Comments on: Unsprung Artists and http://blog.charleskiyanda.com/2007/10/21/unsprung-artists-and/ Open Source Culture and Science Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:34:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Charles Kiyanda http://blog.charleskiyanda.com/2007/10/21/unsprung-artists-and/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Charles Kiyanda Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:29:13 +0000 http://blog.charleskiyanda.com/2007/10/21/unsprung-artists-and/#comment-8 Alex, I agree with you regarding some fundamental differences between the two fields. Still, I think there are similarities that warrant further examination. In both cases, you have a content producer (the artist or the scientists) and a content distributor (the music label or the scientific journal). The relationship between the two appears, to me, rather similar. Content producers profit (in one case in direct cash revenue and in the other in indirect cash revenue through an increased "social" standing or reputation amongst his peers) from maximizing the distribution (but not necessarily from maximizing the revenues from distribution) while content distributors profit from maximizing the revenues from distribution (but not necessarily from maximizing the amount of distribution). I'm not saying the analogy is perfect and I'm not advocating trying to replicate exactly what will happen in the music industry. I do believe, though, that by examining what's happening in the music world and trying to draw links to the world of science distribution, we'll be able to learn valuable lessons. Thanks for the comment though, you've forced me to articulate what I thought sonner rather than later. :) Alex,
I agree with you regarding some fundamental differences between the two fields. Still, I think there are similarities that warrant further examination.

In both cases, you have a content producer (the artist or the scientists) and a content distributor (the music label or the scientific journal). The relationship between the two appears, to me, rather similar. Content producers profit (in one case in direct cash revenue and in the other in indirect cash revenue through an increased “social” standing or reputation amongst his peers) from maximizing the distribution (but not necessarily from maximizing the revenues from distribution) while content distributors profit from maximizing the revenues from distribution (but not necessarily from maximizing the amount of distribution).

I’m not saying the analogy is perfect and I’m not advocating trying to replicate exactly what will happen in the music industry. I do believe, though, that by examining what’s happening in the music world and trying to draw links to the world of science distribution, we’ll be able to learn valuable lessons.

Thanks for the comment though, you’ve forced me to articulate what I thought sonner rather than later. :)

]]> By: Alex Gierus http://blog.charleskiyanda.com/2007/10/21/unsprung-artists-and/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Alex Gierus Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:13:05 +0000 http://blog.charleskiyanda.com/2007/10/21/unsprung-artists-and/#comment-7 The analogy to science doesn't apply at all. Business chases profit, scientists chase prestige. Profit means you hoard as much as possible, releasing carefully controlled product to people for as much money as possible, build barriers for competitors, etc. Prestige means you try to distribute as widely as possible, collaborate with the best people possible, have the best and coolest ideas possible, etc. They lead to totally opposite outcomes. As well, I think music profits will be made from advertising (on radio stations for example) and all the financial outsomes from shows. I'm with you that selling CDs is dead. The record labels should get on board. The analogy to science doesn’t apply at all. Business chases profit, scientists chase prestige. Profit means you hoard as much as possible, releasing carefully controlled product to people for as much money as possible, build barriers for competitors, etc. Prestige means you try to distribute as widely as possible, collaborate with the best people possible, have the best and coolest ideas possible, etc. They lead to totally opposite outcomes.

As well, I think music profits will be made from advertising (on radio stations for example) and all the financial outsomes from shows. I’m with you that selling CDs is dead. The record labels should get on board.

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