* Non-journalism related.
I want to wander from journalism and media for a bit into another passion of mine: music.
This headline — New scheme could boost online music services in Europe — caught my attention because it deals with a problem that, if fixed internationally, will put more of my money into the pockets of the music labels.
The story I linked to is about the possibility of a single licencing regime for all of Europe, rather than the current country-by-country approach to getting music distribution rights. While it may not make sense to those who control music distribution and who are trying to milk dry the dying cow of the current system, it seems like a no-brainer to this music fan. Make the music easily available and people will buy it.
Oh that things could be that simple here in Canada. A lot of the music I listen to — or at least that I want to listen to — comes out of Europe. And to get my hands on a lot of it, I need to order CDs from overseas. (Which means my money goes overseas.)
I’d prefer to buy the music online. I like downloads. I pay for downloads.
But I noticed, last year, that two CDs I picked up in Barcelona didn’t show up at any of the download sites I can access until six months later, when they were “officially” released in North America. I’m still waiting for the North American release of several CDs that have now been out for more than a year in their home country. Given that these are not high-profile artists, it’s unlikely I’ll see them any time soon.
This makes no sense to me. I understand in olden days, releasing a foreign (and foreign language) CD in North America was a gamble. There had to be a market to meet the costs of translating the packaging, etc. But in a digital world, those costs are vanishingly small and you don’t need a standing market of willing buyers.
Why can’t licensing be made simple enough to spread access, which will increase sales?
