Beat the pirates at their own game
Dumisani Ncube | Friday August 15, 2014 11:36
Musicians who fail to sell their music are often quick to put the blame on piracy, and thus also point accusing fingers at those members of the public who buy cheap, pirated CDs.
While one has to appreciate the arguments advanced by the musicians, it is also necessary for the performers to take it upon themselves to fight for their own rights instead of turning into crybabies.
The recent anti-piracy campaign by the Botswana Music Union (BOMU) and some local artists, was a step in the right direction and it did not only spread the message but netted 10,000 units of pirated CDs and DVDs.
However, even if such campaigns were to be held every weekend, illegal music distributors would always find ways to beat the system.
Therefore as a concerned music commentator, I find it prudent to give artists free advice on how they can win this fierce battle against piracy.
BOMU and the musicians should embrace the rise of technology and take advantage of it to beat the piracy.
Local musicians and our beloved BOMU should adopt an initiative to sell and distribute music online.
Distributing music online makes it extremely difficult to pirate hence it would be a huge fist on the jaw for illegal music distributors. Another advantage with selling music online is that your music gets to the people faster.
It becomes easily accessible as one can purchase it from the comfort of their homes instead of walking the streets searching for CDs and DVDs.
The music is also exposed to international
With technology came piracy. Musicians now find it difficult to sell their own work because pirates use modern technology to download music, make copies and distribute them.
Musicians who fail to sell their music are often quick to put the blame on piracy, and thus also point accusing fingers at those members of the public who buy cheap, pirated CDs.
While one has to appreciate the arguments advanced by the musicians, it is also necessary for the performers to take it upon themselves to fight for their own rights instead of turning into crybabies.
The recent anti-piracy campaign by the Botswana Music Union (BOMU) and some local artists, was a step in the right direction and it did not only spread the message but netted 10,000 units of pirated CDs and DVDs.
However, even if such campaigns were to be held every weekend, illegal music distributors would always find ways to beat the system.
Therefore as a concerned music commentator, I find it prudent to give artists free advice on how they can win this fierce battle against piracy.
BOMU and the musicians should embrace the rise of technology and take advantage of it to beat the piracy.
Local musicians and our beloved BOMU
Musicians at a previous event. They are snowed under by piracy FILE PIC
audiences which helps boost the owner’s profile.
Digital stores such as iTunes, Xbox music and Google music are available for utilisation.
A single track online goes for $1USD which is equivalent to P8 while a pirated album is P15 or even P10 on the “black market”.
It is BOMU’s responsibility to advise musicians to take part in the new era of digital music distribution.
Former Big Brother Africa star, Munya Chidzonga, managed to eliminate piracy on his movie, Lobola, by selling the DVDs on the streets at the same price as the pirated DVDs.
His team managed to sell more than 100,000 copies!
A lesson that one can learn from Chidzonga’s distribution tactics is that the only way to curb piracy is to do what pirates do. “Beat them at their own game”.
The only people that can fight and win this war are BOMU and the musicians and it is time they wiped their tears and fought back.
The weapon of mass destruction that they can use to win the war is the same technology that the pirates are using.