Discussions about major music labels are usually vehemently negative, but there are a couple of things they do quite well. One is the ability to market an artist around the world in a very short time and within a few months create a global phenomenon. But in the wake of yesterday’s news that British ISPs have agreed to start monitoring their customers for illegally downloading music, the newspapers typically used a headline that employed the easy phrase "Music Pirates". And I realised that perhaps I was wrong about music labels and their marketing skills.
In deciding to call it piracy the labels have made the theft of music seem cool and perhaps even something to aspire to.
This is a music pirate:
Who wouldn’t want to imagine themselves looking roguish and buccaneerish like that? No, you’re right, only the truly demented. But how about his son?
It’s easy to fantasize being a pirate surfing on seas of data in search of elusive treasure like that live show of [insert favourite band here]. If you need assistance to imagine what a sea of data might look like, crack open William Gibson’s <i>Neuromancer</i>. His descriptions are more urban, but the adjectives and metaphors can be easily hijacked. You’re a pirate, after all.
The problem is, use the term "pirates" and pretty soon you have this:
Worse, they do this
That’s right, not just someone who wants to mess with you, but wants to mess with your American cultural-imperialistic ways.
But call them a music thief and the romance diminishes. Thieves rob convenience stores and mug little old ladies. Where’s the romance in that? A thief looks like this:
Let’s add ripping off my car stereo to the list of what these losers do.
So to diminish music thievery, music labels need to get wise with the marketing. Stop associating the illegal acquisition of music with guys who wear beads in their hair and swagger around galleon decks and recraft it in the image of that thieving little hoodie hanging around the street corner outside. The only person who thinks he’s cool is another thickhead. Achieve that connection and artists everywhere will rest easier, knowing that the music labels have once more protected their works and can concentrate on the business of selling to customers, not suing them.
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As funny as this is.. it actually makes sense. The name of the folder where I keep bookmarks for music downloading websites and blogs is "Arrrgh!!" ... just because I think it sounds funny. (That story is 100% true too).
The next time I download one of Jay-Z's new albums I'm going to pop open some Capt. Morgan and Priates Booty chips....
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haha you crack me up. yeah it is a glamourous concept no? music pirate? what if they called everyone music thief? you'd actually feel kind of like a criminal :)
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Great post. Agree that the pirate label is counter-productive. In fact, from my blog this week...
The GF and myself are watching NYPD Blue on DVD. At the start the piracy warning plays, the one with the rather presumptuous argument "...you wouldn't rob a car...you wouldn't steal a handbag..."
Me: That reminds me, I have to download a film for Saturday night.
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Serious question about the UK ISPs, cos right now I'm too lazy to look up the article: would they be willing or able to differentiate between "illegally" downloading new releases and music found on any number of wonderfully-written blogs?
Probably not.
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Good point. Pirates totally kick ass. But, at the same time, the word "pirate" doesn't make everything sound cool. The term "butt pirate" doesn't make me wanna rush out and...well...you get the picture.
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Nicki - I'm going to do a post on the ISPs, and this is an interesting question. I was at a summit conference type of meeting a few weeks ago in Norway with all sorts of industry and tech guys and kept asking this question. It came down to how accurate the metadata is, but no-one had an answer to music that was provided for free download by the artist.
Mr. Frost - I'll draw me a ration of Mt. Gay and join ye.
Flux - I remember this well. Personally, the presumptuousness really annoys me...'You wouldn't steal a handbag...' Oh no?! Say that in Harlesden with a straight face.
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Troy - Our paths crossed as we posted. Point taken, I get the picture.
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Good point Jonh. As everyone here already painstakingly knows, I support the artists ability to own their material, and the right to make money from it in a digital format (whether they are on a "label" or not) - and so here's to the Internet actually exposing us to more artists, and by putting money (hoepfully directly) in to the hands of artists, to give more of them the ability to at least make a living from their music.
Cheers!
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And being American, we were founded on the disrespect for patent laws! The word "Yankee" comes from a Dutch word "Jank" which translates pretty much to "pirate". This whole country was founded on the Pirate concept. What's more patriotic than a Pirate!?
Check this out, for further fuel to the importance of Pirates and invention.
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Contra - So that's the meaning of Yankee. I knew there was something about you colonials we couldn't tust.
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Never trust us! But that show teaser it pretty sweet, is it not? I gotta read that book.
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It's a good argument, though I don't agree with all of his position.
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Problem is with these ridiculous is that it treats all users as potential criminals, without probable cause. I see it as a alterior motive or agenda for their networks not being able to handle the ammount of traffic the web has, so they impose restrictions in the name of the actions of the "bad guys." Here in the US the phone and cable companies squnadered gov't subsidies to upgrade their networks in favor of corporate parachutes and stock options. Now the networks are feeble and not able to handle web 2.0+ and the YouTubes and bit torrents, and so they prepose regulating customers bandwidth. This is bullshit. My whole job depends on being able to move large files over the net. This isn't stealing music, or movies, it's moving sometimes large images over the net. I would guarantee there are millions of others in the same boat as me.
The U.S. alread has some of the highest premiums for the slowest connection speeds and least internet connect options in the world. I think all these propositions ammount to taxing us for what we already do online, while the companies sleep at the wheel of updating their infrastructure.
Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing has some interesting articles in The Guardian on these monitoring programs.
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Never thought of it like that. Good comment contra.
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As a music producer and artist, I'm in the same boat as CBW when it comes to the need to transfer large files and I'm not looking forward to billing rates for web usage being treated like adding "premium channels" on satellite TV....."please pay more".
However, regarding stealing music, this movement has deteriorated from a rebellion against labels and business to a destructive force where fans are actually now hurting artists that they love, and we're talking big time. We can read plenty of blogs about how great these artists are, but even with technology available to produce amazing music, without any sales many of them just can't keep doing it.
I've always been a rebel, and quite proud of what we were doing at CBGB's in it's prime. I still don't listen to commercial radio or buy the "manufactured product" that we're force-fed. There's a point, however, that when you look at the big picture and a rebellion's becoming counter-productive, you need to shift gears abit. The artists need your support to survive. Don't buy everything and stream whatever you want, but please support the ones you love by buying their music.
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ahoy jim lad my isp was not on the list (yet)
so shiver me timbers
cheers
ps
all of ye that die first will be the lucky one's
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I don't know that it's just music that is "devalued" in the global culture, but innovation and creativity. I do a little web design, but stay away from it because I could buy a template for $65 for a whole site. I couldn't build a website for that kind of time or money. I live in an expensive area of the country where, with a college degree, I'm struggling to make $15 an hour. $25 is the low end of my field, but no one wants to pay it. If they do want you at those prices you have to be all things graphcs related, and for some reason, know databases and backend website logistics. Missed that class at art school.
Everyone seems wants something for nothing. I admit to feeling this way sometimes too, but that's merely becasue I don't have extra income to spend on stuff. There has to be a new patronage model. In music I see either reasonable.fair pricing schemes. Touring (gas prices permitting) will be the money maker, so support those bands you like, adn pick up their CD or a T shirt while your at it. But this would also applly to clubs and promoters for the concerts, they need to be fair in their pay.
In freelance, I work hourly, only because I don't feel there's any value of what I make outside of the moment. Maybe it's cynical, maybe value will be there someday within a certain project, but for now I just treat it like work, but it is at least I have a certain amount of input into, and I can be creative with.
What's the saying?
“Fast, Cheap, and Good… pick two. If it’s fast and cheap it wont be good. If it’s cheap and good it won’t be fast. If it’s fast and good it wont be cheap.” Fast, cheap and good..."
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Hmmm...that's an interesting viewpoint. I think I'd prefer the term "music vampire" to "pirate" for sucking the blood/money out of the music industry. It's much more sinister.
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That's a sage observation, pinkerton.
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Did you hear they were going to make a movie about music pirates?
I hear it will be rated AAAARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHH!
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It's a conundrum. and there's nothing glamorous about theft unless you happen to be Robin Hood. But I'd agree with MOGger Robin. Support the musicians you like. Buy their music. See their live shows. The rest is up to you and your system of morals. BTW, contra, loved the "Fast, Cheap, and Good" proverb/aphorism. Gotta remember it for future use,
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ah c'mon! equating thief with hoodies is also unfair. maybe things really are different in the UK, but hoodies should not be criminalized. you had me all the way up until you made that comparison. i'm a hoodie bearer and proud of it and i ain't no thief...
also, pirates shouldn't be defamed by music thiefs. it's like disrespecting the pig species by comparing them to cops. pirates have a rich legacy that no music hacker could possibly survive.
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Moll, lighten up! It's a cliche in the UK that hoodies go around smashing car windows and being petty criminals. The leader of the opposition party even went so far as to say we should "hug a hoodie' to turn them from this life of crime. I was just chucking cliches around. I'm the proud wearer of a hoodie or 2 myself.
When I wrote this I was aiming for some humour and a dose of sarcasm; it surprised me when some comments responded in a serious vein. But re-reading it, I can see how it can be read that way. Interesting that when it's in a shop it's called shoplifting, but when it's in cyberspace it isn't called 'filelifting'.