Rutgers law prof Michael Carrier rebuts the RIAA's assertion — backed by laughably cherry-picked bad stats — that the number of working musicians is in decline.
Quite the contrary, the Internet has made entirely new, independent production techniques that replace much of what the labels have traditionally done, from investment to production to marketing and distribution.
Such an observation plays a large role in explaining why the record labels have called for more expansive copyright protection. Caught flat-footed by the technological revolution unleased by digital distribution and peer-to-peer (P2P) services like Napster, the labels have blamed much of their woe on copyright infringement.
This Article, written for a symposium on music and copyright, rebuts these dire proclamations. It shows that the sky is not falling for musicians. And it shows how innovations in technology have made it easier for musicians to participate in every step of the process: creation (GarageBand), distribution (Twitter, YouTube), marketing (Topspin, Bandcamp), royalty collection (CD Baby Pro, TuneCore), crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Indiegogo), and touring (Songkick, Bandsintown). The article concludes by highlighting examples of musicians forging stronger connections with their fans.
No, RIAA, It's Not the End of the World for Musicians
[Michael A. Carrier/SSRN]
(Image: Strung along, Catface 27, CC-BY)
