It seems like today there are thousands of people walking around with a cloud over their head. Not in the emotional sense, but more so in a digital way.
?Cloud? computing ? though only hitting the mainstream within the last few years ? has begun to reshape the way that we consume digital media. People lived in caves, villages, then homes, and we are now living on the internet.
The ever-present cloud is making our lives truly wireless, providing the capability to store music, movies, photos,?documents, and nearly all content in space, accessible through any registered device utilizing push technology.
Our computers, tablets, e-readers, and phones all communicate together, creating one single ?ecosystem? that houses our digital lives. ?However, the cloud has revealed an ugly part of the way the music and media industry views content ownership. ?The truth is, your music isn?t really yours, and one can argue that it?s not even really stored in the cloud; you just merely pay for the access.
iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Cloud are the premiere music outlets, selling songs from $.69 to $1.29, with the capability of immediately storing the?music in your personal cloud. As soon as you purchase a song or album, you can play it on your phone, then walk to your computer and access it there: all without ever plugging in your device and transferring it over. ?Your greatest music collection can be created without eating up the physical space that CDs, tapes, or vinyls did in the past. ?Just as you can pass on your analog collection, you should be able to do the same with your digital files, right? ?Wrong.
In September of last year, actor Bruce Willis attempted to will his extensive digital music collection to his children. There was one small problem: his lawyers informed him that he doesn?t actually own the music, and the files legally cannot be transferred.
With the explosion of P2P file services like Napster in the ?90s, record companies scrambled to devise ways to make the purchase of music easily accessible. ?In the rush, the easiest (and most profitable) way to combat piracy was to license the music to consumers. After all, they don?t need a physical copy and would never be able to tell the difference just by looking at the file. ?While in the past few years, record companies and online music stores have backed off from loading digital purchases with DRM (Digital Rights Management) to block the sharing of these files, it hasn?t changed the fact that all music consumers are viewed as a threat and criminal.
So does this mean that you should dump iTunes and run to your nearest Tower Records Wherehouse FYE?to pick-up your favorite artist?s newest release? Not necessarily. With brick-and-mortar music stores now extinct, big-box stores like Target and Walmart (who also happen to be the largest physical music outlet) have admitted that they flat out refuse to carry certain artists, and most recently have banned re-issues.
Online music stores indeed offer the greatest selection, and certainly provide the best ease of use. In fact, a report issued by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry states that 2012 saw a .3% growth in the music market, due in part to the strength of digital music. Downloads now represent 70% of the market, with over 100 countries having access to digital music around the world.
The fight against licensing is an uphill battle, and one that can be averted entirely.
Being legally unable to will someone your music can?t stop?you from burning it to CDs (if you so require the nostalgia of tangible music), or even transferring it to a single external hard drive. ?Admittedly, as technology evolves, it brings to question the concept of planned obsolescence. ?While decades from now you may not be able to play the music on certain devices, tech companies are sure to offer new ways to transfer it. ?After all, can you play your CD on that shiny new iPhone (or any new Mac for that matter)? ?Whether you like it or not, your music will be available digitally in the cloud on demand. ?Despite it being licensed, you can still listen to it whenever you want, how much you want, and put it on any device you want.
The concept of music ownership is waning, and the majority of consumers don?t seem to mind. ?In fact, you?ve never owned your music anyways; the artist has all along. ?Licensing is also the only feasible way to allow the next step: streaming. Music has begun to go the way of the movies, with services like Spotify offering a library nearly as large as iTunes to users for free. Spotify, though only having been available in the US for a little over a year, has made a major impact on piracy, allowing users to legally listen to an album or song in full without purchase or illegally downloading it. Music piracy via P2P services fell 26% last year alone, and via burning and ripping from friends and family 44%.
40% of illegal downloaders in 2011 stopped doing so in 2012, largely citing free streaming services as their primary reason.
Apple is also rumored to be working on their own music streaming service, said to be a blend of Pandora and Spotify. Other than a small monthly fee for mobile access, streaming services put licensing in a more positive light; if there is no reason for a consumer to think they own the file (ie. purchase), then they have no reason to fight it. The music is just as accessible as if they did own it, and even avoids eating up precious gigs on their phones or tablet.
So how do services like Spotify even stay in business? ?Advertising and premium subscriptions help them pay for their own licensing fees in order to host the music. It has proved to be extremely successful due to the ability to please audiophiles, record companies, and even the artists.
Those that champion the analog world still have the ability to buy a physical copy of their favorite album, and within the past few years the industry has also seen a resurgence of vinyl.
Vinyl still remains the best quality format, and many see it as a ?pure? form of music enjoyment. But it isn?t a bunch of old guys sitting around dusting off their old records from decades past ? vinyl has proven to be big with the early-20?s crowd. It?s a rejection of the digital format they have been raised with, and the tangibility is seen as a prestige.
Indie artists have been releasing new albums on vinyl format for years, with stores like Urban Outfitters even offering them year round. Much like the fight between film and digital, vinyl will never truly die and will remain a way for listeners to connect with their music in a physical way.
With the cloud being the future of computing, and streaming being the future of music, the fight for music ownership has never been more unneeded. ?Record companies and music outlets have shied away from DRM and limiting the amount of licenses you own in recent years, allowing users to enjoy their music how they see fit. ?Music is more accessible than ever, only the way we buy it has changed. ?Physical copies will always be available for those that require it, while digital will continue to offer the flexibility of having your entire library, no matter how large, available in your pocket on demand.
Comment BelowSource: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2013/03/04/music-ownership/
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