RIAA "losses" a crock of sh!t?

I, Brian · 05-24-2004, 07:41 PM

Well, I'm sure we all remember the RIAA claiming that music sales were down 7% because of music piracy. It was news around the world. And it apparently justified the RIAA taking punitive actions against under-aged teenagers and old-age pensioners, for using PCs involved with file-sharing.

Excepting there was no loss of sales. In fact, sales were UP.

As with all things to do with statistics, it's all about how you present them.

Effectively, the RIAA was only counting how many units they'd shipped out to record stores - and classed this as "sales", rather than actual purchases. Because actual purchases was up, even if the RIAA companies were apparently sending out less.

So if the RIAA send out 7% less stock, but sell 10% more stock - the RIAA allegedly class this as a loss.

Read the article here:

Nielsen Rating System At Odds With RIAA's Claim Of "Lost Sales"

Mus Zibii · 06-19-2004, 12:42 AM

Did the RIAA ever have any credibility?

I, Brian · 06-19-2004, 09:24 AM

I was one of those at mp3.com that the RIAA and Vivendi-Universal completely screwed over - flattening the place through litigation (mp3.com were sued by the RIAA and various major labels -> for hosting the very tracks that the major labels had given them permission to host! But the RIAA et al won -go figure).

After that, Vivendi Universal bought the place out, pushed out us small-time muscians, then shut the place down.

mp3.com was once one of the most amazing portals for small-time musicians, but the corporate greed represented by the RIAA destroyed it. A part of me is still very bitter about that.

Quesocoatl · 06-27-2004, 08:07 AM

The way I see it, Jesus made fairly clear his personal stance with the mafia.

Heh.

As far as mine? Well, the music belongs, first, to the artists..
...and, then, to the people.

Not a bunch of thugs.

Pop artists, in general, need to stop being so greedy with their music. Especially ones that have had every break and are, now, sitting on top a pile of untold millions. Anybody who was there for Metallica in their early days knows that they suck now and it's undoubtably due to their distancing themselves from the people.

The die-hard rock and roll army thing never really did it for me.

I left behind my chance(s) to become a "rock star" for the sake of leading a ..less conspicuous... style of life.

Free mp3s? Kind of like the radio to me.

Both the Contemporary Christian and Native American music communities
have proved to be equally as stingy as their "secular" peers.

I'm not a big fan of conventional Christian music as it seems to emulate the trend more than express any genuine creativity ...although I do like a few songs by Rez Band and Mylon LeFevre. (Yes, I'm that old.) We have a Native American-based radio station coming from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation here so I get my fill of that whole stomp.

Wish they'd come out and play on the internet though.

Completely legal independent mp3 portal: www.flicast.com
(Punk/Alternative, Trip-Hop, Dark Ambience)

Warning: Not for the weak-hearted. Adult language and themes.

Quesocoatl · 07-13-2004, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I, Brian

..mp3.com was once one of the most amazing portals for small-time musicians, but the corporate greed represented by the RIAA destroyed it. A part of me is still very bitter about that.

Appears they're back up (mp3.com). I, however, have opted to participate with besonic.com, a German-based site.....and sonicgarden.com ... both great independent music sites.

Might be worth a look.