„The record labels had an opportunity to create a digital ecosystem and infrastructure to sell music online, but they kept looking at the small picture instead of the big one,“ Cohen says. „They wouldn’t let go of CDs.“ It was a serious blunder, considering that MP3s clearly had the potential to break the major labels‘ lock on distribution channels. Instead of figuring out a way to exploit the new medium, they alternated between ignoring it and launching lawsuits against the free file-sharing networks that cropped up to fill the void.
Morris insists there wasn’t a thing he or anyone else could have done differently. „There’s no one in the record company that’s a technologist,“ Morris explains. „That’s a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn’t. They just didn’t know what to do. It’s like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?“
Personally, I would hire a vet. But to Morris, even that wasn’t an option. „We didn’t know who to hire,“ he says, becoming more agitated. „I wouldn’t be able to recognize a good technology person ‚Äî anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me.“
Seth Mnookin hat für Wired den CEO von Universal Music in dessen New Yorker Büro besucht. Ein sehr interessanter Text rund um die Probleme digitaler Musik. (via Bootsektor)
