Pirates and PR

As the music industry struggles to harness the innovations of modern technology, recalcitrant robbers seize valuable digital information through file-sharing. These peg-legged criminals seem to be ignored by the communication professionals that represent the music industry. Pirates should not be underestimated.

The message makers for digital providers of music should pro-actively accept the fact that a large population of the internet-savvy are used to file-sharing and will be reluctant to pay premium prices for something that was previously free. To instill a sense of justice, the industry needs to alter its approach. But while most large music corporations are quick to assess the situation as black and white, some artists realize the disconnect between users and method.

One such artist to realize this is Oxford-based rock band, Radiohead. Previously fulfilling their contractual obligations, they released their latest album, In Rainbows, on-line and 100 percent under their control. They allowed users to download a digital version of their album from their website for whatever price each individual fan saw fit. If someone only wanted to pay 25 cents for the entire album, so be it. If another wanted to pay $100 for the album, more power to them. It was a potentially risky move, enabling the swarms of pirates in cyberspace to confiscate a copy of the album for free and to place the ethical responsibility solely in the hands of the consumer.

The risk proved to be a brilliant PR move, as not only word got out that Radiohead was sticking it to the money-grubbing record companies, but they were also making large profits - larger than their cut would have been from a record contract. The album soared to the top of the charts and received an abundance of critical acclaim. Because of In Rainbows' digital strategy, Radiohead's reputation as the people's band quickly spread and further reinforced their place in music history.

Since In Rainbows' October 2007 release, other bands have followed suit, breaking-free of the strictly land-lovers' method of doing business. The rest of the music industry needs to communicate to the pirates that they, too, have a place in legitimacy. If the laggards don't rethink their heavy-handed approach to digital piracy, they may be the ones that ultimately walk the plank.

Matt Barthelemy
JOUR 3279
Blog Assignment