So the RIAA just outlawed MP3 players?

If I want a song I already have on a CD to be downloaded into my MP3 player I have to repurchase that song online? Because the RIAA says so? I didn’t realize they had that authority.

Kiss my ass RIAA. You can have my MP3 player after you take my guns.

BTW, you know what is really fun, hypothetically? If you have a modern cable TV box that plays music channels, it is really easy hypothetically to record that music and put it into your MP3 player hypothetically.

But that would be wrong, so don’t do it.

Whatever you do, do not read these hypothetical instructions. This is for information purposes only.

http://kikitutorials.wordpress.com/2007/02/23/how-to-rip-songs-off-a-videomusic-player-on-the-internet/

[…] mozo78 wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThus it was with RIAA and a buddy of mine whose frustration while trying to listen to music and watch a DVD that he bought and paid for led him to a conclusion that I’m pretty sure all parties involved were not planning for. … […]

[…] alix wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI’ve spent far too much money on music over the past few years. I’ve probably spent well over $1000 on CD’s during the past ten years, and more than $300 on iTunes (that was back when I was still using Microsoft Windows… now I’m on … […]

Incoming Spambots.

I am sooo glad this post appeared because a few weeks ago there was a similar post on this basic topic that I meant to comment on and forgot, and then it got way down in the queue so I just let that thought go for the moment.

In writing my comment, though, I’ve gotten so long, I’m just gonna go blog about it, but I will definitely be monitoring and participating in any further discussion here as well. Talk about a pet peeve, reading the above linked post just opened up my biggest one in a big way.

Talk about a pet peeve, reading the above linked post just opened up my biggest one in a big way.

Which link? Sir Spamalot?

[…] I was over catching up at Music City Bloggers this afternoon, when this post about now even more RIAA/record company-related lunacy and related issues got my blood pre….  I was in the process of commenting over there when I realized that (in my usual long rambling […]

No, the post the MCB post is linked to, silly.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Music Row and the major labels can all go to hell.

Now I know people are going to jump all over my s*** for the following comment, especially since I do happen to work in the music industry…

BUT I don’t think Eric Odom’s post was all that compelling nor do I think it makes any good points about the RIAA or purchasing of music or whatever. It just seemed to me to be a post by a guy whining because something wasn’t playing right on a computer and he had spent a lot of money on two objects. Waaah.

There are far better arguments that can be made about the state of the music industry and the industry’s lack, as a whole, to embrace new technology.

There are a handful of people and companies that are on the cutting edge of what is an unknown world to us music types. I admire these people. Terry McBride, CEO and President of a fantastic music label/management company/publisher Nettwerk, is one of these people. He’s my hero. I’ve heard this guy speak several times and he’s “got it.” He outright will condemn most (notice the use of “most”….) of the members of the RIAA. He’s said before that the consumers are ALREADY telling us how they want their music–it’s information that most companies have to pay researchers and focus groups to find out–and the RIAA as a whole is suing its consumers for telling them HOW they want their media. I’m paraphrasing McBride, but in a quick soundbite, he says, “Monetize. Don’t litigate.”

There are some BIG major labels that are beginning to do that. SonyBMG is making some real headway towards embracing, rather than shunning, the NEW ways of delivering product.

A large company that I happen to work for is also doing the same, and we have some amazing things up our sleeves as a whole.

There is one UNIVERSALLY big company that, in my opinion, isn’t doing so well in embracing new technology and they instead are hiding behind lawsuit after lawsuit and pulling out of contracts with major digital storefronts simply because the technology scares them and they don’t know how to change with the business. My job for a long time was to be a commentator on the crazy game of the Music Business, and watching that company do what it was doing was just sad.

Sorry to hijack the comments, but I agree that what’s going on with the RIAA is crazy. But I also think it’s preposterous for a whiny linux user (yeah, I went there… lol.. just kidding.. some of my best friends are linux users! :)) to claim that he’ll never buy a CD again. I’d like to see that happen. If you are any kind of music junkie like I am, then don’t say that shit. Cause you know it ain’t true. Put on your big girl panties and instead of whining about something that obviously is near and dear to you, find a way to help change it.

Grace,

Not sure how you jumped to the assumption that I “know it aint true”, but must respectfully disagree with it.

And another assumption you’re making here is that I will stop aquiring new music simply because I will no longer pay for it. For obvious reasons, I won’t expand on that.

“A large company that I happen to work for is also doing the same, and we have some amazing things up our sleeves as a whole.”

It sounds to me like you’re trying to defend something. I hope I’m wrong, and I can’t wait to see what you up your sleeves, but until then all I see is overpriced products, lawsuit wars against consumers, and unhappy artists.

And finally…
“find a way to help change it”

That’s not my job. My job is to market websites and network bloggers for my employer. When it comes to music, I just listen to it. Oh, and I buy IF I feel it’s worth the price.

I’m sorry to say… it’s no longer worth the price.

Last but not least, I love my Linux (don’t be hatin’) and I haven’t “whined” about anything since I was on Windows.

Oh… and panties aren’t my style. I’m a boxers kind of guy.

But thanks for sharing your opinion. We’ll just have to agree to disagree. Which is fine by me.

-Eric

I cry no tears for a corporation that’s only making tens of billions of dollars in profit, rather than hundreds of billions in profit. That’s their fault for fighting change for 10 years.

If I buy an MP3, then I want to play it wherever I want. Burn it to a CD dozens of times, hand-etch it onto a vinyl platter, play it on any one of my many computers… I don’t want some restrictive DRM from Universal or Apple or WHOEVER cluttering up what I paid for.

EMI’s got it right with DRM-free music at iTunes prices. Now if only major labels could stop releasing horrible garbage and calling it music, we might be heading in the right direction.

I’m not a big consumer of music anymore, but I still buy and I want it to play when I want where I want - that’s technological progress that folks in the recording industry seem to be blinkered to.

I want it to be easy to buy and store my music. I don’t want to be fettered by goofy proprietary file formats and so on. I tend not to buy cutting edge music, so I want to pay less than a newly released single - just like I wait until the CDs hit the bargain bin.

I’ll pay a fair price if you let me.

Well, Grace, even though if you read my post @ my place you know we don’t agree, at least the info you shared does sound more positive and progressive than I’ve heard in a while.

Still tho, as a more than just average lifelong music consumer, I gotta kinda agree with Eric. The biggest problem is it’s simply not really worth it anymore, in many many cases. Litigation and all the other RIAA gestapo stuff aside - the cost alone has been increasingly making it not worth it.

As long as they leave legal downloading means (iTunes, Napster, etc) alone and don’t make that stuff the world’s biggest hassle in the future I’ll still be acquiring music by some means. I just won’t be purchasing any more CDs or walking into any storefront to get them.