We'd like to suggest a few strategies to get Jane and Joe Modem to download some ditties. First, nobody wants to type in a credit card number without getting something you can hold in your hand. Otherwise, porn wouldn't be the only really profitable e-commerce model. The effort to get people to pay for MP3s will remain a nonstarter. Smart bands will learn to bundle their sound files with digital skin.
Simple bribery is always effective too.
The band that wins the MP3 sweepstakes will be the one that goes beyond being just another filename, the one that gives listeners something no other band can. Not only do they rock, their pitch will go, but if you download their song, they'll actually come to your house, pour beer over your head, throw you up in the air, and break both your legs. Automatic Media Inc. All rights reserved. Suck is part of Automatic Media, home of Plastic , Feed , and AltCulture .