One of the things that I think and write about in my business Is It Worth It To Give Away Information? It’s one of the things that I believe in, have based my business on and I think that in the end it will also make you the most money. I am a supported of free open source software and using that to make money by selling ancillary services like installation or support.
I have always thought that the music industry just doesn’t get it. I think that having the RIAA sue their customers is what’s hurting their business much more than music downloads. The fact that they are price fixing doesn’t help either.
The band Radiohead is going to allow users to download their next album and then pay whatever they want to pay. Of course some people will pay nothing, but I’m betting that the band will make more from this release than they ever have before. The fact that they are first will help them even more by giving them much more publicity.
They can do this because they have no contract right now and I’m sure that the RIAA and the record companies are sweating bullets on this one because it just may show that their way of doing business is no longer relevant. Maybe if they refuse to change they aren’t either.