在线音乐行业为什么混战不休

    事情的真相是，就在音乐听众和家庭用户纷纷用上数字格式时，音乐产业却开始陷入了纷争不断和相互指责中，同时又指望着华盛顿当局出台能应付乱局的管理办法。但是，这些如今大名鼎鼎的音乐唱片公司都是花了血本才获得这些音乐资源的，所以消费者别指望能从其中任何一家获得他们喜欢的歌手的所有单曲。为此Spotify不得不在“常见问题解答”（FAQ）中费尽口舌，解释这个微妙的问题——为什么自己的乐库中没有披头士（Beatles）、齐柏林飞艇（Led Zeppelin），金属乐队（Metallica），平克•佛洛依德和以及黑键乐队（Black Keys）这种新兴乐队的专辑。

    解决之道？

    目前的问题完全是规模化的影响力造成的。眼下音乐公司显然占据了上风。但行业研究专家相信，随着政府的有效介入，比如颁布新法案，促使数字版权分配更为公平，数字音乐的普及率逐年增长，亿万人群催生出规模和Facebook用户一样庞大的用户群，规模化的力量将会逐渐有利于这些数字音乐服务供应商。

    库萨克称：“过去，新的存储格式带来新营收。从唱片变成8轨软片，再变成盒式磁带，再变成CD，都是如此。但MP3的出现让这一惯例戛然而止。新格式确实在一定程度上不断普及了，但行业收入却被甩到了后面……随着用户人数持续大规模增长，那些推出订阅服务的企业和新晋艺人只要不按行业规则出牌，就有更大能力影响全球性的合约，并获得更有利的条件，这对每个人来说都是好事。”

    在线音乐的另一个潜在市场是捆绑产品。在库萨克看来，威瑞森公司（Verizon）和美国电报电话公司（AT&T）打算在手机上绑定的一项超值音乐服务前景看好。这种增值服务就像短信或大数据包一样，是一种简单的扩展。它能让网络服务提供商（ISP）和手机服务供应商的网络上增加内容。Muve Music和Cricket Wireless目前已开始合作提供这项服务。作为一家名气不大，不提供签约服务的运营商，Cricket向用户提供Muve的音乐服务，只需花上10美元，就能无限量下载音乐。不久以后，它还会在几款使用Android系统的手机上提供这项服务，且不再另外收费。Pandora或Spotify也会跟进吗？如果Cricket Wireless的这项绑定服务能指明行业发展方向，那么更大规模地向移动设备进军很可能会成为这个行业下一步的重大行动。

    译者：清远

    What did happen was adoption of digital formats by listeners and home users, while the industry has been fighting and finger pointing, and looking to Washington for regulatory solutions. Yet, these now-name-brands are paying through the nose to have music content available, and consumers are never guaranteed to have every music artist they love on any one single entity. Spotify has to explain in its FAQ this delicate issue of not having the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Pink Floyd and releases by newer acts like the Black Keys in their library.

    The solution?

    It all starts with scale of influence. Right now, the music companies have the upper hand. But industry watchers believe between favorable government intervention -- as in new laws adapting to more fairness in digital rights, continued year-over-year adoption rates and Facebook-sized user bases in the hundreds of millions of users -- will tip the scale toward those music services.

    "In the past, new formats brought new revenue. Vinyl became 8 track became cassette became CD. Yet that didn't happen with MP3s," said Kusek. "The adoption of the format did to some extent, but the revenues didn't follow... The subscription players and new artists not playing by the industry rules will have more ability to influence global contracts and gain more favorable terms that will be good for everyone as users continue to scale."

    Another potential market for online music is as a bundled product. Kusek sees a future where Verizon or AT&T bundle a premium music service with mobile devices so it's a simple add-on like texting or larger data package. This would allow the ISPs and phone service providers to get content on their networks. This is something Muve Music has embarked on with Cricket Wireless. Cricket is a lesser-known no contract carrier that offers Muve as a $10 add-on for unlimited music downloads, and it will be including the service at no extra cost with a few Android phones in the near future.

    Will Pandora or Spotify head in this direction? If the Cricket Wireless bundling example is any indication, more aggressive mobile device expansion may very well may be the next big move.