eBay Snubs Music Gift Economy

Alas, just when it seemed a good idea was getting off the ground, its wings were abruptly clipped. eBay has banned Celeste H and his music commissioning auctions, citing the abuse section of the EULA as the reason. Although this is certainly a setback, there have been some encouraging signs to support his endeavour – there were indeed bidders on his auctions, and it looked like he was going to get his first commissions under his belt before the rug was pulled.

At least he has the buddha machine to cheer him up.

It is certainly an interesting and somewhat volatile time for the music industry. New economic models are emerging by the day, and many will of course fail, but some will succeed and go on to define the standards of music consumption to which our children will become accustomed. The Internet will be central to these changes, and musicians themselves now have the power to influence (and enact) distribution channels in a way never before possible. Those who embrace the vagaries of Web 2.0, social media and new models of perceiving, discovering and consuming music will be in a strong position to take advantage of them. Gorillavsbear posted an interview with John Vanderslice which covers his perspective on the uncertainty surrounding what was once known as the music industry. Although I wouldn’t necessarily agree with everything he says, it is an interesting interview which poses many questions regarding the future of music production and its benefits to both musicians and fans.