A New Idea: Be Flexible
Posted: 25/06/08
I was reminded of a good practise by an unlikely source. Blockbuster Video adjusted their business model a few years ago to get rid of late fees. Well i’m sure they regretted it as no one returned their videos on time and stock was always depleted. Just recently they adjusted the plan, and instead of taking back their original offer by charging people for returning their videos late, they said why not offer an incentive if you return the video back early.
This week I learned that Youtube deals with copyright infringement in an interesting way. If a film studio or record label finds their work has been posted without permission on the site, the company has the option to advertise on the Youtube page where their work was used. That means if you’re a small record label, and someone uses your song in a video without your permission, you can advertise your new album on the page and try to generate sales. That’s pretty genius, instead of doing what we’d think is the first impulse, and that is to just have it removed or file a lawsuit.
So there you have it, just a little tip to remember that as you go about your business in the music industry to always try to be flexible. If someone can’t pay you for the remix they’ve asked you to do, why not get them to do a remix for you, or have them perform on your track at no cost? If someone samples one of your songs without your permission, and it upsets you, instead of suing them maybe you should just sample one of their songs instead?