HMV Fights Music Exclusivity Trend

October 20, 2008


HMV Canada is sick of losing artists to exclusive distribution deals and they’ve made a direct plea to musicians to make their music available everywhere.

Seems the national music retailer took out a full page ad in Billboard magazine praising artists who have resisted exclusivity deals with retail giants like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, and urging other artists to do the same.

In the past few years, acts like the Rolling Stones have given exclusive distribution rights to one sole retailer, shutting out smaller chains like HMV.

I’d like to think that HMV has democratic intentions in mind, and truly believes that music should be available everywhere and to everyone.   The cynic in me, though,  says that HMV would be following suit if it had the resources of Best Buy, and is only pleading with artists to resist because it doesn’t.

Far more effective would be if HMV made more of its wares available online through an e-store.   The dissemination of the sale of music has been in place for some time now.  To ask artists to stick to outdated sales tactics is to fight the trends of the future.

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