Free - as a business model

[elser]

Yes, intellectual property is something that should be discussed (maybe it already is) in schools so kids get used to the concept early.I think most of the people who are taking music and software without paying for it would not do the same if it were a CD or a piano. When you steal a hardware piano then you have the piano and the person who had the piano doesn't have it anymore. Most people wouldn't do that. But when it's a software piano, you can steal it, and the other person still has theirs.So we need to engender a sensitivity among consumers for the people who make software pianos and who make music. We are sensitive to ownership when it comes to a persons physical property, now we need to create the same sensitivity towards a persons intellectual property.

[fusilierb]

Jul 26, 2009, 3:41pm, fretnoise wrote:Yes, intellectual property is something that should be discussed (maybe it already is) in schools so kids get used to the concept early.I think most of the people who are taking music and software without paying for it would not do the same if it were a CD or a piano. When you steal a hardware piano then you have the piano and the person who had the piano doesn't have it anymore. Most people wouldn't do that. But when it's a software piano, you can steal it, and the other person still has theirs.So we need to engender a sensitivity among consumers for the people who make software pianos and who make music. We are sensitive to ownership when it comes to a persons physical property, now we need to create the same sensitivity towards a persons intellectual property.I think we've come to the heart of the matter.B

[guscave]

Great way of putting it Elser. No matter how many times we say it, the general public won't ever see illegal downloading as stealing because the owner of the intellectual property still has his copy. In fact he may never know it was stolen in the first place.So the question is, what's next?

[Pinkstar]

Very interesting subject. I've been reading and learning a lot about the new concept of giving music away for FREE. While I don't like the idea of giving all my music away for free, I understand that I can't stop people from downloading it for free. People do what they want and if they want it for free, they'll get it. We have to find a middle ground, a win/win for all involved. I agree Mazz, most don't understand nor do they care what intellectual property really is or means, as well as the process and costs involved in making and producing quality music.If we were to say, go to your 9-5 for free. No pay. I'm sure no one would agree to that.It's not free to get an album mixed and mastered or hire a PR company but it's ok to hand the final product over at no charge. hmmmmmmm...something ain't right.I think we are all guilty of using mostly FREE stuff; we've kinda gotten used to it. (I keep checking the mall but they still charge for cool clothing....) The difference is, that most websites like myspace and facebook make all their money with ads and sponsors, which is cool and probably the way we're heading as artists.I personally don't buy CD's anymore but I do buy individual songs on Itunes, it seems more convenient to me to just spend 0.99 cents than search for a free song plus I only buy the songs I like; rather than a whole CD with only one good song on it. So I think it all comes down to writing great, amazing songs and using powerful tools like twitter, facebook, youtube and myspace to spread the word and create interest and demand. Selling an awesome song for only a dollar is still realistic, it's just a matter of having enough ppl on the mailing list to make a decent amount (10% of the people will buy)The future? I guess for us musicians/artists, Film and TV placements is one of the best ways to get hype and exposure resulting in a bigger fanbase that will buy shirts, special limited CD's and other merch items, even mp3's. (When one of our tracks was on the MTV Realworld our digital sales went up big time). Especially for bands; besides film/tv placements I'd say Sponsorship, Endorsements and Product Branding/cross promotion/joint ventures are the way to go and help support a tour. They say "touring is essential in building a fanbase and selling merch" however; I've toured and it costs money to buy a reliable van, gas, food, clothing, sometimes hotels, and also making merchandise in the first place. While it can be frustrating at times, I think, there's more opportunity out there than ever before, it's just a matter of cracking the code, being unique and doing something slightly different from the rest; always involving the fans.The thing is "FREE" doesn't have any value. Perception is Reality. We have to find new ways to create value. Something that is limited and special, creating a demand. When we toured with a well known act, we had to match our merch prices with theirs, so instead of charging $10 for a shirt we had to charge $20. We sold more merch than ever before. Go figure.Solution? Like Debrah says, give 'em what they want, something for FREE and get an e-mail, some info, let 'em get a taste and if they like it, they'll be back and spend their money.Sounds easy doesn't it? lol And the journey of "FREE for a small fee" shall continue.xoxoJVB

[mazz]

If you give them a "free" song and they have to give you their e-mail address in return, then it really isn't "free", even though no money has changed hands. In this new world, an e-mail address can be potentially turned in to money (and no, not by selling it to someone else!, that's not cool, IMO). The definition of currency is broadening to mean "numbers of people on my friends/twitter/mailing list" but all of that still needs to be turned in to money at some point, as you said.Radio has never been "free". A listener has agreed to put up with a certain amount of commercials in exchange for a "free" listening experience. If you don't want commercials then guess what, you can "pay" for a subscription to satellite radio or whatever.I listen to Pandora sometimes at work and now I get ads from Whole Foods coming through. And guess what, it specifically mentions "Your friendly neighborhood San Francisco Whole Foods", because it knows where my computer is. Money has to change hands at some point, until we do away with money and go back to chickens and cows or something similar.Next time someone wants your CD for free, ask them to come over and help you wash the dishes or clean the house for 30 minutes or so and then you'll be glad to give them a CD. Some form of energy has to be exchanged for commerce to happen. There is no such thing as "free". The air is "free" but you still have to exert some energy to take advantage of it. That's my theory, anyway.Mazz

[Pinkstar]

I totally agree. Well put! xoxox xoxoJ