top 10 student questions
i saw this on the speak up page (i also found some things that other people had already found) http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/004449.html. it might be of some use if you dont like asking questions aloud. anyway, the most interesting part was the illegal downloading debate that carried on throughout. first of all, im a pretty moral and honest guy but ive done my share of shady shit – im no saint so im not going to try to justify opinions or actions just give some insight into the method.
the world is in flux, technology (the internet) is making everything readily available if the price is not right. with new jobs paying less and the cost of living rising, manufacturers should concentrate on making products cheaper for mass consumption as opposed to marking it up for a core consumer. look at world of warcraft for crying out loud – sales are amazing because it is cheap….and nerdy.
as far as music goes – musicians should think of albums as a marketing tool. its going to leak and spread and sales will go down, however, the exposure of never-ending mix-tapes being heard all over the world can be very profitable. get on the road and tour. you cant download stickers, t-shirts, and the live experience.
by slee | 02.27.08 | Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Ha, “Knowing the differences between Helvetica, Arial, and Univers is something like knowing the difference between fancy dinnerware and paper plates.”
Also I find it funny that Armin Vit, our guest for the portfolio review, got in a bit of an argument with the original poster over the question about students using illegal softare.
Shawn I think Radiohead’s idea was great, they let people pay what they wanted to for their new album before it went fully public and to stores. Now you have to pay full price, but for the fans who bought it early on that was a great move. It generated buzz, got great reviews, hasn’t really seemed to stifle sales.
As for students using illegal software, sure it happens, if you can afford it buy the student version go for it, but I don’t think Adobe is taking a hit from students using illegal copies. After all we have a computer lab full of software and on its busiest days in the evenings, there are at most 5-6 people in there using. Think about all of that money Adobe got, for something used part of the time.
I actually heard that Radiohead’s sales for the digital copies averaged about $3 or so per album (give or take a dollar), and this is actually more than they would have gotten in their record deal. Album sales typically give very little to the artist, when compared to the record company and industry cut. I think it’s interesting psychologically… I mean, I downloaded the album for nothing first…but then I re-downloaded it and paid…and I read an article where another person did the same thing.
i totally agree, if you can afford the software you should pay for it – especially if you’re a professsional, there are no excuses. if i were running adobe, i would be targeting the casual and amateur consumers who probably wont use it much but will pay $50 – $100 or pay a little bit more for their computer at the point of sale to have those programs pre-installed. the industry is going to use it and pay for it regardless. i guess it goes back to henry ford instituting the $5 day way back when. he wanted his workers and everyone else to be able to afford the product. it just seems like good business to me.