Will music blogs be the RIAA's next target?
 

I am stunned by the number of blogs out there that offer not only singles and remixes, but entire albums. And the beauty of it is, there are so many various blog sites that it would be impossible to shut them all down. As the authors use many third-party downloading agents, there is no centralized distribution system like the file-sharing programs employ. Sure, it takes a lot more leg work on the users part to find any particular tune, but they're out there to be found. Seems like this new distribution method more or less proves that if there's a will, there's a way.

So how long before the RIAA goes after blogger.com or any of the dozens of others for the posting habits of their users? Or have they already?

Are you talking about streaming music like myspace or do bloggers out there offer direct file downloads? Or even bittorrent perhaps?

There was an incident with Ryan Adams and the music blogs where the blogs posted some of his tracks before the album was released. In that case the label and Ryan Adams didn't just shut the blog down and seek financial compensation but pushed for jail time. I don't know what the resolution was though.

I'm aware of a blog from this girl in Spain who puts up all matter of amazing indie recordings. I can't believe she's not worried about getting busted. There are archives going back many months.

Direct file downloads. Most of the ones I've seen use rapidshare or other such services to host the files. Now granted, the ones I've been scouring are geared more toward the obscure '80s stuff, but they are also chock full of current releases, and full CDs to boot.

It's pretty simple to upload a CD to rapidshare or yousendit, then put a link on your blog, and there are tons of people out there doing it. I have a dinstinct feeling that this will be the next big public target for the powers that be.

It wouldn't suprise me a bit. I was just reading how they are going after people on youtube who have music in their videos. Blogs can't be far behind.

Obviously they are aware that this is going on but I'd imagine it's a careful where you tread type situation. Any somewhat reputable music blog gets inundated with offers from record companies because music blogs are such powerful promotional tools that cost the music companies relatively little. It's got to be a cost/benefit thing where so far they've decided that the benefit outweighs the cost. In the future this could change but to do so risks killing an efficient and organic promotional tool, something that will be extremely hard to impossible to recreate.

These aren't respectable music blogs, or even blogs at all. They're lists of rapidshare and megaupload links with CD covers and track listings. They're posted on blog sites because nobody goes to geocities anymore.

It wouldn't suprise me in the least. And now that they are linking together in the blogspot search feature you can find pretty much anything you want.

A few of my favorite music blogs have dissapeared over the last few weeks. I don't know if the RIAA had anything to do with it or the people just got sick of posting. They all liklnk back to the blogspot homepage now.

I'm surprised stereogum.com has lasted this long since it often posts direct downloads.

The BLOGOSPHERE is ablaze with new e-maginative use of DIGITAL MEDIA WEB 2.0!

Ah, another "Ryan Adams is a total and complete royal dick" incident. I don't care how talented this guy may be (and IMHO, he's not at all), I would never buy his albums because of how big of a piece of shit he is.