Son of Napster

Cringely has a propsoal for something that might work out for both the music industry and consumers both. A "Son of Napster" concept.

Here it is:
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20030724.html

What do you think?
4,400 views 6 replies
Reply #1 Top
i think this sounds like a great idea.... if i was 18 i would think about buying a share in this company if it came to be one... Except all those numbers seem huge.. how much would Snapster be making off all this?
Reply #2 Top
One could argue that to have a legal right to download cds you would have to have a controlling interest in this new company. How are you going to give a controlling interest (share of the company > 50%) to all who want to take part in this venture?
Reply #3 Top
If I understand this scheme correctly, it's just clever theft. The artist goes from getting a miniscule percentage of CD sales to virtually nothing at all. Only winner snapster and the thiefs using it. I doubt it would stand up to legal challenge anyway.

What we need is a service that provides music downloads cheap and shares the revenue with the artist. And by cheap I mean about half of what Apple is charging (about 50 cents a single, $5 an album). There are no manufacturing costs, this should be reflected in the cost.
Reply #4 Top
hmmmm... I thought what he put up as the new Napster is good and I don't understand how it would hurt the artists or thier profits if your still buying the record. (unless your saying that once they are bought now all anyone has to do is copy it from Son of Napster... but I am sure there can be a provision for the artists to get a share of the sales for each download... but that might make a legal loop hole for the RIAA)


I think this could be a new business model based on the technology that if available. The system, if implemented, can be far reaching and provide music fans and artists more leverage on how music is used.
Reply #5 Top
Oh and as far as price goes, .50 for a individual song seems very low; almost too low. In the US a bag of chips costs 25 cents. What your saying is for 2 bags of chips I can have a song that I can here over and over again (that I like no less because I wouldn't have downloaded it if I didn't)

This is music. Allot of work went into it. Many people do not see it that way for some reason, I feel because this and many other societies focus more on analitical skills, memory, and how fast you can do something correctly then art.


Art is easy. Right?

I do not agree with .50 a song Nevertheless, supply and demand will rule the day.

.99 cents is just fine. 7.99 - 11.99 for a whole album sounds better also.
Reply #6 Top
I think it sounds good. Perhaps the music artists could get some shares for Free after all they do the singing and writing of the music.?
It's just a thought..