Eric Soroos: "How can you tell when a network executive is lying? His lips move." [Scripting News]

Eric points out that this quote is from the television show Max Headroom.  Have you watched Max Headroom reruns recently?  It's actually quite a shock.  The show featured a dystopian future vision of a society completely out of balance.  The rights of the powerful content companies overpower those of the beleaguered citizens.  The content providers exert more and more control over content consumers: television off switches are outlawed.  The political system becomes increasingly intertwined with the content industry: the networks are directly involved in passing laws and in elections.  As the system spirals out of control, opposition is increasingly marginalized, oppressed and persecuted.

Any of this sound familiar?

11:24:26 AM   

Washington Post: "The most downloaded album in Internet history -- the recently released 'The Eminem Show' -- is also the best-selling album of the year, which suggests that at least some fans were spurred to buy the disc even though they already had it stashed on their hard drives." [Scripting News]

I know it's impolite to say, "I told you so," but I'm on record as predicting this.  Product marketing isn't a zero-sum game.  Internet distribution of an artist's work doesn't subtract from regular sales.  It spurs interest, which increases sales. 

We're in a recession right now.  It's remarkable that even in an economic downturn the Internet can positively influence record sales.  That's an advantage to whoever uses the Internet to market music.  The big record companies should be falling over themselves implementing 'Net-based promotions. 

Three quarters of every new album should be available for free on the 'Net before the official release.  The free music should include links to collateral marketing material where fans can buy the new album, the artist's entire back catalog (regardless of who owns the rights) and merchandise.  Sales would skyrocket.  Give your customers what they want.

9:10:34 AM