BOSTON, MA (Hypebot) –
As part of a week long exploration into the meaning and value of "free", Hypebot asked some of the music industry's most forward thinkers the value and future of free music. Here Robb McDaniels, the CEO and founder of digital music distributor INgrooves responds:
"You asked for my opinion on “free music and how it can help the industry return the profitability”. I think you asked for my “free” opinion. So I have to decide whether it is worth my time to give you a piece of my intellectual property for free.
Of course, I am pretending/assuming for a second that people actually care enough about my opinion to prescribe a value to it. At the very least, my time is money and I value my own time.
So then I am creating something (my opinion and thought process) and evaluating whether or not it is worth it (value) to give it to you for free. Does the value I am receiving from you exceed my own perceived value of the IP I created? Does it actually increase the value of my other opinions because you are helping to inform a new audience about my musings? Is it fair to assume that people will either agree (value) my opinion and want more of them or they will disagree (think I’m full of shit) and not care what my other opinions are?
If yes to all these questions, then I am OK giving it away for free. My opinion that is."
