Tuesday, November 13, 2007

From Apple to Radiohead: File Sharing and PR

At the Music PR session with Michelle Roche she brought up the use of file sharing and its effects on the Music Industry. She specifically referenced Radiohead and their experiment with putting their newest CD online for people to download, with the stipulation "Give us what you want".

It didn't work.

Within hours of the CD being placed on the website, thousands of media sharing websites were widely distributing it, and no one had yet to pay a dime.

This is the music industries biggest struggle with the advancing technology of new media. Roche mentioned that the industry is now paying the price for not realizing what Apple did regarding free downloads on the Internet.

As a result the profits being made are dropping every quarter. That's quite a gloomy outlook for people interested in PR of the music industry. However, I have confidence that with the talented peers I've come across at my two semesters in Grady, there might just be hope for the Music Industry after all. In the very least, bands are still in need of booking and publicity of all kinds. BUT! If you think you have an idea on preventing the continuous loss of money- don't shy away from putting it out there!! Who knows you might just become the next Steve Jobs!!

Check out Michelle Roche's website for more on Music in PR. And GET INVOLVED if you aren't already.

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