Sorry for the double post, but there are several people to whom I wish to reply.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsJoseph
OMG. Thank you. 
Cause I'm sure the writers of runaway hits like Twilight, Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, and 50 Shades of Grey are doing pretty well. And I have bought over 100 books so far this year and not a single one was outside of copyright. |
It does not cost anything to 'buy' and e-book that is out of copyright.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsJoseph
And there are BOATLOADS of people making music. Everywhere. Every. Single. Day. And their audience isn't forgoing their work in order to go buy the latest copy of Gershwin. It just so happens that 99% of everything is drivel and isn't going to sell...even if it was free.
|
There is certainly some truth to Quantum Iguana's statement about a book not selling. There is a lot of schlock out there, and much of it won't sell regardless of copyright. However, there are certainly some people who are choosing out of copyright books over new ones. These people are being lost from the new book market so to speak. This loss hurts authors as there is not as much money to go around.
I agree that many people are making music. However, a much smaller percentage of the population is earning a living from music. And some people are choosing Gershwin over other music.
Editing so that I do not make a triple post.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by QuantumIguana
If I want to go out to hear live music, I have no shortage of venues. Even in small towns, bands will play at bars. Even with the availability of recorded music, people still go out to see live music. Sure, there were hotels where they had live musicians instead of piped in music, but that was never an experience most people visiting a hotel would have. Only elite hotels would have had live musicians for their background music.
|
A much smaller percentage of the population earns a living at music than one hundred years ago. I have found myself having to travel further to go to concerts than in the past. This is caused by venues closing. Many of the bands that play at bars, do not earn a living from music. It is a side job. Live music was certainly not elite in the past. It was everywhere from brothels to department stores.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by QuantumIguana
Old content is a niche. Classic movies are dwarfed by new movies. Books and movies have ALWAYS made references to older content. When I was growing up in the 70's, the entertainment media of the time made references to material that was decades old. You might have heard a Laurel and Hardy reference, for example. It wasn't meaningful to me then, but older people got the reference. People have always embraced the older content to an extent, but newer content dominates.
|
Although old content may be niche, it is still a factor. People who consumed old content did not spend their money on new content. This deprives current authors of revenue they would have had if the old content were not chosen.
I suspect that old content will become more and more prevalent in the coming decades. For one, it will not cost anything. Secondly, some of it is really good.