 ; the vocals online. It is this issue that is at the nucleus of the RIAA case ; whether Napster and similar plans will intend a bead in CD gross revenues. Although Napster does dispute the traditional distribution of music ( CDs, cassettes, etc ) , whether this should be viewed as a menace or merely a new medium to be exploited by the music industry is another issue. The fact

that Napster is free and more convenient than sing a record shop makes it an appealing manner to acquire music for consumers to acquire their music, instead than traveling to the local music shop and coughing up 15 dollars.

The job the record companies have is that there is no manner of regulation who has entree to the information, and therefore no manner of gaining from it. And that & # 8217 ; s what it all comes down to, money. In a recent survey of music shops in a 5-mile radius of 3,000 colleges, it showed that gross revenues at those shops dropped 4 per centum from January 1997 to March 2000, demoing a important lessening in gross revenues in an country that would be more profoundly affected by Napster, than normal metropoliss. However record gross revenues overall have shown a important addition of 9 per centum, in recent old ages. So the argument on whether the plan Napster decreases industries gross revenues still continues.

While Napster does let music sharing to an extent that could theoretically destruct the retail music industry, halting Napster will non halt all their jobs. Record labels need to see this new engineering non as a menace, but as a challenge. They need to come up with thoughts to promote people to purchase Cadmiums. Harmonizing to John C. Dvorak of PC Magazine:

& # 8220 ; By my computations, the record companies can do every bit much or more money by abandoning their old concern theoretical account and traveling with Napster & # 8217 ; s. They should look at the Numberss, do the math, and so organize a monolithic articulation venture with Napster & # 8230 ; If 50 million users each paid $ 10 a month, or $ 120 a twelvemonth, for limitless entree to everything, the service would gross $ 6 billion yearly. Most of this money would be redistributed to the creative persons and labels, as determined by assorted contracts & # 8230 ; The $ 6 billion a twelvemonth would be right off the top and sum to about pure net incomes, because the cost of distribution is nil. Possibly, the record companies and creative persons really could do more money from this beginning than from conventional CDs. & # 8221 ;

On February 20, 2001 Napster made proposals with major record labels to do this dream a world. Napster & # 8217 ; s proposal was to pay $ 1 billion dollars to the major labels, songsters and independent labels and creative persons over 5 old ages in exchange for right of first publications and legal usage of their vocals for file transportation. By making so, Napster has stated that in the early summer, sometime around July, it will get down to bear down a monthly fee for use of their merchandise. Although no set fee has been set, it would be safe to state that the monetary value scope would be between $ 5-10 dollars. This is merely one illustration of Napster & # 8217 ; s try to alter their current method to run into the satisfaction of both the consumer and the industry. There are many options towards the reconfiguration of a merchandise like Napster, to close it wholly down would be a enormous calamity.

Back when wireless got popular, creative persons and record companies complained aloud that they would ne’er do another dime, because everyone would listen to radio, and ne’er purchase a record. This didn & # 8217 ; t go on, of class. It besides didn & # 8217 ; t go on when the Film Industry was afraid VCRs would pass over out their income from buccaneering. So, there is no ground to say a new watercourse of income for creative persons won & # 8217 ; t appear to replace what might be lost through a service like Napster. However, so far there is no good theoretical account of how creative persons might acquire paid in a civilization that gets it & # 8217 ; s & # 8220 ; musical content & # 8221 ; for free. But a existent truth is that even if the RIAA wins its conflict against Napster, MP3 file sharing will non halt. As we speak, tonss of Napster ringers are being created, and unlike Napster, these new creative activities can non be shut down nor controlled. The RIAA should encompass Napster for what it & # 8217 ; s worth, a tool, one to be used to administer, publicize and make music. After all music is meant to be shared and expressed, non be held and controlled by the likes of the RIAA. Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day one time said about his music:

& # 8220 ; I merely want my music to be out, and that & # 8217 ; s ever been the chief precedence. It was ne’er truly about acquiring paid. It was merely acquiring people to hear my music and state, & # 8216 ; Hey, I like your song. & # 8217 ; So if Napster wants to set my vocal out so people can download it or whatever, allow & # 8216 ; em do it. & # 8221 ;

Bibliography

Napster & # 8211 ; 5/9/01

RIAA: Who We Are & # 8211 ; 5/9/01

RIAA: Napster & # 8211 ; 5/9/01

RIAA: On Deck / FAQ on Napster and Digital Music & # 8211 ; 5/9/01

The Offspring: MP3 Technology and Napster & # 8211 ; 5/9/01

Smith, Tony. & # 8220 ; Napster Boosts CD gross revenues: survey. & # 8221 ; The Register & # 8211 ; 5/9/01

& # 8220 ; Napster non Protected by Copyright Law. & # 8221 ; USA Today & # 8211 ; 5/9/01

Cohen, Adam, & # 8220 ; A Crisis of Content & # 8221 ; , TIME Magazine, 10/2/00

Dvorak, John C. , & # 8220 ; Make the Napster Math & # 8221 ; , PC Magazine, 5/1/01

Greenfield, Karl T. , & # 8220 ; Meet the Napster & # 8221 ; , TIME Magazine, 10/2/00