Label Using CD-Rs To Enhance Sales

from the the-right-way-to-do-things dept

It's almost a bit upsetting to have to be surprised at this point that a record label (even a small one) has figured out how to embrace a technology that the rest of the industry is shunning. The amazing thing about new technologies in the music industry is that they dramatically reduce the cost of making and distributing music. You would think that any industry with half a brain would realize that this is to their advantage - but the music industry makes much of it's money by protecting it's existing distribution methods. So, it's good to hear of a small folk music lable that is owned by the Smithsonian Institution realizing that they can use recordable CDs, burned on demand, to make sure their entire catalog remains in stock. It's a perfect example of what the technology can do. Of course, it would be even more impressive if they put the content online in the form of MP3s. As they point out, these aren't hugely popular songs, but there's no reason they should disappear entirely. Putting them online for free in MP3 format would guarantee that more people would have access to some music that might otherwise fade out. Update: The NY Times has a longer version of the same article (but requires registration).

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