The Content Has Been Let Out Of The Box

In today’s ‘New York Times Sunday Magazine’, Nicholas Carr takes on the growing loss of profits resulting from the availability of free television and movie content on the web.

He discusses the growth of web-enabled technology, the ease of streaming content to a television, free content sources (Netflix, Hulu, You Tube, etc.), the F.C.C.’s embracement of “net neutrality” and the subsequent loss of communal viewing.

To his list of grievances, I would mention how the change in viewing habits resulting from the parsing of viewing platforms has resulted in a devaluation of the content. Because of its’ availability, the consumer has lowered their “respect” for the product. Technology has minimized television “Event” programming to live events. NBC’s long time Thursday night hold just doesn’t grab one when ’30 Rock’ and ‘The Office’ are quickly available online at no cost and sometimes with extra web-only content!

Amazon Continues To Lower Price On Kindle

As competition continues to creep in, Amazon wisely has lowered the price of its’ Kindle digital book reader to $259.00. This $40.00 reduction is the second in just one year. I believe the reductions will be ongoing until we see the Kindle at a $199.00 price point, and that could very well be within a year. This is good news for all potential but still price conscious customers. As for me, I’m still waiting for the $99.00 version.

Is Anyone Really Surprised By This?

Microsoft and Intel recently financed a 30 page study which concludes that when production, printing and shipping costs for compact discs are compared to the costs of digital song files, that downloadable music is more “sustainable” and environmentally beneficial. Come on! How about telling us what the recorded music industry needs to do to survive?

Content Is Still King

Malcolm Gladwell (‘Blink’) debunks the “all content will be free” mantras of Chris Andersen, in his ‘New Yorker’ review of ‘Free: The Future of a Radical Price’

“It’s Called The Internet”

What were they saying about the web, back in 1994? Check out this NBC News story with a pimply Eric Schmidt and pre-contact lenses, Bill Gates.

eMusic Announces Sony Catalog Distribution

17 Dots blog response to the announcement of the eMusic/Sony catalog deal:
Don’t mess with the formula too much. Give Sony Music their own label page like you do for Naxos. And have your critics find the overlooked and out of print nuggets among the catalog that deserve a wider audience. But please guys, don’t turn it into the Columbia Record Club. If your main screen overdoes the promotion of old Sony product, I will be bummed.

And regarding the price increases, why don’t we wait to see how the catalog sells? Are their many members who want to buy ‘The Stranger’ or ‘Born To Run’ for the tenth time?

We all remember how the major labels told us to stop buying LP’s when CD’s came out and then told us to re-purchase those same titles when remastered versions were available. It will be too much deja vu for me if Sony, Warners and Universal Music use eMusic as their shill for MP3’s.

Slow Death For CDs

As we are now witness to the death of the print newspaper business, resulting from the inability to recoup ad profits in its online version, so it also goes for the once mighty compact disc and its evolution to the digital format, where bodies of songs can be parsed and the term “album” no longer exists. http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/03/18/digital_retailers_cut_prices_to_lure_cd_buyers/

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Diane Mermigas in her ‘Media Daily News’ column, is right on when she speaks of the damage Neflix’ upcoming streamed broadband, 100,000 + movie library, flat fee (10.00) service will wreak on pay cable, DVD rentals and even broadband tv.

Greed In The Digital Age

Remember those early days of the compact disc?  The price of music nearly doubled to $15.99 because of the new technology.  I recall reading that the increased price would come down once new disc making factories were built. Never happened.  The majors (Warners, Universal, Sony, Polygram) got fat.  Consumers replaced their music collections with the new technlology, all in the name of convenience and better sound.

It wasn’t long before we were told that there were imperfections in the new digital recording technology, which gave a “hard” sound to the music.  The companies sold us new versions, with better sound.  Soon, it was additional cuts (B-sides for you youngsters), new remixes and versions sanctioned by the musicians themselves.  All of it was nothing more than large  corporations screwing the consumer.