Napster, MP3 and their place in music

Subject: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: SeanM
Date: 24 May 00 - 05:37 PM

I know this is a topic that's been hashed and rehashed until there's little not covered... but I haven't seen one angle really covered.

This specifically relates to the Napster program. For those unfamiliar with it (if such a thing is possible), it's a nifty little program that links your computer to a huge database (I think it averages around 4000 gigabytes) worth of MP3s, which are all stored on other computers such as yours. It's a free service that allows users to freely trade as many MP3s as they wish.

Now, there's a huge fuss being made right now by RIAA, Metallica, and a few other big name acts over the fact that many copywrite protected songs are being traded over this network. Their claim is that they are suffering untold financial damages due to this infringement. Whether this is true or not I'll leave to the lawyers.

What I'm wondering about, is does this hurt the smaller bands? Is this a case of the giants ganging up (yet again) to defend themselves at the cost of the little guy?

Case in point - me.

I admit. I've downloaded material by the Irish Descendants. I'd never heard of them before, and if not for Napster, I can pretty safely say I never would have heard of them. However, one day I ran into an MP3 of them doing "The Last Shanty", gave it a listen, liked what I heard, found their website (as they are not in any local record store), and am saving to buy a CD or four directly from them.

So on the whole, I'm not going to deny that there's a good chance that some people aren't going to rush out and buy Metallica's new master work for the one or two songs that they like off of the $20 CD. So yes, there is a problem that way.

But for the RIAA (which is supposed to represent ALL of their clients, not just the big ones), isn't this a chance to plug their lower-end clients to a much broader audience than would ever get them any other way?

Just wondering...

M

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 24 May 00 - 06:47 PM

It's been proven (as much as it CAN be) that MP3's and Napster actually bolster sales, not detract from them... the fans are gonna buy the albums even if they have downed the MP3's...

I suspect it's as much a publicity stunt as anything else...

And I comfort myself with the knowledge that piracy has been around forever, and will always be around!

{~`

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 24 May 00 - 07:14 PM

I suspect that any "losses" that occur due to unlicensed MP3s are more than made up for by gains which result when increased circulation reaches people like SeanM.

It should also be kept in mind that MP3 files, notwithstanding the hype, are not "CD quality". According to this, the loss of fidelity distorts acoustic music especially.

T.

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: SDShad
Date: 25 May 00 - 09:25 AM

Well, as a University ResNet coordinator, my concern w/ Napster/iMesh/Gnutella/etc. is not so much with copyright legalities--leave that to the legal eagles--but with bandwidth concerns. Hasn't been an enormous problem here yet, but I imagine it will be.

As for its impact on artists, well, just check out this cautionary tale from The Onion, entitled Kid Rock Starves to Death: MP3 Piracy Blamed.

And if it happened to him, it could happen to Meat Loaf....

Shad

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: GUEST,Okiemockbird
Date: 25 May 00 - 10:01 AM

Here is an article in the Industry Standard about a survey which tries to blame Napster for decreased record sales in college towns. I agree with those quoted in the article who find that the survey is flawed. But at least some among the copyright-expansionist forces are trying, even if tendentiously, to study the question rather than simply make assertions.

T.

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: Matticus
Date: 25 May 00 - 04:30 PM

As someone who loves trad session tapes made late at night in little pubs in Clare on little cassette recorders, the fidelity "issue" of mp3s is not an issue for me. I have my own little theory that recorded music just sort of triggers an internal musical experience in the mind, and the quality of the trigger is in the performance which can stand a great deal of abuse in the sound quality department. I'd rather listen to a great performance on a lousy format than visa-versa any day.
Is there any Irish session music on Napster?

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 25 May 00 - 06:09 PM

Good point about the bandwidth issue, and I can see why some universitys are baning these programs... I'm not sure if U. O. Windsor has yet, but with their cruddy server they probably should!! LOL!!!

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: SeanM
Date: 25 May 00 - 06:41 PM

I understand the network concerns completely... my main reason for the question though is Metallica (very big heavy metal band, if you were unaware) has made it their stated mission to "destroy" Napster and any similar programs, which most publishing organizations seem to agree with.

Once again, this would seem to be penalizing the smaller musicians not lucky enough to own a copy of the PopMusicPlatinum for Windows V 5.0 program that most publishers seem to be running right now...

M

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: annamill
Date: 26 May 00 - 01:05 PM

I just downloaded Napster Wednesday night at the recommendation of a friend and I absolutely love it. Two small inconviences: One, it takes an awful amount of disk space, to say nothing of time, to download a song. Is there any way I can listen to a song without downloading it? Two, even though Napster says there are so many songs, actually each song has many copies on different disks. Still there is a lot of songs.

I'm not at all concerned about the debate to have it or not. If we do, good. If not, I'll listen to music anyway, one way or another.

Love, annap

Subject: RE: Napster, MP3 and their place in music
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 May 00 - 01:23 PM

MTV had a good half hour news program on Napster last night. They interviewed someone from Metallica, several college students who use it, other bands' members, and the kid who invented Napster, as well as his partner, another *kid*. They are 19 and 20.

While I have some concerns about the copyright issues, I think what one of the pro-Napster band members said was pretty accurate...it is here, better learn to work with it. They also predicted that we are fast approaching an age where all music is free via the Internet and that artists will have to make their money from sales of residuals and concerts.

I am wondering if it might be better for Napster, et al to charge a small download fee, such as 1-2 dollars and distribute it among the artists accoding to how many downloads they record.

The story of how Napster came to be was really interesting and really made me marvel at technology and the young people who are so canny about it. This is truly a revolution and I look forward to watching it unfold.

kat