James Delahunty
4 Sep 2007 20:24
Recently appointed as co-chairman of Columbia Records, Rick Rubin, who has worked with the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys and L.L. Cool J, had some words for the recording industry. In statements made in the New York Times, Rubin talks about the effects of iPods and digital music on the industry as a whole. "Columbia is stuck in the dark ages," Rubin told the Times.
"I have great confidence that we will have the best record company in the industry, but the reality is, in today's world, weti might have the best dinosaur. Until a new model is agreed upon and rolling, we can be the best at the existing paradigm, but until the paradigm shifts, it's going to be a declining business. This model is done," he said.
An example of a model that he proposed was giving consumers access to music from cars, TV sets, cell phones or anything possible, for a monthly fee of around $20. So basically, Rubin is talking about a kind of "MP3 locker", a concept pushed for a long time by Michael Robertson's MP3Tunes (and past service MP3.com)
Rubin's suggestions would make music devices such as Apple's iPod obsolete as a main medium to enjoy music. The same arcle that quotes Rubin claims that Columbia is considering approaching artists for a cut of up to 50% of revenue from touring, merchandise and from the Internet. Performers have typically been allowed to keep revenue from touring and merchandise while the label gets the biggest cut of a CD sale.
The subscription-based service that Rubin seems to be proposing is something that consumers have already been offered in several forms and have largely ignored. The concept of "renting music" seems too alien for consumers it would appear.
Source:
News.com