The same logic in case of Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator would be really effective -- the browser is just about the most basic technology that you can get on the Net. This would cost a bomb but would be worth if the companies can get together.Audio company strategies:
If audio firms can shift focus from cassettes/CDs to MP3, they can make money. Buyers can get music at lesser costs as market will be wider and overhead spreads thinner. This, of course, applies to a high computer penetration market. Start with looking at the music tastes of a typical PC owner.
For the non-PC market:
Right now, every third cassette in the market is pirated. A blank cassette costs Rs 20-25, and a pre-recorded one around Rs 55. Piracy is inevitable just on viability grounds. If music companies get together to raise cost of blank cassettes, piracy can be minimised.
Music on the Net:
Artistes benefit. No middlemen. No production and distribution hassles. No royalty tensions. The procedure is also simple. Log in, pay via draft or credit card and download via a password. Long-term, companies are bound to submit.
Technology benefits:
Massive. Long-run, computer awareness and knowledge of technology will grow. So will the demand for music-related software. Today, Creative has a good hardware-substitute that runs on a PC. So, now the bulky Akai music system is obsolete. A sound card costs Rs 5000. The card has an FX processor in which FX and various sound effect softwares process the WAV file. Something similar comes in the Compuedge India kit, which at Rs 15,000 gives complete frequency coverage.
Already there are alternatives to MP3. RealAudio quality is a bit inferior but the size is a quarter of mp3. Really mail-friendly.