Frank Zappa on iTunes & The Long Tail
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Written By Reprise Media | May 10, 2005 | Share This
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My Frank Zappa fandom began earlier than most - I went to kindergarten with his nieces. They were identical twins who shared the same olive skin and curlique hair as well as Frank’s famous last name.
In addition to being an incredibly creative, prolific songwriter and performer, Zappa was ahead of his time when it came to envisioning an alternative to the exploitive system of music sales and distribution we have today. A post on MetaFilter points to an
excerpt from a book Zappa wrote two decades ago that lays out a blueprint for the iTunes & eMusic systems we have today:
Here’s a quick snip from the Quality Catalog Items store he envisions, one that allows consumers access to the full scope of an artist’s catalog:
“All accounting for royalty payments, billing to the customer, etc. would be automatic, built into the initial software for the system. The consumer has the option of subscribing to one or more Interest Categories, charged at a monthly rate, without regard for the quantity of music he or she decides to tape.”
Zappa also touches on points similar to those expressed in Chris Anderson’s essay, The Long Tail:
“Put aside momentarily the current method of operation and think what is being wasted in terms of GREAT CATALOG ITEMS, squeezed out of the market place because of limited rack space in retail outlets, and the insatiable desire of quota-conscious company reps to fill every available niche with THIS WEEK’S NEW RELEASES.”
Zappa died in 1993 without getting to see all the changes the Internet has brought about in the last 10 years. No doubt he’d be impressed with the increased options consumers have when it comes to playing music and gaining access to independent artists. I’m pretty sure he’d still have some unkind words for the RIAA and maybe even something to say to Apple about opening up iTunes.
Speaking of opening up iTunes, check out this post by former RIAA exec Hilary Rosen in which she calls out the Steve Jobs for his ‘lock’ on her music. Slashdot readers are on hand to open up that can of worms.
Topics: Technology |