Boo Record Industry For Poor Pandora

Why can't they get it right? I mean, really!! How hard is it to find a way to work together?

The record industry just seems to find every major pothole in the road and drive right through it at full speed! First they attack consumers for downloading via illegal anti-piracy moves and wind up attacking their best customers (and in some cases the wrong people). Then they go after YouTube and other video sites who are allowing people to upload videos of artists that they shot with their cameras and camera phones. Now, among other things, they are affecting Internet radio sites like Pandora with new, increased fees for playing songs.

It just seems like the record industry does everything it can to spite itself.

Pandora is one of the coolest companies online and they are probably a better source for discovering new music than any other site online! I use Pandora and have probably purchased at least 10 new artists from first hearing them on that site. Pandora is an example of the right way to do music online, but because of greed they are most likely going to be closed down.

Of course you can make the case that their problem is not the record industry. It's the sales team at Pandora being unable to sell the offering appropriately. I can buy part of that argument but isn't it just a little coincidental that the majority of problems with an industry are those problems between the record industry and digital media?

Pandora won't shut down forever. It will come back in some way. Maybe Clearchannel will buy it? Maybe CBS will buy it? Someone will come along and save Pandora, but can't we just teach ourselves to get along? Can't we find a way to work together.

The record industry needs some new models and I anticipate you will be seeing them very soon. For one to watch, check The Republic Project in the coming months. I have always loved and hated this industry, and The Republic Project is my attempt to fix it (yes - it is a shameless self promotion, but only due to my repeated calls to action from the record industry).

In the meantime, send money to Pandora and do whatever you can to help save them! They deserve your help - where's Jerry Lewis? We need a telethon!!!