Blame it on the music

Charles Cooper of cnet posted an interesting perspective on the woes of the music business today. His basic premise is that “the falloff in music sales has more to do with the quality of contemporary music than with digital piracy.” He posits that the very people targeted by the major labels with top 40 singles – teenagers – are also the most likely to download music illegally. And that the labels should cater better (with oldies and indies) to other demographics that are willing to pay for music.

As one reader points out, one reason for the drop-off in sales is the trend towards single-track purchase rather than whole albums. And many disagreed with his assessment of the situation. But there’s also much to agree with in Cooper’s opinion piece – that most customers are prepared to pay for a valuable product, for example. And that “with all the high-powered MBAs in their employ, it’s hard to fathom why the music industry can’t move beyond finger-pointing and develop a more creative approach.”

Technorati Tags: music industry, digital rights management