Content is not King

Posted by rbolaw on September 6, 2014 at 06:42:04

The premise of the article below, published in the early days of the internet (2001), is that people are willing to pay far more for connectivity than for content. There is a brief but telling discussion of the music recording industry in which the author suggests that an advertising funded internet distribution system as we see being attempted now in Spotify would be more viable and efficient than the existing system of CD sales (Napster had recently become big news). Ed.: Telecommunications systems and the internet itself, otoh, are far too expensive to be funded by advertising alone.

One could take issue with certain of the arguments and predictions (ain't no such thing as a perfect crystal ball) but the basic thesis expressed in the snappy title has proved out, in my opinion. For years, the recording industry has obsessed with content and underestimated the importance of connectivity, greatly to its detriment.

Content is Not King (Open in New Window)

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Topic - Content is not King - rbolaw 06:42:04 09/06/14 (18)

People Pay For Access, Not Content! Oh no, not AGAIN! - Ivan303 10:10:20 09/06/14 (11)

To a certain extent it's semantics - David Smith 10:34:48 09/06/14 (10)

From your original post on the link below.... - Ivan303 10:52:12 09/06/14 (9)

RE: From your original post on the link below.... - David Smith 11:05:10 09/06/14 (8)

And yet of the FIVE differing plans offered by Spotify... - Ivan303 11:10:59 09/06/14 (7)

RE: And yet of the FIVE differing plans offered by Spotify... - David Smith 11:21:00 09/06/14 (6)

Actaully, the reason I started paying the $10/month. . . - Chris from Lafayette 13:57:29 09/06/14 (5)

And you'd pay PLENTY more for Lossless FLAC... - Ivan303 14:44:16 09/06/14 (4)

Looks as if Qobuz is going to have some competition in the CD-quality streaming wars - Chris from Lafayette 20:03:35 09/06/14 (3)

Don't tell David Smith.... - Ivan303 20:33:49 09/06/14 (2)

Yeah - I noticed the "deal" that US listeners will get compared to UK too [nt] - Chris from Lafayette 12:07:00 09/07/14 (1)

Yeah, maybe QOBUZ will be cheaper once it comes to the US... - Ivan303 16:03:42 09/07/14 (0)

RE: Content is not King - David Smith 08:37:17 09/06/14 (5)

RE: "the perceived value of digital products is much, much lower than physical ones."... - Ivan303 10:12:32 09/06/14 (0)

RE: Content is not King - rbolaw 08:52:18 09/06/14 (3)

RE: Content is not King - David Smith 09:00:36 09/06/14 (2)

Here's an idea for you! - rbolaw 09:16:17 09/06/14 (1)

Not a bad one - David Smith 09:51:21 09/06/14 (0)

Content is not King

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