KILLING SPOTIFY’S FREE VERSION WILL BOOST PIRACY

KILLING SPOTIFY’S FREE VERSION WILL BOOST PIRACY

BY Todd Starr ON MAY 10, 2015

Spotify is generally hailed as a piracy killer, with music file-sharing traffic dropping in virtually every country where the service launches. However, much of this effect may be lost if recent calls to end Spotify's free tier are honored.

cassetteWhen Spotify launched its first beta in the fall of 2008, we branded it “an alternative to music piracy.”

With the option to stream millions of tracks supported by an occasional ad, or free of ads for a small subscription fee, Spotify appeared to be a serious competitor to music piracy.

In the years that followed Spotify conquered the hearts and minds of many music fans. Currently available in more than 60 countries, the service has amassed dozens of millions of users.

It’s a true success story, and one that led to a decline in music piracy rates in a few countries, exactly as planned.

However, in recent months there have been calls to end Spotify’s free ad-supported service. Some prominent musicians and labels believe that killing the free tier will increase revenues.

This week it was revealed that Apple is also pressuring record labels to end the licensing agreements that allow Spotify’s ad-supported deal, presumably to make its own Beats service more competitive.

While Spotify hasn’t signaled that anything will change, killing the free version will be a dangerous move. In fact, it’ll be a step backward that is likely to increase piracy in the long run.

Sure, when free users are forced to pay it will motivate some to sign up for a paid subscription. This will then lead to more revenue in the short term, something labels and artists will appreciate. However, in the long run the effects may not be so positive.

One of the main appeals Spotify has for the public, specifically ‘pirates,’ is that there’s a free version available. Pirates like to try before they buy and Spotify free removes the giant hurdle to make the switch to a legal streaming service.

Those who then like the service and want the ad-free experience will eventually convert to a paid subscription. After all, paying is not a problem for most ‘pirates’ who tend to spend more money on entertainment than the average consumer.

Ultimately, the goal of the free version is to start changing the habits of pirates, and it’s been pretty successful at doing so.

Besides killing the free version of Spotify there’s also a possibility that it may become more limited. Just before the weekend news broke that Apple’s Beats may also offer some content for free, and perhaps they would like Spotify and others to do the same.

Again, this isn’t a particularly good idea. The magic of Spotify is that users can access a virtually unlimited library of music. A library that’s greater than what people can find on most pirate sites, and more convenient too.

Limiting the library for free users will make it look less attractive compared to the pirate alternatives. As a result, people will be less likely to get hooked and less likely to make the switch to becoming a paid user.

This brings us to the exclusivity issue. In recent years the music industry has excelled in making its music available to as many people as possible, often without restrictions. But now that some big artists are removing (or threatening to remove) their music from Spotify, or offer some content exclusively to other services, the overall appeal is waning.

Music fans don’t want to pay for 3, 5 or 10 services to get all the music they love. They want it all in one place. While this may not bring in as much as everyone would like, it’s a crucial part of stamping out music piracy.

A few months ago a movie industry report found that consumers in the UK need to use dozens of movie services if they want access to the most popular films. If the same happens to music, piracy will surely soar.

All in all it’s safe to conclude that exclusivity breeds pirates. So if artists and labels are in it for the long run they should keep everything together, and make it easy for pirates to go legal.

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Pacman a real fighter

Yes, Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao. And yes, Floyd Mayweather is the best boxer in the sport. But there was once this kid, some 20 years ago, that sold cigarettes and doughnuts in the poverty stricken streets of the Philippines in order to survive. He left his family as a child to put on a pair of gloves and try to make a living with a gift that he was blessed with. He traveled over an ocean to a foreign land to become one of the greatest fighters that ever lived, winning titles in a record 8 weight divisions. He entertained us and was guided by his faith. He contributes to society to make a better life, not just for his children and wife, but for those in need. The strength of his character surpasses the strenghth of his fist. And on this journey that he has taken us along on, he has somehow managed to become a leader of a nation. He has become the ONE common love between the people of a country that has been divided by different ideals and agendas....sure Floyd Mayweather outclassed Manny Pacquiao inside that 25 x 25 ring. But everything else outside of the squared circle, our hero, Mr. Pacquiao, has outclassed someone who is nothing more than a rich boxer....undisputed. Hey you never find a boxer then Manny Pacquiao Follow RlzTodd

Public opinion Pacquiao won
Boxing is sucking ufc

UFC 184

UFC Mixed faceoff        between Correia and         Rousey &UFC 184, 

            Story Todd Starr              @RlzToddstarr on Twitter Mar 6, 2015 3:03am

Information
Promotion	Ultimate Fighting Championship
Date	February 28, 2015
Venue	Staples Center
City	Los Angeles, California
Attendance	17,654[1]
Total gate	$2,675,000[1]
Event chronology
UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos

UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano was a mixed martial arts event held on February 28, 2015 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Californi^[2]

Main Card
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Women's Bantamweight	Ronda Rousey (c)	def.	Cat Zingano	Submission (straight armbar)	1	0:14	[a]
Women's Bantamweight	Holly Holm	def.	Raquel Pennington	Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)	3	5:00
Welterweight	Jake Ellenberger	def.	Josh Koscheck	Submission (north-south choke)	2	4:20
Welterweight	Alan Jouban	def.	Richard Walsh	KO (elbow and punches)	1	2:19
Lightweight	Tony Ferguson	def.	Gleison Tibau	Submission (rear-naked choke)	1	2:37
Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
Middleweight	Roan Carneiro	def.	Mark Muñoz	Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)	1	1:40
Bantamweight	Roman Salazar	vs.	Norifumi Yamamoto	No Contest (accidental eye poke)	2	2:37	[b]
Welterweight	Tim Means	def.	Dhiego Lima	TKO (punches)	1	2:17
Heavyweight	Derrick Lewis	def.	Ruan Potts	TKO (punches)	2	3:18
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Lightweight	Valmir Lázaro	def.	James Krause	Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)	3	5:00
Featherweight	Masio Fullen	def.	Alex Torres	Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)	3	5:00

1. For the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship.
2. An accidental eye poke rendered Salazar unable to continue; as the fight had not reached the third round, it was declared a No Count  Reported payout

The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to theCalifornia State Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the UFC and also do not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses.

• Ronda Rousey: $130,000 ($65,000 win bonus) def. Cat Zingano: $100,000
• Holly Holm: $50,000 ($25,000 win bonus) def. Raquel Pennington: $10,000
• Jake Ellenberger: $136,000 ($68,000 win bonus) def. Josh Koscheck: $78,000
• Alan Jouban: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus) def. Richard Walsh: $18,000
• Tony Ferguson: $48,000 ($24,000 win bonus) def. Gleison Tibau: $50,000
• Roan Carneiro: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus) def. Mark Muñoz: $47,000
• Ramon Salazar: $8,000 vs. Norifumi Yamamoto: $15,000 ^
• Tim Means: $34,000 ($17,000 win bonus) def. Dhiego Lima: $10,000
• Derrick Lewis: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus) def. Ruan Potts: $10,000
• Valmir Lazaro: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus) def. James Krause: $15,000
• Masio Fullen: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus) def. Alexander Torres: $8,000

^ Both fighters earned show money; bout declared No Contest

This by far one a great UFC This past

MANNY PACQUIAO reveals what his family think

MANNY PACQUIAO
                          FEATURE3, March, 2015
Manny Pacquiao reveals what his family think about him fighting Floyd Mayweather
Manny Pacquiao tells Todd Starr about the importance of this fight with Mayweather
IN an exclusive interview, world champion Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao has told Todd Starr that it is his eldest children who are most excited about his upcoming bout with Floyd Mayweather, saying that they would be on the “front row” at the Las Vegas showdown.

“My son and my daughter, they really wanted this fight to happen…Three years ago [they said] ‘Daddy, I want you to fight Mayweather. I want you to fight Mayweather.’ I said, ‘Why? It’s not my fault. He doesn’t want to fight.’ And now finally now it finally happened. They really, really want to watch the fight.”

Speaking to Todd Starr,  the 36 year-old Pacquiao acknowledged the momentous nature of the clash.

“I can say [this will be] one of the most important fights in my career,” he said, speaking from his home in Manila. “[it] has been five years in the making…and finally it’s happening. I think the fans deserve it.”

It’s estimated that the May 2 bout will break all financial records in the history of professional boxing. Pacquiao himself is believed to be earning around $80 million for the fight.

Asked how the whopping paycheck makes him feel, Pacquiao replied “I feel blessed and I owe a lot to the fans. First to God but also the fans because of their support

Despite being a multi-millionaire and superstar, Pacquiao says he and his wife are trying to teach their children tappreciate the life of comfort they now enjoy. To prove the point, he says he transferred his children from an academy for international students to a school with no air conditioning.

“I want them to experience, so they can meet hungry families…So they will not mistreat other people or treat other people different.”