The Internet has changed the way music is played, enjoyed and shared. Programs like Kazaa and Blubster have made music recordings a communal stew into which anyone, anywhere can dip. The lawsuits filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) last month have established a punitive price on this former free-for-all file-sharing.
These legal hearings have not directly impacted anyone at Penn State. Russ Vaught, assistant vice-provost for IST (Information Services and Technology), said "to my knowledge, no one from Penn State has been subpoenaed yet."
However, the measures taken by the RIAA have struck fear into the hearts of downloaders everywhere. Some are opting for legal downloads, like those on furthernet.com and the iTunes music store. Others are buying CDs again. Still others are flocking to file-sharing programs like Blubster. Whatever the reason, students are downloading less music than before.
"We have seen symptoms that students are doing less file-sharing," Vaught said.
Free music downloads have affected everyone in the music industry, not the least of which are local music stores. The downtown branch of Mike's Music, 226 W. College Ave., cited file-sharing as a reason for its closure last year.
Ken Kubala, manager of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave., said, "On a local level the big block stores like Circuit City and Best Buy have really been affected. For us, our music is more niché-oriented. This [file-sharing] affects bigger stores in a different way than us."
Mp3 sharing has certainly cut into album sales, but there are other culprits.
"The decline is not all because of downloading," Mark Biega, owner of Arboria Records, 119 E. Beaver Ave., said. "Some of it is because of Internet buying."
The Internet has forced small local music stories to change tactics. Kubala directs his sales at those who are likely to want the "real thing." He said "I cater to people who really love music, not just what they hear on the radio. There is a certain thrill involved in buying music."
In an effort to lure music-buyers back to CD-buying, Universal Music announced that beginning Sept. 29, its prices for new albums will be $12.98, while regular compact discs will go for around $9. Music buyers everywhere are hoping that other major companies will follow suit. Biega said, "Under 10 dollars is probably a magic number."
While consumers are raving about these reduced prices, local stores will take another hit with this price decrease.
"This is going to affect my inventory," Biega said. "It will take a while, maybe a couple years, to catch up."
There are no clear-cut answers in this ongoing debate. Local stores, music corporations and consumers will have to reach some sort of agreement.
Penn State administration has said that it is looking into providing students with legal music downloads. Vaught said, "We would really hate to see a Penn State student get hit with a tab like that. That's way more than anyone is paying to go here for a year."
