URL: http://boingboing.net/#85482094
Date: Not suppliedJanis Ian, a brave and talented recording artist (and budding and talented 
science fiction writer) has done a terrific interview with the Slashdot 
groupmind about her views on the music industry.     Seriously, diversity is something record companies can't afford anymore - 
    not the majors, at any rate. I'd go to this article, posted at Linux 
    Journal, which quotes a Newsweet article (July 15,2002) by Steven Levy 
    saying "So why are the record labels taking such a hard line? My guess is 
    that it's all about protecting their Internet-challenged business model. 
    Their profit comes from blockbuster artists. If the industry moved to a 
    more varied ecology, independent labels and artists would thrive--to the 
    detriment of the labels, which would have trouble rustling up the rubes to 
    root for the next Britney. The smoking gun comes from testimony of an 
    RIAA-backed economist who told the government fee panel that a dramatic 
    shakeout in Webcasting is "inevitable and desirable because it will bring 
    about market consolidation." That's really it in a nutshell. "Market 
    consolidation" means the less artists they have to promote, the less 
    ultimate dollars they'll spend. The smaller the playlist, the greater the 
    chance that audiences will buy something from that playlist alone - because 
    that's all you'll be able to find out there.  Link[1] Discuss[2][1] http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/09/23/133228
[2] http://www.quicktopic.com/boing/H/8nEQCxZaP8U6X
