Is the Music Industry in a Crisis?: An Article Critique of Up on Downloading
Lisa Abberger
Dr. Claire Roof
Abberger 1
English 111 03B
04 Sept. 2013
Is the Music Industry in a Crisis?
In Elaine’s McArdle’s essay “Up on downloading,” three Harvard Law school
Professors William Fisher III, Charles Nesson and Jonathan Zittrain come together to discuss solutions for illegal downloading of music. In this essay,the music industry claims it has a money crisis. (McArdle 1) I think perhaps it is really a marketing and a technology issue. The music industry has so many more resources now then it has ever had in the past. One of its biggest resource is Itunes. This should be a great resource to market and sell music. The music industry should not have any type of money problems. The industry needs to use their resources more creatively and effectively in order to get the most out of it.
In Professor Charles Nesson’s model “Speed Bumps,” he proposes making legal downloading of music cheap and attractive and dimishing the quality of illegal downloaded music (McArdle 1). I agree with Professor Nesson’s, I think if the music was cheaper to download that more people would pay for their music instead
of doing it illegally. There are many ways to make music affordable for downloading
Abberger 2
while allowing the music industry to make a profit as well. People love to get bargins or even better get things for free. If the music industry remembers that they will get out of there money crisis easily. I think if Itunes ran monthly specials like my current grocery store they would get more sales and loyal customers. For example if they had a buy one and get one free sale on songs or even reduced prices for older or not as popular songs they would earn more revenue.
In this essay, Zittrain anticipates a situation where people are paying money on a bulk subscription model (McArdle 1). Itunes could have different levels of subscriptions such as you can be one of the first ones to get new releases first or downloaded so many
Dr. Claire Roof
Abberger 1
English 111 03B
04 Sept. 2013
Is the Music Industry in a Crisis?
In Elaine’s McArdle’s essay “Up on downloading,” three Harvard Law school
Professors William Fisher III, Charles Nesson and Jonathan Zittrain come together to discuss solutions for illegal downloading of music. In this essay,the music industry claims it has a money crisis. (McArdle 1) I think perhaps it is really a marketing and a technology issue. The music industry has so many more resources now then it has ever had in the past. One of its biggest resource is Itunes. This should be a great resource to market and sell music. The music industry should not have any type of money problems. The industry needs to use their resources more creatively and effectively in order to get the most out of it.
In Professor Charles Nesson’s model “Speed Bumps,” he proposes making legal downloading of music cheap and attractive and dimishing the quality of illegal downloaded music (McArdle 1). I agree with Professor Nesson’s, I think if the music was cheaper to download that more people would pay for their music instead
of doing it illegally. There are many ways to make music affordable for downloading
Abberger 2
while allowing the music industry to make a profit as well. People love to get bargins or even better get things for free. If the music industry remembers that they will get out of there money crisis easily. I think if Itunes ran monthly specials like my current grocery store they would get more sales and loyal customers. For example if they had a buy one and get one free sale on songs or even reduced prices for older or not as popular songs they would earn more revenue.
In this essay, Zittrain anticipates a situation where people are paying money on a bulk subscription model (McArdle 1). Itunes could have different levels of subscriptions such as you can be one of the first ones to get new releases first or downloaded so many
Cited: McArdle, Elaine. “Up on Downloading.” Harvard Law Bulletin 2008. Print Retrieved on August 22,2013. web