Swedish Record Labels See Filesharing as Virtue
While the RIAA sues its customers, and blames filesharing for the decrease in record sales, a coalition of seven independent Swedish record labels explores alternatives that make use of the Internet and filesharing technology.
The increase in music piracy is a signal that customers want something that is simply not available. High quality, DRM-free music that they can buy online for a reasonable price. Filesharing is a virtue, and the coalition of Swedish record labels understands this, as they introduce The Swedish Model. They write:
We in the music industry have shown ourselves unable to follow in this change. Some of us have even waged war against those the music is recorded for – the listeners. The rift between producers and consumers has never been bigger. “The truth is that Internet has provided us with a fantastic grey scale of possibilities! Instead of fighting back we ought to obtain learning from the daily newspaper and the computer game industries. They early realized the superiority of the internet and developed new services there.
This sounds like music to our ears. We’ve said it over and over again here at TorrentFreak, The Internet has changed the way people interact with music. Music is more accessible, more popular and cheaper to distribute. Record labels should embrace filesharing and compete with piracy instead of fighting it, and it seems like that these Swedish labels understand that.
TorrentFreak spoke with Henrik von Euler of Flora & Fauna, one of the labels participating in the initiative. We asked him what he thinks the greatest benefits of filesharing are: “Well the first thing is pretty obvious, that you can reach much larger audiences more quickly,” he said. “You bypass many of the existing power-structures and communicate directly with the listeners. It is also a very direct medium where the step from production to consumption is extremely short which is good for creativity I think. In the old days you could have an album ready and have to wait like a year or so to have it released and now you can have your music up online the same day you get the master.”
Henrik told us that he has “no beef” with The Pirate Bay, but he admits that filesharing also has its downsides. “On a personal note I find it hard to choose what to listen to”, he told us “The vast number of sites, bands etc makes me feel stressed out, like I’m always missing something. Speed and accessibility is good because it is fast and accessible but also bad because everything turns more superficial and volatile.”
Henrik was also quite clear about the lawsuits that the RIAA has started agianst music fans: “It’s insane. It can only have bad consequences. I don’t see how they can think antagonizing the listeners will help them secure any of their much desired income.”
“This is great”, says Rick Falkvinge, leader of the Swedish Pirate Party Piratpartiet. “There are creative people who think ahead. These are labels constructing a new business model. The old dinosaurs lobby politicians, sue to the left and to the right and try to control the internet. There is room for the services of a label, few musicians want to do everything themselves. But the labels must serve their musicians and their fans, not the other way around. These new labels have understood that. The future belongs to them.”
The role of the record labels will change in the future, but not entirely according to Henrik von Euler, “I think the role of the label has started to change long ago. It moves towards a more creative role much more like the art curator or such like. And also, just because artists CAN do everything themselves from production to promotion, administration etc doesn’t mean that they actually want to.”
“On another note,” says Henrik “I must add that this is hopefully the last time I will answer questions about filesharing, good or bad. It is there! Live with it. Love it, hate it, I don’t care. But please don’t for a second think that it will go away or that you can solve it like it is a problem.
Previously: MediaDefender Parent Company Facing Liquidation
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[quote comment="300801"]Copying itself is not a crime, but to prove that it is stealing, you’d have to prove intent, as well.
Since it is extremely hard to prove intent, It’s also very hard to prove copyright infringement, since whatever ‘evidence’ the prosecutor wants to use against you does not accurately prove the intent.
In order to enforce something as banal as copyright, you’d need to either know everything or live in an Orwellian society. Or be a hive mind. Since neither is possible, you can’t enforce copyright. Because in order to prove intent, you’d have to know the intent of the accused at the time of the infringement.
Assumptions go nowhere. Evidence can prove you were at the scene of the crime, but it cannot prove intent.
Until we can prove intent, the RIAA is fighting a losing battle.[/quote]
they can only prove that ip adress x downloaded a file called blabla. not who did it=)
@10 An honest thief? How refreshing! Guess what? I’m honest too but I say downloading music isn’t illegal, and all your excuses and rhetoric won’t change that. So how you gonna counter me? You can’t. If you want to believe it ok but it’s only your opinion, not a fact as you assert. I could go on to spout many reasons for my views but I’m not going to. Don’t need to.
[quote comment="299444"]Yeah obviously file sharing is beneficial as far as convenience and paying distributors to get your music out there. You can cut out a lot.
But I want to see any of the coming 70 comments or so tell me a way to utilize file sharing in a profitable way to make it WORTH making music…[/quote]
You seem genuine, and since I don’t expect you to have read every post on this site, I’ll repeat what I’ve posted elsewhere, for your benefit.
It’s already been shown that it’s far more profitable to the musician to go through a Web site or set one up and offer their work for a small cost, rather than through middlemen who retail it for $20-$40 for blind sale (unknown content).
When people see the enterprising way you are going about it, and that you are avoiding these hated labels, and you yourself are NOT greedy; that is, you offer free samples preferrably in good quality, and most importantly, offer your albums for what people can AFFORD to pay or WANT to pay, say $1-$5. You have a system in place where they can EASILY pay and then download in good quality MP3 (VBR). That doesn’t mean giving it away free, as you could still make millions on an album, and why would anyone want or need more than that?
Publicity would be easy and people would be glad to pay it if it was good. Many artists have published their own music doing it the hard way, but now it’s easier than ever. If they can’t learn and implement these basics, it’s just laziness and perhaps they don’t deserve to make money. In any case if I were a musician I’d be happy to and feel privileged to have it distributed to and enjoyed for free to a worldwide audience.
There’s other distribution methods such as what Prince did with the newspaper. Although he gave it away for “free” he still could’ve made a lot from the deal if he’d wanted to. Not saying he did tho.
Sweden, making the world a better place, one step at ta time.
Go Swedes GO!
It’s obvious that the business model for the distribution of recorded music is changing. The biggest losers are of course the IFPI, who want to maintain the status quo of exclusive licenses and copyrights, which are manifestly unfair in that they generate money for people who don’t actually write or play music!
Any forward-thinking artist realises that if the IFPI/RIAA isn’t changing its practices in line with the Digital Revolution, then it’s time to sever links with record companies and go it alone.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Radiohead above. They severed links with the IFPI when they marketed their last album independently. Obviously, millions of copies of the album were shared free of charge, but the band still made money.
One of the reasons why music doesn’t seem very good value any more is that 90% of the cost of a CD album goes on advertising/marketing/legal fees/CD duplication etc etc. With the advent of P2P, a band doesn’t NEED a record company to do these things. In the age of the iPod, we don’t need CD jewel cases, billboard advertising campaigns etc. We can just look at a website that reviews music, and then get it for nothing via P2P.
To me, it’s fairly obvious that all digital media (including software) will be free of charge at the point of use in the near future. A “respectable” site like YouTube, iTunes, or MySpace will exist, wherein mp3s will be freely available, on the proviso that downloaders will see adverts. Bands will be able to sell merchandise, run forums and promote concerts on such a site. Accepting donations would also be apposite.
It just takes a few more major bands to leave the big companies for the End Game to begin.
wow…
I wish i lived in sweden
I will paste this news in my blog on the dating site ———— Tallmeet.com ——- And as a part-time model, I uploaded my best photos, the members there said I am amazing. here are many people like me. interested in?Just search the username, you may want to check them first.
I totally agree with number 10.
And i live in sweden too :D
Lessons Learned :
1. being a musician is a hobby, not a career. musicians who try to make a living selling recorded copies of their music (any medium) are dinosaurs or delusional.
2. if 10,000 people download your album for free and 5 pay for it, that’s because your music sucks, not because the business model doesn’t work.
3. the filesharing mob will cheer on any record company that puts their music online for free download, but will also not pay them a cent.
also, FYI people it’s not a business model if you don’t have a plan to generate revenue.
Example:
Step 1 - put music online for free download
Step 2 - ???
Step 3 - profit!
….sorry, that’s not a business model, “new” or “old”
The truth is I wouldn’t buy 99.9+% of the stuff I download only have it because it is free. And if I want it bad enough I would wait for it to play on the radio and record it. With all the software for editing could build whatever I want. Many bands get it out because of the internet Hmmm and make tons playing concerts. Live with it
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