Gravy train coming in to the station again...

Jun 7, 2006 at 2:41 PM
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Interesting article about how the RIAA (oh how I love thee) is now going after YouTube and Google Video users for posting unauthorized music videos. Damn... I was really enjoying the convenience of finding videos by bands that I love on YouTube, and especially posting them to Vox.

Doesn't the RIAA realize that having videos distributed this freely ultimately amounts to free advertising for the bands?? Fucking nimrods.

I wonder what this means for Vox... Once we get going strong and people are posting videos from their personal collections, will the RIAA be knocking on our door and handing out the lawsuits? Suck.

5 comments

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music nazis

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The RIAA is on my "list," inspired by a Simpson's episode, of great evils in the world. They remind me of the Chinese Communist Party: make up some ludicrous, obvious untruth; say it over and over again; make sure all media outlets regurgitate it for you; relax and enjoy how you created "truth" out of self-serving bullshit.
I'd give you some more items on my list, but I am afraid I'd make too many people angry.

it's probably different if the media is streamable and somewhat on demand, but not downloadable or otherwise redistributable like it is on youtube and google videos.

i'm no fan of the RIAA, but i somewhat see their point.

you're correct that videos have traditionally been sunk as an advertising cost, because aside from selling collections of all the videos of a bigger name artist, there was no revenue channel for them... until this year, when apple selling individual music videos through itunes. now, they've got hopes to recoup the expensive cost of producing videos.

...but they're still going to be showing the videos on mtv*. what gives?? Well, the advertiser indirectly guarantees advertising time for "good" content, like so:

(advertiser) $-> (mtv*) exposure-> (label)
^ $
| |
$ v
(consumer/fan) $-> content <-makes (producer)

Now the part the RIAA needs to get through its fat head:

1. average humans have been able to buffer anything coming into their radio ears and tv eyes since the 60's and 80's respectively, and re-experience as much as they like, until the storage media wears out.

2. technology causes quality to improve, and what was once my crappy vhs-videotaping of 120 minutes on mtv is now better quality downloading on the internet. end result remains the same: i jumped through the hoops (watching commercials or paying for cable, waiting for it to come on), and now possess the content.

Even after they accept those facts, they probably don't want us to pass content along to others in such a way that allows the new recipient to circumvent the advertising hoop at least once. however, if they made the quality content easy to obtain with the initial ad hoop, this would be a bit of a non-issue.

The itunes-style DRM restrictions could easily be used on free content merely to "guarantee" that you saw the ad.
They could even limit the number of times it can be viewed to get another ad hit (just please be aware of the frustration level of the consumer and remain below that threshold, thanks :)

Offhand, i'd rather see that world, than the alternative:
product placement inside the content. blech.

(* when I say "mtv" please assume I mean a channel that shows music videos, not one which shows spoiled american teens getting plastic surgery.)