Record labels and Hollywood studious loose hundreds of millions of dollars each year to pirated content. They have been trying to fight this, using various tactics, such as RIAAS’ legal threats and DRM initiatives, mostly unsuccessfully.
Instead of fighting it, why not monetize on it?
The other day I had an idea for a service, which scans your hard-drive for content such as music and movies, builds a list of all the content that you have on your computer, and offers you the same content for legal download, for a fraction of price, that it would otherwise cost you.
What you get:
– Your favorite albums/movies in best quality, DRM free, each with all kinds of additional goodies
– Unmatched price. Instead of 1 cent per song, let’s say 1 cent per album.
– Good feeling
What copyright owners get:
– Millions of dollars from people that would not pay otherwise
A point could be made, that it would look bad to people that actually buy music and movies for the full price. They would feel cheated.
Main obstacle for this service, is of course persuading record labels to go along with this. Only large companies, such as Apple or Google could negotiate such terms.
But this only proves me, that innovative approaches to make money on digital content can be found.
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Liked the idea!Maybe making it a one-time or limited-time offer would work, even with those who bought at full-price, because it’s not for-good.But, then again – what happens with the scanned content, what if you don’t want to buy everything you already have.Are you talking about a way to avoid a law suite, or a full-time-service.If this is the case, why shouldn’t I just pirate the content and then use this service.There is some truth in the core of the idea, but the overall isn’t complete yet.Let’s try and develop the idea further.Take a look at services like Muziic and myspace music (which is available in the US only) which look to monetize on streaming media, by providing you to buy the music, or link the specific music label as the affiliate for the next transaction you perform.This way the company gets the money, without any special action from you, except playing your favorite tracks 🙂
Liked the idea!
Maybe making it a one-time or limited-time offer would work, even with those who bought at full-price, because it’s not for-good.
But, then again – what happens with the scanned content, what if you don’t want to buy everything you already have.
Are you talking about a way to avoid a law suite, or a full-time-service.
If this is the case, why shouldn’t I just pirate the content and then use this service.
There is some truth in the core of the idea, but the overall isn’t complete yet.
Let’s try and develop the idea further.
Take a look at services like Muziic and myspace music (which is available in the US only) which look to monetize on streaming media, by providing you to buy the music, or link the specific music label as the affiliate for the next transaction you perform.
This way the company gets the money, without any special action from you, except playing your favorite tracks 🙂
The service will not force you into buying anything. It would simply offer you legal downloads, with no obligation on your side. Of course it would also have to promise its user full anonymity upon using the service.I am not talking about law-suite avoidance cure, but full-time, full fledged service.Muziic is the kind of simple ideas that make you say “that’s so obvious, why didn’t I do it?”. The layout of the site though, and the photos of the founders (go to “about” section) make you wonder though whether these guys have any sense of taste whatsoever.
The service will not force you into buying anything. It would simply offer you legal downloads, with no obligation on your side. Of course it would also have to promise its user full anonymity upon using the service.
I am not talking about law-suite avoidance cure, but full-time, full fledged service.
Muziic is the kind of simple ideas that make you say “that’s so obvious, why didn’t I do it?”. The layout of the site though, and the photos of the founders (go to “about” section) make you wonder though whether these guys have any sense of taste whatsoever.
Did you get the idea after I’ve told you about the proggy I wrote? 🙂
Did you get the idea after I’ve told you about the proggy I wrote? 🙂
No, actually not :)How have you stumbled upon this article? Have you subscribed to the feed?
No, actually not 🙂
How have you stumbled upon this article? Have you subscribed to the feed?
Nah.Just entered your blog.by the way if you calculate -there are about 1mil available albums.1mil albums times 1 cent is 100K#, per user per all music currently available, worldwide.definitely not gonna cover the BMI expenses to the authors.They wont even speak with you, regarding such money.Try to tweak the idea.
Nah.
Just entered your blog.
by the way if you calculate –
there are about 1mil available albums.
1mil albums times 1 cent is 100K#, per user per all music currently available, worldwide.
definitely not gonna cover the BMI expenses to the authors.
They wont even speak with you, regarding such money.
Try to tweak the idea.
Nice math, you make a good point. Maybe 1 cent per album is away to generous. let’s try 50 cent per album and movie – cheap by any standard.Let’s assume the average user has 100 albums and 50 movies, and he will want to legalize 1/5 of his collection – that’s 150*(1/5)*0.50=$15 per user.Now that’s maybe not much, but that’s $15 more that they would get otherwise. But if you think about all the revenue sharing that service like that would have to do (with the labels, the artists, etc) than its margins become really narrow.
Nice math, you make a good point.
Maybe 1 cent per album is away to generous. let’s try 50 cent per album and movie – cheap by any standard.
Let’s assume the average user has 100 albums and 50 movies, and he will want to legalize 1/5 of his collection – that’s 150*(1/5)*0.50=$15 per user.
Now that’s maybe not much, but that’s $15 more that they would get otherwise.
But if you think about all the revenue sharing that service like that would have to do (with the labels, the artists, etc) than its margins become really narrow.