A Modest Proposal
Late night celeb Steven Colbert likes to point a finger at the camera and gloat, "I called it!" whenever one of his musings is adopted by the popular news media. Tonight I get to celebrate my own "I called it!" moment. After dinner, my buddies and I were discussing online music and the cost of mp3 downloads from iTunes. We not only lamented the still-t00-steap price of $0.99 per song, but also the fact that you don't fully own a song once you've downloaded it -- you can only play it on a limited number of computers and you are unable to burn it onto a CD. I suggested that 10 cents per song was a more reasonable price to pay for music. At this rate, you could download entire albums in the $1 price range. We surmised that people would spend just as much money on their music -- they'd just purchase way more of it, which would lead to greater exposure for up and coming bands that are usually an unproven gamble and generally not worth the current going rate on iTunes.
I CALLED IT! Not an hour after our discussion, CNN posted this story on its home page:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/06/02/cheap.tunes.ap/index.html
The story details an alleged piracy website from Russia called www.allofmp3.com. The site is very professionally arranged and even pirates the iTunes logo, calling it "allTunes." And how much do they charge per song download? Approximatley 10 cents. Thus, entire albums cost in the $1-2 range. You really need to see this website -- the current picture on the home page is of the Dixie Chicks' new album cover. They even have a ton of the punk bands that I listen to! Perhaps we should utilize this site before it gets shut down. Even better, perhaps the American music industry should take a giant hint and get with the program!
JLo: "Almost flamboyant St. Petersburg is designed around a series of canals and rivers. Bereft of the Soviet breezeblock style architecture that characterises so many of Russia’s cities, the city is jam-packed with grandiose palaces and stately buildings. The world-famous Hermitage art collection at the Winter Palace remains St. Pete’s top culture-vulture attraction. The palaces and stately homes of the aristocratic tsars Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof are also worth seeking out. Enjoy a guided tour of the city’s key areas, with the rest of the day to explore or chill-out."
Music of the Moment: "Dead Man's March" by Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers
I CALLED IT! Not an hour after our discussion, CNN posted this story on its home page:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/06/02/cheap.tunes.ap/index.html
The story details an alleged piracy website from Russia called www.allofmp3.com. The site is very professionally arranged and even pirates the iTunes logo, calling it "allTunes." And how much do they charge per song download? Approximatley 10 cents. Thus, entire albums cost in the $1-2 range. You really need to see this website -- the current picture on the home page is of the Dixie Chicks' new album cover. They even have a ton of the punk bands that I listen to! Perhaps we should utilize this site before it gets shut down. Even better, perhaps the American music industry should take a giant hint and get with the program!
JLo: "Almost flamboyant St. Petersburg is designed around a series of canals and rivers. Bereft of the Soviet breezeblock style architecture that characterises so many of Russia’s cities, the city is jam-packed with grandiose palaces and stately buildings. The world-famous Hermitage art collection at the Winter Palace remains St. Pete’s top culture-vulture attraction. The palaces and stately homes of the aristocratic tsars Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof are also worth seeking out. Enjoy a guided tour of the city’s key areas, with the rest of the day to explore or chill-out."
Music of the Moment: "Dead Man's March" by Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers
posted by Yours Truly at 10:11 PM
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