Media
Friday, March 01, 2002"This past year was a difficult year in the recording industry, and there is no simple explanation for the decrease in sales. The economy was slow and 9/11 interrupted the fourth quarter plans, but, a large factor contributing to the decrease in overall shipments last year is online piracy and CD-burning," said Hilary Rosen, President and CEO of the RIAA. "When 23 percent of surveyed music consumers say they are not buying more music because they are downloading or copying their music for free, we cannot ignore the impact on the marketplace."
I actually bought more music last year than I normally do. I bought the Oh Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, and titles by artists on that album, mostly on Rounder Records. On the other hand, a lot of people lost their jobs last year. I think this is more likely the cause of the drop in sales. Compare the numbers (net after returns), for 1999, 2000, and 2001.
| Less Units, More Money | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Units Shipped (millions) | 938.9 | 942.5 | 881.9 |
| Dollar Value (millions) | 12,816.3 | 13,214.5 | 12,909.4 |
| Value per Unit Sold | $13.65 | $14.02 | $14.60 |
I should have such troubles.
I took a few minutes last night to watch CNN Headline News, something I don't normally do. They picked out the highlights of Michael Greene's speech. That is, they called you and I thieves.
It's very important for us to remember that what we know of the world outside our little sphere is mediated, that what we are told may not be so. Things seem to be. Do other viewers like you know this? Does America just have the appearance of mediocrity?