I was going to post this in the Janis Ian thread, but given that the impact of the internet on music is so often discussed in the Tipsheet, I thought it deserved its own thread.
It's an article published by Janis Ian, explaining comments she had made in 1998:
"The Internet, and downloading, are here to stay... Anyone who thinks otherwise should prepare themselves to end up on the slagheap of history." (Janis Ian during a live European radio interview, September, 1998)
The article The Internet Debacle, an Alternative View was published in Performing Songwriter Magazine in 2002 and got quite a reaction, as it was flying in the face of what the music industry was saying at the time.
'.... every time we make a few songs available for free download on my website, sales of all the CDs go up. A lot.
And I don't know about you, but as an artist with an in-print record catalogue that dates back to 1965, I'd be thrilled to see sales on my old catalogue rise!
Now, RIAA and NARAS, as well as most of the entrenched music industry, are arguing that free downloads hurt sales. (More than hurt - they're saying it's destroying the industry.)
Alas, the music industry needs no outside help to destroy itself. We're doing a very adequate job of that on our own, thank you.'
Since she returned to the music industry in the mid-90s, Janis Ian has very successfully embraced the internet and now manages her own career on her own terms.
I think she has her head screwed on.
Here is the article...
www.janisian.com/reading/internet.php
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