Digital Music Intermediation Part 4
Dr. Bakker uses an objective tone, rational arguments and an abundance of references to show that the traditional music industry is defending its interests with inconsistent logic and rhetoric in “The end of the CD as we know it… Shifting consumer behaviour and changing business models in the music industry”. The article clearly explains the position of the music industry by citing reports by the RIAA and the IFPI that show declines in the sales of CDs, and a detailed explanation of the industries dialogue with the public.
The industry argues that “downloading music is illegal…and unethical, it is hurting the industry and artists… takes away the incentive for creativity… and is therefore harmful for national music cultures.” (Bakker, 2004) He then systematically “deconstructs” these “discourses” to show that although the industry “strengthens the argument that all kinds of illegal activities are harmful”, they “fail to reveal how much downloading contributes to the decline in music sales”. Read more…
