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05/03/2004 Entry: "It's the end of the world as we know it."
Clear Channel horns their way into yet another aspect of the music industry. I wonder how long it'll be before they start telling acts they have to allow this at their shows or they won't be playing Clear Channel venues. They do that sort of thing, y'know.
Mr. Griner and his brother, James, have received the first patent for "creating digital recordings of live performances." Their process uses microphones, recording and audio mixing hardware and software, CD burners and a method of executing the recording and burning process to make it unique."It's the organization of the existing CD-burning technology that makes all this work," Mr. Griner said of his patent. "We record the show and do some minimal manipulation of cutting into the tracks, and whether it's on a hard drive or master CD, there are a lot of slave towers, and we pop it in and start burning copies."
"So as each song finishes, we start burning that song onto a CD," he explained. "So at the end of the show, we only have the last song to burn on each CD."
But the Griners' system is not the only one for churning out instant CD's for jazz musicians, independent bands and classic rock acts. Several companies are licensed to record live performances and sell the CD's to audiences immediately afterward. Some also offer them for delivery within a couple of days, and several say they have patents pending. The two largest use huge trucks to move their recording and CD-burning operations from venue to venue.
The Griner brothers have sold their patent to one of those, called Instant Live, which is owned by the radio and concert promotion behemoth, Clear Channel Communications. Like its competitors, Instant Live says about 20 percent of audiences are buying instant CD's. The recording industry says these audiences already spend $400 million a year on concert merchandise like T-shirts, posters and other souvenirs - so everyone is hoping the Griner brothers have hit on the next big thing.
Replies: 2 people speak up
well, I guess you could always P2P the live CDs.
but yes, Clear Channel is an evil many-tentacled demonic octopus. Or something.
Posted by renato @ 05/03/2004 01:21 AM NY
Great, so they sold the technology to the ONE company that can do the MOST HARM with it. Fantastic.
When I heard about this, I was hoping it was some older radical hippies out to screw the system. Holy buzzkill.
Sigh...
Tony B.
Posted by monkeyfister @ 05/03/2004 10:39 AM NY
