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The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy : Mailing List : 1999

mp3 and CD burning

From: Al Avery 5 <avery_at_mediaone.net>
Date: Tue 24 Aug 1999 - 05:23:26 PDT


Pat-

Is this really a comment from you?

<< I fear a flood of MP3 bootlegs over the next couple of years.

    If this occurs there will be absolutely no point in anybody trying to     arrange for the re-release of these albums ever. Everyone who wants a copy     will be able to have one. For free. Which would mean that I had already made

    my last dollar from my record-making career. I can't be expected to be happy

    about that. >>

You have to realize that this technology is not going to go away. Even if regulations were to be made the likelihood that it would be able to affect the market on a worldwide scale is next to impossible. I think the mp3 (and CD burning) technologies are exciting for both the recording artist and the listener and those that learn to embrase it and USE it will gain the most. I believe that fighting and worrying about it will be a waste of time and energy which could be better used to figure out how to use it to your best advantage.
A previous email from J.Christopher had it correct when said that most would gladly pay for the commercial releases even if we owned taped/burned versions. I don't believe that the percentage of people dupping recordings on to CD will be any greater than those now dupping on to tape. We're all going to end up using the technology sooner or later -so the sooner you can figure out how best to use it to further your recording career the better off you'll be. Traditional recording artist, record company contracts sucked, I think we all agree on this point (except maybe the record companies). Now is the time to redefine the relationship with both the record companies AND the consumer. I'm sure you'll find plenty of people glad to help setup www.pat-fish.com. Obviously you won't be able to re-release old material right away, but get people interested in the new and they flock to the old stuff. And at some point you can buy your masters back and re-release them and we will all support you by buying the re-releases!

Al A. Received on Tue Aug 24 05:32 PDT 1999