The Future of Music and the RIAA

Everybody knows Courtney Love as Kurt Cobain’s wife. Everybody knows her as the lead singer of Hole. Personally, I have nothing against Courtney Love. I used to listen to English music, but I never really listened to Hole all that much.

Courtney is more than just a performer. She’s an active participant in the fight against the RIAA. Courtney wrote quite the uncensored essay that spills truths from the RIAA. She even does a little bit of funny math for you. Makes all you people who want to start a band think twice.

I didn’t stop listening to English music because it was getting RIAA’ed and all. Mind you, I still enjoy the occasional favorite song here and there. My new music interests have just changed, that’s all. I listen to J-Pop, C-Pop, classical violin, and instrumental guitar. Sure, I’m sick of the over-commercialized Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys, but I’m sure that a lot of people are.

The RIAA isn’t the only problem. Many people think that America is what’s wrong with the world, and these people should open their eyes and wake up – this kind of political corruption is everywhere. You can’t stop it and you can’t escape it so long as money and profits exist. You think that Hamasaki Ayumi isn’t suffering? The recording industry exists in Japan too. The recording industry is everywhere. The recording industry is the reason why Avex Trax is putting out Copy Control CDs. Sooner or later, we’ll be seeing these babies everywhere, from every country. I’m not saying that MP3’s are a bad thing. They are the best thing to ever happen. I always thought that by copying MP3’s, I would not be supporting the artist unless I bought their CD, but I was WRONG. Now that I’ve read Courtney’s essay (and I strongly recommend that you do too), I realize that I wasn’t hurting anybody except for the RIAA and their over-bloated profits. WHAT THE HELL?!?!

I don’t know where I stand now. I love the artists and I want to show my appreciation for them all by buying their CD’s even though I can easily get their MP3’s, but buying their CD’s doesn’t do anything for them. A big fat zero. If anything, the best thing you can do for them is to mail the $20 it costs to buy the CD STRAIGHT to the artists themselves. To hell with the RIAA. I believe that the future of music lies in this simple idea – in order for the artists to retain their own music, they must go through independent means. When this happens, the RIAA will stop making money. If they try to lobby against their mutinying artists, it will be a moot point. The word will be spread. The RIAA will be useless without artists in THEIR industry. Artists will form their own industry – one that distributes music in a way that will both profit them and not rip us off. When this happens, I believe that CD sales will drop in price. We may even be getting more music for less money – what we buy won’t only be available on CD, but on MP3 too. Buying the CD will give you the right to download the MP3s directly off their site. MP3s will also be available for sampling music on a “try before you buy basis”, only on more flexible and legitimate terms. However, such a feat will be hard. Everybody will have to stand up at once. The artists can’t be afraid of change and must be prepared to forge into new, uncharted territory. Most of all, we, as the fans, have to support them every step of the way.