the music industry wants to govern your internets

I’ve been meaning to blog on this for some time now. Introduction of ISP law in Malaysia? The music industry is missing the point again (yawn..) and I have to question the wisdom of their leadership. The best way to fight piracy is to find a way of benefitting from the velocity of music online.

It’s vital to our economy that we bump up internet penetration. ISP’s need new customers to keep their traffic flowing (there is a counter argument to this; on how ISP’s benefit from piracy online and thus owe their entire business model to the music industry).

Similar laws passed in other countries haven’t been all too successful either, and ISP’s have more issues to deal with than playing cop for an industry that continuously resists innovation and the opportunity to reinvent itself. RIM should be focusing on re-educating its members on the digital economy rather than trying to protect its legacy business models. And if it fails, then just like any other legacy model, it shold be allowed to die so that a new model can be built in its place. Its purely about economics.

What I’m not certain is whether or not the local music industry has the kind of thought leaders needed to reinvent itself. That is the problem, not consumer behavior.

I was in Tokyo couple weeks ago. Walking around Shibuya, heard a familiar voice from the 80’s blaring through loudspeakers. There was no way I could have not noticed. Which was the whole point. Beyonce’s new album came out that same week. How did I know? Street teams on all major street corners were giving out free Beyonce plastic bags (shopping district, get it?), next to kiosks displaying her new album. Thats right, find your audience if they don’t find you! The Japanese music industry is obviously doing something right. While record stores are shutting down everywhere else, Tokyo’s 6-story(!) Tower Records is still packed with customers. And this in the most connected nation, where mobile music has surpassed all other formats. mind boggling.
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I was in Tokyo couple weeks ago. Walking around Shibuya, heard a familiar voice from the 80’s blaring through loudspeakers. There was no way I could have not noticed. Which was the whole point.

Beyonce’s new album came out that same week. How did I know? Street teams on all major street corners were giving out free Beyonce plastic bags (shopping district, get it?), next to kiosks displaying her new album. Thats right, find your audience if they don’t find you!

The Japanese music industry is obviously doing something right. While record stores are shutting down everywhere else, Tokyo’s 6-story(!) Tower Records is still packed with customers. And this in the most connected nation, where mobile music has surpassed all other formats.

mind boggling.