Also as MonkeyMagic referrs to it is all about making MORE money for the BIG people while we HAVE got to abide by the SAME rules as they do.The big companies just have got lucky and make money for lots of people besides themselves. There just happens to be a big demand for MUSIC and the companies are in reality just doing buisness as we would if we were in their shoes for long enough.
There really is not a need for them to comprimise as long as they are making money, although that is one way.....reduce the quality of the music, get rid of the fancy lables, no nice containers...and you could buy more music it would not sound or look as nice.
@Dudelive - You are some what right as to the nature of the game but what ever happened to ethical standards or the morals intertwined with producing a product that derives its value not only from the utility that the end user gets; but also from the satisfaction that the supplier derives from providing that product at a reasonable price. I would not be gouging my customers while in the middle of this musical rebellion/revolution, but appeasing them with better prices. And yes, if that means getting rid of fancy lables and pretty covers that is fine with me...and hopefully all file sharers who never geta nice jewel case or the notes in the CD's, or the cool label on the disc realize that those things don't matter as much as the music itself.
As for the quality of the music, I don't think it will be any worse than the MP3's we are downloading. The same quality of music we have today was recorded in the 1950's when Elvis did his first recordings. Studios don't have to be totally state of the art to produce great music (I know as a close friend owns his own studio and independent label, which I helped to build). And as for as the cost of manufacturing CD's is concerned, AOL distributes millionsof FREE CD's with thier software on them, could they really cost that much to produce? - I doubt it.
@JackDynne - You are also very right, the market is the motivating force here and we are perpetuating the problem bu paying too much for these CD's. Regardless of how they got to be priced so high is really irrelevant, it is what we can do to lower the price that is important. And as the law of supply and demand will show, the market will determine the acceptable price of a product based upon the market's willingness to purchase said product at any guven price. Unfortunately inthe rocky times we have had, the proce elasticity of CD's is relatively high (people buy CD's when priced at varying levels, both high and low) and so as long as we keep paying the high prices, they will keep selling them for that. I want the music and I WILL pay for it AS WE ALL SHOULD, but only so long as it is reasonably priced. You would not pay $10.00 for a cheeseburger, why pay too much for music. Just like any other product, it gives 4 kinds of basic utility:
Time Utility: It is there WHEN you want it.
Place Utility: It is available at the PLACE you need it
Price Utility: It is priced so you can AFFORD it.
Transferability Utility: You can transfer it at YOUR OWN WILL
Forget these DRM issues, they are pa product of corporate greed! I say this despite my assertion that most business (including most big ones) are moral, ethical, socially responsible entities that serve us well; but not the music industry.
Let's prove these ignorant, aged fools wrong! I am not going to pay for thier trophy wives and luxuury automobiles anymore! I will not tollerate overinflated prices for already substandard music! I will pay what I demand for a product I like! The customer is (almost) always right! We should unite as customers and show them that they are wrong, and to attack us in the name of thier own protection is blasphemy and thier greed and control issues are thier own and will drive us away in perpetuity!
Thank you BetaONE for giving me the opportunity to rant.
With all respect,
Sigma Zeta 314
MBA Candidate - Fall 2004
Texas Wesleyan University
PS- Props to Professor Norwood for the insight into Utility.