JamBase Discusses the Discussion

From JamBase:

For our second serving of Feedback Loop we look at the current hot debate regarding the Grateful Dead's decision to remove their soundboard recordings from the download site Archive.org. Until a few days ago, Deadheads could download thousands of Grateful Dead recordings, many of which were highly-coveted soundboards, at no cost. That all changed when Grateful Dead Merchandising (GDM), asked Archive.org's Live Music Archive, to remove all downloads. While no Dead music can be downloaded, fans can still stream audience recordings. In the wake of this event Deadheads have become infuriated, creating petitions and vowing to boycott all Grateful Dead merchandise until the music is once again available to the public.
The Dead's decision and subsequent fan reaction has all of us at JamBase thinking long and hard about the fate of "tape trading" in the digital age. On the one hand, this live music scene we love so much has been supported by the show-recording, tape-trading community. It could be argued that allowing fans to freely trade and download music is perhaps the best promotional tool a band could ever have. On the other hand, bands need to make money in order to continue making their music. The music these bands make (on stage or in the studio) is their lifeblood - and if selling the downloads of their shows is a means for them to make money, so be it.

It's no secret that the music world is in flux. The digital revolution has changed the manner in which bands turn a profit. As bands and record companies continue to adapt to this new digital paradigm the selling of live show soundboards may in fact become a major component for bands to cash in. So our question to you this week is: How can our community best deal with tape trading in the digital age? Is there a solution that benefits artists and fans alike? How do you think this should be handled?

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