BitTorrent came crashing into the scene that Napster left behind and now is one of the largest peer-to-peer downloading programs available on the Internet. This source looks at how BitTorrent works. It finds that much larger files are transfered than any other peer-to-peer network, users don't mind being connected for much longer sessions than other networks and service was excellent with no effects on flash downloading.
What is interesting about this source is that we can use it to look at the developments since Napster was first introduced. BitTorrent is becoming more and more widely used and law cases against it has failed due to the fact that BitTorrent is not held liable for the content shared across its network.
My Assignment
This, however, is too far ahead in time for my assessment. While this is a fascinating read and a well structured look at the workings of BitTorrent, it will be unlikely that I will use this source for my assignment.
References:
Bellissimo, A., Levine, B. N. & Shenoy, P. (2004). Exploring the use of BitTorrent as the basis for a large trace repository. Retrieved, April 11, 2011, from http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:Uol3GD10_pkJ:scholar.google.com/+biggest+torrent+users&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5
Monday, 11 April 2011
Who, When and Why?
A study done by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington gave a new light on Napster. Is it a case of who, when and why? They researched the possibility that Napster users could all have character portfolios similar to each other or be experiencing similar situations in life. It could be a case of the poor use Napster, or a particular country or male or female.
Is This Really Relivent.
To my study of how Napster has affected the music industry in regards to record sales I don't believe this to be of any importance. The 1000 word pay would not permit any deviation into exploring this new avenue.
It is, however, very interesting. I'm not sure whether I agree with some of the stereotypes that use Napster. I would have guessed that, if anything, it would be a more psychological state of mind that would link Napster users. The idea of 'if you want it just take it'.
If I had more time and a section in my study to dedicate for this I would certainly explore some more. It would be fascinating.
References:
Gribble, S. D., Gummadi, K. P. & Saroiu, S. (2004). Measuring and analyzing the characteristics of Napster and Gnutella hosts. Multimedia Systems, 9(2), 170-184. Retrieved, April 10, 2011, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/exx0tp59b80a0gd0/about/
Is This Really Relivent.
To my study of how Napster has affected the music industry in regards to record sales I don't believe this to be of any importance. The 1000 word pay would not permit any deviation into exploring this new avenue.
It is, however, very interesting. I'm not sure whether I agree with some of the stereotypes that use Napster. I would have guessed that, if anything, it would be a more psychological state of mind that would link Napster users. The idea of 'if you want it just take it'.
If I had more time and a section in my study to dedicate for this I would certainly explore some more. It would be fascinating.
References:
Gribble, S. D., Gummadi, K. P. & Saroiu, S. (2004). Measuring and analyzing the characteristics of Napster and Gnutella hosts. Multimedia Systems, 9(2), 170-184. Retrieved, April 10, 2011, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/exx0tp59b80a0gd0/about/
Napster Renewed
Frank Bergmann gives and overview of Napster and it's involvement in the music industry. The interest lies in his detailed description of how Napster grew into a huge online business in just a few short years. Two years after opening in 1999, Napster's user number had grown to more than the AOL internet service provider's (ISP) numbers.
Napster Broken Down.
Firstly, Bergmann talks about the "Enabling Factors" (Bergmann). These are factors such as PC media programs (Windows Media Player), the Internet's ability as a distribution point for music and introduction of Mp3. All factors that give Napster the ability to work from.
Secondly, Bergmann talks of the "Online Sharing Communities" with the "Demand Diffusion Theory" (Bergmann). The point he focuses on is the user loop. "External" users find the Internet page or program with free music, they become "Users" and interact with the music files and then spread the word to "Potential" users (Bergmann).
Thirdly, Bergmann explores Napster as a business model and how Napster's involvement with the BMG Record Label merge.
Useful?
I think so. This broken down look at Napster is a brilliant chronological reference point for my assignment later. It describes the history of Napster and how it came to success so early.
Further on in the source it shows with, text and diagrams, the "value chain" of the music industry (Bergmann). This shows exactly who is missing out on these royalties and may help me to understand why Napster caused such controversy in the world.
References:
Bergmann, F. (2004). Napster & the music industry. Globel E-Business Master, 1(1.5), 1-19.
Napster Broken Down.
Firstly, Bergmann talks about the "Enabling Factors" (Bergmann). These are factors such as PC media programs (Windows Media Player), the Internet's ability as a distribution point for music and introduction of Mp3. All factors that give Napster the ability to work from.
Secondly, Bergmann talks of the "Online Sharing Communities" with the "Demand Diffusion Theory" (Bergmann). The point he focuses on is the user loop. "External" users find the Internet page or program with free music, they become "Users" and interact with the music files and then spread the word to "Potential" users (Bergmann).
Thirdly, Bergmann explores Napster as a business model and how Napster's involvement with the BMG Record Label merge.
Useful?
I think so. This broken down look at Napster is a brilliant chronological reference point for my assignment later. It describes the history of Napster and how it came to success so early.
Further on in the source it shows with, text and diagrams, the "value chain" of the music industry (Bergmann). This shows exactly who is missing out on these royalties and may help me to understand why Napster caused such controversy in the world.
References:
Bergmann, F. (2004). Napster & the music industry. Globel E-Business Master, 1(1.5), 1-19.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
A Review
After a class discussion and presentation of our blogs, here are my thoughts on my classmates' blogs:
Blog Post One:
Sam:
- Why print music haven’t embrased downloading online.
Very observational and informative for some posts. Not as much of an opinion on some of the blog posts. Very interesting process of assessing the material and the concluding wither her opinion.
Presented simply but effectively. Easy to understand and work around. Seems to be comprehendable and grammatically correct. Referencing done well but not in APA style.
Link: http://samdocherty.posterous.com/
Blog Post Two:
Brandon:
-Aurthenticity in Music and Autotune.
The information is extensive and includes a lot about the original article’s ideas. He describes the idea well and then has a second section for his analysis of the text.
Preseted nicely on the page but really needs to apply the use of titled section. Looking at the text it is hard to keep it in focus for there is so much. I think if it was broken down into section it would be better.
Good in-text referencing but the article itself needs to be referenced at the end of the text. A link to the page isn’t really enough. What if its an offline article?
Link http://legallez.wordpress.com/
Blog Post Three:
-Australian Compositional Voice. Is there one?
Very limited amount of sources but this should build soon. The information was fairly basic and broad. The sources didn’t relate much to his topic, he said, but the information could lead to new questions.
Presentation was basic and plain and really needed some attention like titles and page placement. Referencing was serverely lacking but grammatically sound.
Blog Post Four:
-MIDI on the world:
The analysis of the information was quite good. The information was all there but I would have liked to have seen more on how this related to his topic. I think the ideas are there but it needs refining.
Presentation is outstanding and Referencing is all correct. Very impressive webpage and very clear and consise.
Link: http://s2749655.wordpress.com/10-review-viii/
Well done to everyone!
Blog Post One:
Sam:
- Why print music haven’t embrased downloading online.
Very observational and informative for some posts. Not as much of an opinion on some of the blog posts. Very interesting process of assessing the material and the concluding wither her opinion.
Presented simply but effectively. Easy to understand and work around. Seems to be comprehendable and grammatically correct. Referencing done well but not in APA style.
Link: http://samdocherty.posterous.com/
Blog Post Two:
Brandon:
-Aurthenticity in Music and Autotune.
The information is extensive and includes a lot about the original article’s ideas. He describes the idea well and then has a second section for his analysis of the text.
Preseted nicely on the page but really needs to apply the use of titled section. Looking at the text it is hard to keep it in focus for there is so much. I think if it was broken down into section it would be better.
Good in-text referencing but the article itself needs to be referenced at the end of the text. A link to the page isn’t really enough. What if its an offline article?
Link http://legallez.wordpress.com/
Blog Post Three:
-Australian Compositional Voice. Is there one?
Very limited amount of sources but this should build soon. The information was fairly basic and broad. The sources didn’t relate much to his topic, he said, but the information could lead to new questions.
Presentation was basic and plain and really needed some attention like titles and page placement. Referencing was serverely lacking but grammatically sound.
Blog Post Four:
-MIDI on the world:
The analysis of the information was quite good. The information was all there but I would have liked to have seen more on how this related to his topic. I think the ideas are there but it needs refining.
Presentation is outstanding and Referencing is all correct. Very impressive webpage and very clear and consise.
Link: http://s2749655.wordpress.com/10-review-viii/
Well done to everyone!
The Napster Alliance
In 2000, after large court cases from major record labels, Napster made a business deal with Bertelsmann, parent company of Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) Records. This revolutionised Napster as a business rather than a pirate. A huge step was taken as Napster introduced a monthly subscription of US$4.95 which gave you access to artists like Elvis, Santana and Christina Aguilera that were under the BMG label.
What did this mean for the Music Industry?
Napster was being sued for damages and lost revenue by five major record labels at the time of the union with Bertelsmann. Bertelsmann itself was suing Napster for its lost royalties over the file sharing program. This bemused the industry as a former 'foe' now had an alliance with the company that had caused it so much grief.
This seemed to signify a new time in file sharing. People would be able to subscribe to Napster and download the albums they want and the artists would still get their royalties.
Would It Work?
However, as discussed by Jenny Eliscu through her words and interviews, would Napster really appeal to the world when it has lost its danger feel. "Five dollars a month isn't a lot, but will users be as excited about Napster once it no longer seems like online music's Robin Hood stealing from the record industry and giving away music?" (Eliscu, 2000).
This source is one of the key sources I have found. This shows how the idea of a 'subscription' or a 'music database' may not work, as Napster closed down after these failed attempts. The idea of a paid database has been hot discussion over the last few years. Maybe iTunes has paved the way, being a successful online music store it could leave open a space in the market for competitive trade.
"It's the end of the 'Napster as a pirate' chapter and on to the `How do they make it a business?' chapter. And there's a lot more chapters to come." Marc Geiger (cited by Eliscu, 2000).
References:
Eliscu, J. (2000). Napster goes legit: What does Napster's deal with music-industry giant Bertelsmann mean for the future of file-sharing? Rolling Stones, 43-44. Retrieved, April 10, 2011, from the International Index of Music Periodicals database.
What did this mean for the Music Industry?
Napster was being sued for damages and lost revenue by five major record labels at the time of the union with Bertelsmann. Bertelsmann itself was suing Napster for its lost royalties over the file sharing program. This bemused the industry as a former 'foe' now had an alliance with the company that had caused it so much grief.
This seemed to signify a new time in file sharing. People would be able to subscribe to Napster and download the albums they want and the artists would still get their royalties.
Would It Work?
However, as discussed by Jenny Eliscu through her words and interviews, would Napster really appeal to the world when it has lost its danger feel. "Five dollars a month isn't a lot, but will users be as excited about Napster once it no longer seems like online music's Robin Hood stealing from the record industry and giving away music?" (Eliscu, 2000).
This source is one of the key sources I have found. This shows how the idea of a 'subscription' or a 'music database' may not work, as Napster closed down after these failed attempts. The idea of a paid database has been hot discussion over the last few years. Maybe iTunes has paved the way, being a successful online music store it could leave open a space in the market for competitive trade.
"It's the end of the 'Napster as a pirate' chapter and on to the `How do they make it a business?' chapter. And there's a lot more chapters to come." Marc Geiger (cited by Eliscu, 2000).
References:
Eliscu, J. (2000). Napster goes legit: What does Napster's deal with music-industry giant Bertelsmann mean for the future of file-sharing? Rolling Stones, 43-44. Retrieved, April 10, 2011, from the International Index of Music Periodicals database.
Monday, 4 April 2011
My Assignment - The Intention of All This Work...
My assignment originally was to explore how the Internet, music sales and piracy were all connected. Now I have had to reconsider as this would be a massive subject.
I did narrow this down to exploring why Rubber Records, a recording label, switched to just internet sales rather than CDs and internet versions. This however didn't prove practical as I searched for sources.
I have decided on this format for my assignment:
Question: "What did Napster do to the music industry?"
- Explore what Napster is.
- Explore what the Music Industry is and how it relates to Napster.
- Explore sources that develop ideas about Napster and its connection to the music industry.
- Analyse these sources and develop a picture of what Napster meant to the music industry.
- How did Napster affect Music Sales.
Conclusion.
I did narrow this down to exploring why Rubber Records, a recording label, switched to just internet sales rather than CDs and internet versions. This however didn't prove practical as I searched for sources.
I have decided on this format for my assignment:
Question: "What did Napster do to the music industry?"
- Explore what Napster is.
- Explore what the Music Industry is and how it relates to Napster.
- Explore sources that develop ideas about Napster and its connection to the music industry.
- Analyse these sources and develop a picture of what Napster meant to the music industry.
- How did Napster affect Music Sales.
Conclusion.
Google Strikes Back
Google announced early in December 2010 that they were taking steps to stop people from downloading illegal music and promoting legal music download sites. They have stopped Autocomplete from finishing words closely related to pirate material, such Torrent. They have also stopped advertising piracy sites in an attempt to squash the financial gain from these sites' activities.
"'If we make it easier for people to buy legal content they will be less likely to track down illegal content,' reasons Google EMEA copyright policy and communications manager Simon Morrison." (Ben Cardew).
Is This Working?
Ben Cardew writes about the Google's methods to stop online piracy and he helps to share all views on this subject. Some views are bad but most view Google's actions as a positive step against piracy. The UK music industry has praised Google and I am inclined to as well.
This source is a valuable piece of evidence as to what the world is try against online music piracy. The debate is explained clearly and I am in accord with Google's actions. It may not stop piracy all together as Cardew expresses but it does make a stand and at least represents that Google will not condone this behaviour.
References:
Cardew, B. (2010). Piracy: Google grapples pirates. Music Week, 1-3. Retrieved, April 4, 2011, from the International Index of Music Periodicals Database.
"'If we make it easier for people to buy legal content they will be less likely to track down illegal content,' reasons Google EMEA copyright policy and communications manager Simon Morrison." (Ben Cardew).
Is This Working?
Ben Cardew writes about the Google's methods to stop online piracy and he helps to share all views on this subject. Some views are bad but most view Google's actions as a positive step against piracy. The UK music industry has praised Google and I am inclined to as well.
This source is a valuable piece of evidence as to what the world is try against online music piracy. The debate is explained clearly and I am in accord with Google's actions. It may not stop piracy all together as Cardew expresses but it does make a stand and at least represents that Google will not condone this behaviour.
References:
Cardew, B. (2010). Piracy: Google grapples pirates. Music Week, 1-3. Retrieved, April 4, 2011, from the International Index of Music Periodicals Database.
The Future of the Music Industry
The music industry has been devastated by online piracy for over a decade now. So, where does that point us for the future of the music industry? What will we do to gain back the lost revenue and carry on surviving? Paul McGuinness believes that "music subscriptions" (McGuinness) will be the major access route for future online music sales. Customers will be able to pay for music services in the similar fashion as sports channels on paid T.V. or as a bundle or extra to their Broadband service. Then customers can listen to music on paid T.V. (like MTV) or can have a quota or album downloads per month.
Is This Viable?
McGuinness believes that this will work and people will jump at the chance to have an amount of albums or gigabytes to download of music a month. I'm not so sure and have to say that I feel somewhat sceptical about this idea.
It is a good idea to treat music like we treat our Internet allowance. That way it won't seem as much to a consumer to purchase albums. They have the choice of what they want to download and its all legal. The cost per album or gigabyte of music will be cheaper than purchasing from a record store or online stores such as iTunes.
However, iTunes opened and let the world have discounts to music if they purchased online. Did this stop the piracy epidemic? I believe not.
This idea is good but looking at how people have reacted to iTunes as a cheaper option and looking at how people already view the Internet costs as their justified means of payment I don't believe it will be as much of a success as McGuinness predicts.
References:
McGuinness, P. (2010). How to save the music business. Rolling Stones, 708, 34-37.
McGuinness believes that this will work and people will jump at the chance to have an amount of albums or gigabytes to download of music a month. I'm not so sure and have to say that I feel somewhat sceptical about this idea.
It is a good idea to treat music like we treat our Internet allowance. That way it won't seem as much to a consumer to purchase albums. They have the choice of what they want to download and its all legal. The cost per album or gigabyte of music will be cheaper than purchasing from a record store or online stores such as iTunes.
However, iTunes opened and let the world have discounts to music if they purchased online. Did this stop the piracy epidemic? I believe not.
This idea is good but looking at how people have reacted to iTunes as a cheaper option and looking at how people already view the Internet costs as their justified means of payment I don't believe it will be as much of a success as McGuinness predicts.
References:
McGuinness, P. (2010). How to save the music business. Rolling Stones, 708, 34-37.
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Internet. Wider Scope. More Power?
Raymond Shih Ray Ku raises something valid to consider. Why not look at the other side of the power of the Internet? It may make copyright material easier to mark and keep track of. The advances in technology provide the ability to encrypt or watermark materials through trusted websites. The advantage of this is that the artists name or record label can follow the file around with it so the credit for the creation remains if not the revenue.
Why Bother?
I think this is a very interesting light to be shined on the capability of the Internet. Before the Internet, piracy was a very basic reproduction of the CD or record and didn't have any attributions to the artists or producing company/record label.
With the ability of watermarking the material we can follow the material around with a digital tag that credits the artist. Yes, the Internet makes it easy to share an infinite number of perfectly reproduced content in a very short time. Yes, there may be a link between the Internet and the increase of music piracy.
However, at least now the artists are gaining credit for the work, if not revenue, where as before they had little recognition. This is the lighter side of the Internet we must recognise in the face of piracy. I thank Raymond for bring this to light.
References:
Ku, R. S. R. (2002). The creative destruction of copyright: Napster and the new economics of digital technology. The University of Chicago Law Review, 69(1), 263-324. Retrieved, April 2, 2011, from Jstor database.
Why Bother?
I think this is a very interesting light to be shined on the capability of the Internet. Before the Internet, piracy was a very basic reproduction of the CD or record and didn't have any attributions to the artists or producing company/record label.
With the ability of watermarking the material we can follow the material around with a digital tag that credits the artist. Yes, the Internet makes it easy to share an infinite number of perfectly reproduced content in a very short time. Yes, there may be a link between the Internet and the increase of music piracy.
However, at least now the artists are gaining credit for the work, if not revenue, where as before they had little recognition. This is the lighter side of the Internet we must recognise in the face of piracy. I thank Raymond for bring this to light.
References:
Ku, R. S. R. (2002). The creative destruction of copyright: Napster and the new economics of digital technology. The University of Chicago Law Review, 69(1), 263-324. Retrieved, April 2, 2011, from Jstor database.
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