Dear music industry, low quality = low demand

[Cadeho]

Dear music industry, low quality = low demand
Thursday, July 3, 2003

Dear music industry,
low quality = low demand
Commentary

By Mandy Jenkins
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Memo

TO: Music Industry Executives

RE: The truth

I've heard the music industry is upset. You say a bunch of downloading kids are stealing your money and you're gonna take their shoplifting butts to court. Record sales are down and have been for a few years. You blame this on music pirates; I think you're missing the point.

This is all your fault.

People aren't buying because the music industry itself is faulted. First of all, CDs are too expensive for Gen X-ers and teens to buy. They will buy only the music of artists they really have loyalty to - otherwise, it's easier to download a single hit than slap down $20 for a whole CD of crap.

That's right, I said it. The music industry sucks right now and your audience knows it. You aren't putting out music that is worth the cost of a CD.

Your problem is that as soon as one band or singer gets big, you go right out and find 10 more who sound exactly like them and slap together a CD with one or two good songs in the bunch. The result? Low-quality music that all sounds alike and tons of one-hit wonders on the airwaves.

Who can tell the difference between Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch or Vanessa Carlton? They were created to imitate each other. Why would I buy each of their CDs, when I could download "Sk8r Boi" and "Game of Love" and be done with it?

Same thing goes for Nickelback, Staind, Puddle of Mudd and all of those bands that were created to be the "new" Creed (a rip-off of Pearl Jam, anyway). And the emo/wannabe punk bands like All-American Rejects, Simple Plan and Good Charlotte? They all sound the same.

The first bit of evidence: the album sales top 10. The long-lasting sales on the charts go to groundbreaking new artists (Norah Jones, 50 Cent) or perennial favorites with proven talent (Metallica, Steely Dan, Radiohead). Those one-hit wonder bands don't stick around for long and it isn't because of downloaders - it's because they aren't that good.

The second bit of evidence: I'll bet almost all online file-traders are between 15 and 30; however, they are not the only people who listen to music. What about everyone else; why aren't they buying music?

My mom couldn't download a music file if her life depended on it, but you aren't going to catch her at a record store, either. Music isn't good enough to get her to pay that much for anything less than a "greatest hits" CD - and most of today's artists will never see one of those.

Get my point? As long as the music industry continues to charge more for putting out garbage, your sales will decline. It doesn't matter how many college kids with T1 lines you find to sue - you will still lose in the end.

This isn't a question of ethics and it isn't a statement of legality; it is a measure of quality - and you aren't delivering anymore.

E-mail [e-mail]

www.boycott-riaa.com/article/7042

[sukkafu]

2 wrongs don't make a right. stealing is stealing. if you steal something from a thief it's stealing. i haven't downloaded a song since last october and only14 of the 300 songs were ones i didn't pay for on cd, lp or cassette or 8 track. but it's still wrong. i haven't done it since and i won't . my friends sent me cd's from their album collections- they didn't download it either- and i'm not even too comfortable with that. i won't copy these for anyone else - i'd rather buy them. both the cd's i sent my friends on this board i paid on amazon or barnes and noble.new , not used.

like the article said, the public isn't buying the crud on the airwaves as much. that's how you speak your mind-with your wallet-that's the only thing these execs understand.
downloading freely won't change the industry. it'll only take the light away from the real attention needed- the quality of music and the unnecessary use of obscene language and sexual lyrics. our kids as well as us do not need trash in our heads- we have garbage cans for that! the execs will look like they're trying to protect the artists and the copyrights and not do anything about the artists that have great music and don't get airplay or contracts.
i cannot afford these new cd's or the lack of quality-
but i cannot afford to lose sleep or my soul or set the wrong example for my kids to save money. i'll do without.


i have belonged to www.bmgmusic.com for 8 yrs. i don't buy much from them-but when i do it's usually 3.99 to 5.99 for cds plus s+h and you wait 2 weeks. i got the temptations anthology from them for one of my free picks- cost me $2.99 s + h for 45 songs! new!

they make their money not on the sale of cds so much as they do on mailing lists- that's the downside. you get tons of junk mail and spam after being with a club. also they include 50 ads in every packet they mail to you.

[Lynnie]

This whole thing confuses me. Are they going after the people who upload them and make them available OR are they going after the public? It really doesn't make much sense to me to go after a bunch of children.

I am guilty of downloading every now and then. Uncle Sukka, you just made me feel bad It's sooooo hard to walk into Sam Goody and see a mediocre artist (and I use this term very generously) like, oh let's just say ASHANTI, and see them charging 20 bucks for the cd. A lot of people know she is not that talented, so they figure why buy it when I can download it? Most of her fans are little kids anyway. Did you hear her first cd? Bullcrap!! There was only one decent song on the entire thing and that wasn't one that got airplay.

I guess it's wrong, I don't know. I don't know if I agree with their idea that we should buy the music even though it's crap. It's like they are saying we don't want you to steal from us, but it's perfectly fine for us to get over on you. They are losing out, yes, and so are we. I guess both sides have valid points. And I have YET to hear a cd where ALL of the tracks rock. But I do agree about the quality of music going down the drain.

I know that I don't have to buy it, but then what? Is not buying it gonna get them to improve the quality? Is it gonna stop record labels from giving contracts to BOGUS artists/groups/rappers who can utter vulgarities faster than the little red emoticon? I highly doubt it.

[sukkafu]

lynniece- i am not judging you or what you have done!

the answer is yes- if the people don't buy the junk then the record co.'s are forced to change.

when milli vanilli was found out to be bogus lipsynch
worse than the cartoon band the archies- since that day they sold 0 records and got 0 airplay.

one of milli vanilli 's guys took his life a few yrs ago.


vanilla ice was awful and after 1 hit his next album flopped miserably and he's been trying for a comeback but nobody wants to hear him.that's 12 yrs now!

paula abdul was hot , then she got cold in a hurry as she had no real voice and she went through persoanl junk- she's back as a panelist on american idol but her music career isn't there.

sinead o'connor was hot for 1 hit then she attacked the pope and was promptly squashed musically for 12 years.

M.C. HAMMER was as hot as can be! have you heard u can't touch this lately? thought not! too legit to quit? pray? he sold millions of cds but then 10 yrs later he's been on the market.for 10 yrs.

50 cent will be gone, so will lil' kim, and all the puke out there.

sinatra, ella, tony bennett, sammy davis, barry white, luther vandross, aretha , the tempts, gladys- they lasted because of QUALITY

[Lynnie]

I agree about all those people who are on your list. But you forgot one...ASHANTI!!!


OH, and another thing!! Whoever is in charge needs to stop faking and put out other music other than what is on these stupid compilations!! That's another reason why I download. It makes no sense for there to be THREE Ruffin compilations where TWO of them have at least SEVEN of the same songs!! In the same order!! Same w/Eddie. Well, I got the worst compilation of his free from the Foundation, so that's ok. But most of them are repeats! You know how many songs I found on Kazaa of his?

It's all such a tangled web.

[Cadeho]

SUkka you're listening to the wrong stations... those songs you list play every day... including Milli Vanilli! And I thought the guy died because of an illness not suicide... but I forget...

[sukkafu]

if you hear that stuff cadeho -YOU'RE listening to the wrong stations!

[Cadeho]

*Stomps foot down*

No you are! Hmf!

[sukkafu]

the friendly cadehonut face is gone- the mean side of richmond face is now on! is that a new photo or was the other one more recent?