Buying music is embarrassing.
--
I’ve made a living in the music industry for the last twelve years — my entire professional life. I’m by no means calling myself a veteran, but I’ve been around long enough to know what’s real and what’s bullshit. I caught the tail end of the CD-centric business in the early 2000's and worked hard to earn my first RIAA-Certified Gold record at age 18.
Earlier this week Scott Borchetta, President & CEO of Taylor Swift’s label Big Machine Records, went on the radio show ‘Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx’ and justified his decision to keep Swift’s entire catalog off of Spotify because he never wanted to “embarrass the fan” that bought the CD when they could have streamed it for free.
Thanks for finally saying it… buying music is embarrassing.
I personally cannot remember the last time I bought a CD, or a digital download from iTunes. I make my living selling these things, but it’s not how I choose to consume music — because I know better. And because in 2014 there are better ways to experience music.
Borchetta is obviously smart (as I’m sure comparing his bank account to mine will prove), but I’m intrigued by his apparent concern about ripping off his fans. Let’s review Taylor Swift’s catalog with Big Machine Records.
- Taylor Swift (10/24/2006)
- Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition (11/6/2007)
- Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition — Target Exclusive Version (11/6/2007)
- Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition (3/18/2008)
- Fearless (11/11/2008)
- Fearless — Target Exclusive Version (11/11/2008)
- Fearless Platinum Edition (9/10/2009)
- Fearless Platinum Edition — Target Exclusive Version (9/10/2009)
- Fearless Platinum Edition — Wal-Mart Exclusive Version (9/10/2009)
- Speak Now (10/25/2010)
- Speak Now — Target Exclusive Version (10/25/2010)
- RED (10/22/2012)
- RED — Target Exclusive Version (10/22/2012)
- 1989 (10/27/2014)
- 1989 — Target Exclusive Deluxe Version (10/27/2014)
Embarrassing? I think manipulating your superfans to buy your album 3 times is embarrassing.
I get it. I’m in this business and I realize there’s more than enough space for superfans to get ‘the best of the best’ and ‘the weirdest of the weird,’ but when my wife preorders your album on iTunes, and then goes to Target to buy a deluxe CD (even though our only CD player is in our car) to get a few extra tracks, I can’t help but feel that it’s not clever, it’s not valuable, it’s manipulative.
Borchetta speaks as if he’s solved the streaming music conundrum, “give people a 30 day trial and then make them convert.”
But it simply doesn’t work.
There’s a reason that Spotify has 40 million users.
There’s a reason that Grooveshark grew to 20 million users, despite their law-ignoring business practices.
There’s a reason that after four years of trying the premium-only model, Rdio became free on the web.
There’s a reason Beats Music doesn’t release their subscriber numbers.
AND…
There’s a reason Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” video has over 270 million plays on YouTube. Yes — that same free, ad-supported version of YouTube that runs a remarkably similar business model to the free, ad-supported version of Spotify.
I agree 100% with a recent article in Wired that says “great songs are priceless, and that’s exactly why songwriters should be paid more than pennies for them.” But how? Where’s that money going to come from?
I personally don’t care where it comes from. If Honda Civic wants to sponsor a tour, or American Express wants to host a concert on YouTube, or if Kaiser Permanente wants to buy ads on Spotify — it doesn’t matter to me. Whatever enables artists to pay their bills and feed their families.
My main point of this post is not to crap on Scott Borchetta or Taylor Swift or Coldplay/The Black Keys/Radiohead or any other artists who are trying to find the best way to keep doing what they love.
My point is that the power of choice drives our entire economy. Anyone who tries to take the power of choice away from consumers (“fans”) is taking a huge step backwards and is fighting a battle they ultimately can’t win.
Let’s encourage innovation and not let the exception to all the rules (otherwise known as Taylor Swift) dictate how we chose to experience the art we love.
