Court rules against RIAA

[:) Smiley]

Rather than subsidize, the government should be taxing teenybopper music due to all the social costs it inflicts on the people of the country and world.

[Dr Strangelove]

Strange, classical and new age music CD costs don't seem to be increasing

[alva]

Are they distributed by major players?

[mrmitchell]

The music industry is, at the moment, BULL****.

Low-paid hacks in some obscure department of a record company come up with lyrics that can be beat by the instruction manual of a toaster.

Pretty boys who can dance are paid small sums to sing it. They're paid outrageous sums by companies in unrelated fields to endorse their products etc.

The companies try to pass it off as "music" and for nearly 20 dollars at that. When people realise that the content is worth about 5 cents, they start downloading it.

The outrageous excess of the $20 is passed off onto lawyers who sue the industry's customers.

The music itself is gobbled up by 10-15 year old teenagers.

Myself, I'd take Bheetoven over Britney any day (well...not pictures of ).

The RIAA tries to make the excuse that eliminating them would hurt music. You didn't have kids 100 years ago singing **** that was fed to them by some profit machine, did you? No. You had several real composers, a few singing musicians, and folksongs. If anything, the RIAA has done more than any other organisation ever to hurt music. They have turned it into a money machine gobbled up by the regular grunts out there who don't know any better. Name a serious musician today. Not one of the money making grunts like "Justin Timberlake" or "Britney Spears" or whatever flavor-of-the-week is out. You can't. They're drowned out by this massive flow of unstoppable crap.

This is the same for the MPAA, but less so. Movies still have a significant chance. However, music is more permanently scarred. It would be VERY difficult to take the world away from the "omg!!!!!1!!!1 justin timberlk is so, omg, cut! oh yeah his songs rock im g2g by some more of them!!!!!11!! thank you big riaa machne!!!!11" mentality, and back to how music should be. Written by people who love it, for people who love it. Not people who love money.

[/rant]

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Smiley
I only purchase from local bands because I like to support local industries and I know that all of the $15 I'm paying them goes straight back to them and their ability to make more good music.

Last couple of CDs I bought:

Cruxshadows - Frozen Embers - $10
NOFX - War on Errorism - $14
Propaghandi - Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes - $13
Los Hombres Calientes - Vol. 4, Voudou Dance - $14
Lasgo - Some Things - $13

All new. Who's CDs are at DVD prices? J. Lo.? Jeezy Creezy, people! Buy some damn music instead! Buy small label and local.

[Urban Ranger]

10 years ago, I paid x amount for a CD, about the same for a VCD. Today, I still need to pay x for a CD, but just 1/10 the price for cheap, cheesy, local movies on VCD, or twice that much for US/European films. Plus, the CD's are so crappy these days, the music sucks, so do the lyrics. Years ago there might be 4 or 5 songs I liked on a CD. Today, one, if I am lucky.

As further evidence, just recently a whole slew of compilations came out, and surprisingly, they are selling well. People aren't stupid.

[:) Smiley]

The key to finally defeating the RIAA then is to somehow wipe out 10-15 year old teenybopperism. I don't suppose it'll be easy though, as both communism and fundamentalism have been trying unsuccessfully for decades. Any ideas?

[geeslaka]

People aren't stupid.

Keep thinking that, maybe you'll set a record for feelings of disillusionment.

[faded glory]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
10 years ago, I paid x amount for a CD, about the same for a VCD. Today, I still need to pay x for a CD, but just 1/10 the price for cheap, cheesy, local movies on VCD, or twice that much for US/European films. Plus, the CD's are so crappy these days, the music sucks, so do the lyrics. Years ago there might be 4 or 5 songs I liked on a CD. Today, one, if I am lucky.

As further evidence, just recently a whole slew of compilations came out, and surprisingly, they are selling well. People aren't stupid.

I totally agree. With very few exceptions these days, the music quality is really bad. Looped chorus, enhanced vocals,selling out of core fans for a new market (St.Anger). Its really sad how all this has happened. And what bothers me even more is pop music. Kelly Clarkson, Britney, Avril, and madonna. **** them all. There music sucks ass bigtime. They have one big song that has been dressed up. And rest of the CD is garbage.


E-Donkey & K-Lite 4 ever

[geeslaka]

One more thing, normal cost for copying the contents of a CD, (for a big company) is around 1-2 cents. And with the quality of most music, CDs should cost 4-5 cents.

[faded glory]

prolly cheaper than that. Its done is china

[faded glory]

Oh and this is a minor setback for the RIAA. What will be a really big indicator of who is going to win this fight is when CD sales dip below 10$ billion. So far its at 12 billion and dropping