Major record labels have capitalized on iTunes to maintain the same advantages that they held previously through physical media distribution networks, a recently published paper by a UT Arlington assistant professor says.
David Arditi, assistant professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in the School of Urban and Public Affairs, argues major record labels are as powerful as ever and appear to generate as much money as when albums, music stores and other historic distribution channels were part of the industry landscape.
" Music executives made it sound like this new technology on the Internet was allowing people to steal from them," Arditi said. " The truth is they use iTunes and other formats to control music purchases."
In 2001, the companies represented by the Recording Industry Association of America claimed to be in turmoil because of the widespread use of peer-to-peer file-sharing software, such as Napster. Independents, on the other hand, hailed the technology as a means to distribute their music outside the national distribution system.
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