Ha! As if Mr. McGuinness cares much about a slag from Mashable. The piece “If Free is the Enemy of Good, Then Color Me Bad” is just about as useful as most of the useless web 2.0 companies covered or Top 100 lists compiled by the rag. The post nevertheless proved valuable as it led me to a CNET interview with U2 manager Paul McGuinness.

And here is the crux of McGuinness’ argument:

“But if the technology you develop prevents artists from being remunerated then there’s something wrong with it. I’d like to get a moral tone into the discussion. I think there is a big moral question for civilization. It’s not good enough to say that the Internet is free to all and there should be no restrictions on its use.” - Paul McGuinness (Read Full Interview)

Before adding my two cents, I’d like to further frame the debate with an unrelated quote:

“I believe in arts and culture and I believe far from being a luxury item they are a necessity in our lives, and first of all I think that can be said - that we need the arts for our common good, both as people and as nations. Because countries may go to war but it’s culture that unites us.” - Kevin Spacey, speaking on PBS’ Tavis Smiley (Watch Full Interview)

We may finally be at a point where we can look at this issue without having to point fingers. Truth be told, everyone is to be blame for the demise of the music industry. Record labels, fans, technology companies, concert promoters, ticketing agencies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), political bodies, and the like have failed to band together with common cause. Though, we might be better off that being the case.

All up, it is the lack of leadership that did us in. The underground economy hasn’t changed much since the Napster days in the sense that there will always be someone trying to game the system—especially in the globalized, borderless environs of the internet. The world of internet start-ups is no different.

Portable music devices and shifts towards mobile are changing the game by adding layers of convenience that will require consumers to play by the rules. The same can be said for digital storefronts like iTunes that deliver quality services at affordable rates, albeit monopolistically so at the moment. This momentum doesn’t necessarily mean that artists are being treated or compensated fairly but we might be able to agree that technology has the potential to close that gap over time. Flexible web platforms will prove pivotal towards empowering artists of all sizes.

While it is true that acts like The Beatles, Elvis, and U2 “caught the imagination of nearly everyone in the world”, as Paul McGuinness states, it might also be fair to assume that those days are gone. I too long for the nostalgic unity that comes from being surrounded by 20,000 other fans of a given band at a live gig. But let’s face it: there aren’t many great mainstream bands anymore that can carry massive tours—let alone do them without lip-synching. The great acts, it may very well be, no longer wish to be polished or speak to politically safe issues of the day. Challenging the status quo used to be an asset. Now, it isn’t.

It was funny when musicians used to slag music executives but corporations needed musicians to increase their revenues. It was tit for tat. Somewhere in between the internet facilitated piracy, gig ticket prices went through the roof, and American Idol created false music Gods. Sure Guitar Hero might yield a new crop of musicians in a decade from now—but the verdict is out on that one. It is ultimately labels that failed to deliver quality music to our collective ears.

I would conclude that the battle for “hearts and minds” has effectively been lost. Regardless of who is to blame in the past for music industry troubles, there are now but two groups left to lead the charge for change: musicians and fans. We must hope that musicians harness the digital ropes and that fans have the wherewithal to support their favourite artists. Theft is the great shame of wealthy first world countries. New business and distribution models must grow organically from the ashes—unless of course record labels get their acts together to shape a new paradigm that serves both fans and musicians in a way that is more inclusive than systems of yore.

As far as the argument for “free” music, that’s certainly a losing battle. A lot of people in the chain need a piece of the pie and artists especially deserve compensation for their creativity and work that we so admire. Anyone that’s ever been in business knows that nothing is free. Let’s just hope someone picks up the tab to lead the charge.

Filed under: Social Media, Politics, The Future, Music Industry, Strategy

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