Making sharing fair for artists – music on Myspace falls silent (for now)
It’s a debate that has been raging for a long time now, but over recent days there has been a clash between web behemoth Google and the Performing Rights Society. The two have failed to reach an agreement about how the royalties for musicians can be collected on YouTube, and Google has blocked UK users from viewing music videos on the hugely popular movie sharing site. Music lovers across the country are of course hoping that a deal will be made, and the content made available again.
Andrew Keen writes an interesting piece on the subject:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/andrew-keen-google-calls-the-tune-after-the-day-the-music-died-on-youtube-1645642.html
He quotes Lord Carter, Minister of Communications, who explains that the digital world is changing how content is disseminated and paid for in the digital world.
Of course, the breaking down of digital boundaries is in many ways a great thing, and the fact that we can exchange and share information more freely than ever does make our lives much easier. But it’s important that, especially when it comes to something as valuable an art as music, that creators are rewarded for their work. Otherwise, what incentive have they to make the content we love to hear? It’s no good having all the technology, and no great content to share.
How do you think the problem can be resolved? What can we do to make sure that artists don’t lose out in the digital arena? These days it's more important than ever that sharing is fair for everyone, whether we're creating or enjoying digital content.