thecoffeebreaklife:

Music Piracy Is NOT a Problem, It’s an Excuse

In my book, “piracy” is nothing more than a shoddy alibi for business failure and lack of innovation. A delay tactic so the industry could avoid adapting to the changed market for as long as possible.

iTunes and Spotify are the companies actually serving all your music. Tech companies saw what listeners wanted and made it happen. It took years of negotiation, ridiculous stipulation (DRM, anyone?) and demands for incredible compensation on behalf of the industry.

Imagine if the record industry had actually spent the last 12 years innovating and building what customers wanted. Maybe we’d be happily streaming from Sony or Warner instead of Apple. To be competitive, maybe some labels would have a “fair trade” guarantee, knowing some customers care deeply about supporting the artists they love.

Turning to “broke” college kids and wondering why they don’t shell out money is a waste of time. It isn’t rocket science!

College kids have more time than cash. They have heavy financial burdens. They efficiently get music for free.

In what world does it make financial sense that they spend $15 on an album vs. buy dinner or have a few beers with friends? You don’t have to like it. I’m not saying “it’s right.” I’m just saying “this is the way it is.” Businesses need to actually deal with this reality. You can’t sell music to folks if you can’t relate to them. You will fail.

(Source: sociolab)