The immediacy and viral nature of the internet are a music marketer's dream, but the Red Hot Chili Peppers are also about to learn that they can be a nightmare.
The band's new CD has been leaked to the internet in advance of it's release next Tuesday. In reaction band leader Flea posted a letter on the act's web site which says in part:
...that's not very nice
if you down load it now off one of these file sharing sites
you will be getting a pale imitation of the record
it will be of the poor sound quality of the technique they used to
get it on there
and that will break my heart...
Perhaps there are a few fans who will heed his plea and not download the CD; but for millions of others he's just advertised the free availability of a CD that according to Flea, the Chili Peppers "worked for a year and a half to make the epic record of our lives".
The new music industry has a new set of rules and Flea needs to learn them. File sharing is a fact of life and in fact can be a legitimate promotional tool. If by some miracle the CD had not been leaked in advance; it would have been available for free within an hour of its release. (OK 2 hours. its a long CD.)
Fans want their musical idols to be rebels; not whiny corporate pawns.
Read the full letter here. We'll let you find the BitTorrent...
