"Thoughts on Music" Copying

Someone emailed me this article from Wolfish Musings on music copying. Although the post is based on a discussion from Yeshiva World News, which can never be of any use, Wolfish raised an important subject and I would like to add my two-cents.

Music copying is of course a problem not only in Jewish Music but in the music industry in general, and every since the internet emerged the record labels suddenly saw themselves in a very dangerous position (think Napster).

There were many attempts to curb music downloading, first with the Napster lawsuit and then with DRM. But the problem was still there and one new idea changed the game for the music industry - iTunes. Since Steve Jobs came up with the easy-to-use online music store, people proved that if given a good channel, they would pay the fair buck for their beloved songs. In Jobs' keynotes, he always stresses how consumer behavior has changed since iTunes came to being and I think is hard to disagree with this premise. Now, Jobs is pushing for the end of DRM, and he is slowly getting through with the major record labels.

We already had a lengthy discussion about the feasibility of selling JM in iTunes and although there is some JM for sale there, by large JM is still the same industry it was 10 years ago. And I fully understand the arguments that were made about the relatively small size of JM and why financially it doesn't makes sense to sell Jewish Music in iTunes. But with CD's costing 17 dollars in the US (in Israel even more) these days, I don't believe JM is at this moment an efficient industry.

I used to say that it's a matter of time until Jewish Music gets its way into iTunes. Somewhere along the road I stopped being a dreamer and I concede it's hard to see JM in iTunes anytime soon. But just like the goyish music industry was saved by iTunes and other efficient ideas, JM has to somehow address its current inefficiencies. I don't know how that can be done, but again, the best way to stop music copying is not through Mussar schmuessin in the back of the album jackets (or leasing agreements) but through creative and practical ideas. The more the industry is efficient the more consumers will be funneled to do things the easy way, that is, buying all their music.

Some good ideas that popped up lately include free songs (Spinner and AKAPella and now the 8th Day), creative marketing apparatus (Lipa's bumper-sticker) and podcasts (Sameach). I'm quite sure Spinner, AKAPella and Lipa were all rewarded in return and I think that's the way to go in JM at the present time. Of course, iTunes would be great, but that's still a dream. So singers, keep being creative!