Jim Griffin, consultant to Warner Music, has said he believes a new method of royalty distribution is necessary for artists to receive money for their music.
Speaking in an interview with Arstechnica, Griffin believes a system of blanket royalties should be in place, similar to that radio stations pay to cover royalties to artists.
Voluntary
He is backing a voluntary scheme, where a central pot of money is collected, perhaps by ISPs tacking an extra cost on to the price of broadband, and then distributing that using data on users listening habits.
The move would have radical implications to the music industry, as users would suddenly have access to almost every song made if all labels signed up to the scheme.
However, issues such as who owns the download if the subscription stops being paid, and what happens if some bands don't sign up to the scheme, still cloud the issue.
Basically, the premise is to hand over control of the music to the users; by letting them pay the money then decide how much they want to listen to, the whole thing could allow digital music to be properly monetised.
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we7steve
August 25th
1. It is always good to see new business models emerging and it will be interesting to see how this one develops. Consumers are in the driving seat and are in a position to be able to demand which format, which music and how much or whether they want to pay for it. With the recent MOU signed by the government, the music industry and ISPs, it is clear that all three are already intent on working towards the same end - creators being properly compensated for their work and consumers getting the music they want, how they want it.
Steve Purdham
CEO - We7
http://www.we7.com
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