Global music sales fell 10% in 2007. In the U.S. alone, sales were down 15%. Surprisingly, legal downloading is growing worldwide and global digital sales were up by 40% for whole albums and 53% for single track downloads in the same period. The International trade organization, IFPI meeting in London concluded that tens of billions of illegal files were swapped in 2007 with the ratio of unlicensed tracks downloaded to legal tracks sold, at about 20 to 1. Digital sales now account for 15% of the global music market compared to zero in 2003. In the U.S., online and mobile sales now account for 30% of all revenues. Clearly the decline in overall sales is not the result of legal downloading or retail purchases...
The recommendation of the IFPI is for the countries of the world to get tough on piracy and illegal downloading by calling on Internet service providers to take more responsibility for illegal file sharing by either disconnecting those who repeatedly upload music or by preventing illegal tracks from being downloaded. France and Belgium have already implemented such a plan while Britain is being fought by Internet providers in their effort, something that would happen here too...
Just yesterday CBS announced that they will expand their Internet music service, Last.fm (http://www.last.fm/) to allow users to listen to any song on their computer whenever they want, up to three times. But and this is a big but, the music cannot be downloaded to a portable player, like an iPod. Song downloads will be offered through a link to music stores, including Apple's iTunes and Amazon.com. Ultimately, Last.fm will offer users the chance to buy a monthly subscription allowing them to listen to songs as many times as they want. Kind of like a netflix deal without owning the music. I tested Last.fm this morning by typing Alicia Keys name and instantaneously, there was a track from the number one album in the country...
This is a good idea but it needs tweaking. Instead of offering more listens per subscription, why not just include ownership of the music for the subscription price???
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1848] Solid Gold: James W. Marshall discovers a gold nugget at Sutter's Mill in northern California. The discovery will lead to the gold rush of '49...
- 1888] The right type: The typewriter ribbon is patented by Jacob L. Wortman who proceeds to lead a symphony orchestra by playing on a typewriter: http://youtube.com/watch?v=hT_q3QRFeN0 ...
- 1899] Step on it: Humphrey O'Sullivan patents the rubber heal...
- 1922] You scream, I scream: Iowan Christian K. Nelson patents the Eskimo Pie. He decides to change corn, the original ingredient, to ice cream. True...
- 1965] 'Happy Trails': Winston Churchill passes away in London, the results of an earlier stroke. Churchill was 90...1993] Retired Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall dies from heart failure at 84...
- 1980] Buy low, sell high: Original Mets owner Joan Whitney Payson sells the team to Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon for a reported $21.1 million, the most ever paid for a major league franchise at the time. In 2002 Wilpon will get full control of the team, buying Doubleday's shares...
- 1989] Electric avenue: Confessed serial killer Ted Bundy is put to death in Florida's electric chair for the 1978 kidnapping and killing of 12-year old Kimberly Leach. A look inside the mind of Ted Bundy: http://youtube.com/watch?v=z7-QO50tw8A ...
- 1994] A Krafty buy: New England businessman Robert Kraft buys the Patriots for $172 million. During his tenure as owner, the Pats have won 3 Super Bowls and have a good shot at a 4th on February 3rd. When he took over as owner the Patriots had a losing record...
- 1995] Marcia, Marcia, Marcia: The prosecution, lead by Marcia Clark, gives its opening statement in the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial. Here's Marcia and the Dancing Ito's on Jay Leno's 'Tonight Show': http://youtube.com/watch?v=XQPVA2bGsB4 ...
- 2003] My coloring book: The Department of Homeland Security begins operations under Tom Ridge...
Music Memories:
- 1962] The Beatles' skipper: Brian Epstein becomes the Beatles' manager. Brian cleans up their image by putting them in suits...
- 1970] Gunned down: James 'Shep' Sheppard (Heartbeats, Shep and the Limelites) is found murdered in his car on the Long Island Expressway. One of the best of the young R&B groups, here they are (audio w/slides) with one of their biggest hits: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bb18S0Dy_Ps ...
- 2003] Going to Hall: Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Peter, Paul & Mary's "Blowin' in the Wind" are among 21 new additions to the Grammy Hall of Fame...
Commentary:
For all of the Alan Freed fans, what I should have included in yesterday's mention of the 22nd anniversary of the 1st Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction in 1986 was the induction of the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll'. That induction was done by none other than Norm N. Nite...Having been there I always wondered what people thought of the importance of a radio program director's role. I always felt it was for others to offer an opinion, so I'll offer mine. Jim Ryan is leaving WLTW (Lite FM) in New York after an incredible run of 11 1/2 years as PD. When he exits in May, he will leave a station that's been number one over the last decade with 5 million listeners a week, according to Arbitron's new PPM measurement. He got the numbers back after a dip suffered last year. Ad billings are closer to $100 million than $50 million. Jim Ryan, who will consult Lite after he leaves, had a simple game plan: create 'top 40 for adults'. I put Jim Ryan right in back of Joe (WCBS-FM) McCoy for the best program director of all-time in New York City. Joe wins by doubling the longevity of Ryan. To Jim, take a rest. You deserve it...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":Mischa Barton (22), Tatyana Ali (29), Mary Lou Retton (40), Nastassja Kinski (47), Yakov Smirnoff (57), Aaron Neville (67), Neil Diamond (67), Ray Stevens (69) http://youtube.com/watch?v=vc0MJeZPeh4 , Orel Roberts (80), Marvin Kaplan (84) and Ernest Borgnine (91)...
Timeline Countdown: 10 days until Super Bowl XLII, 18 down and 1 to go for the Patriots and 21 days until pitchers and catchers report voluntarily...
