David Huron
Keynote Address
International Conference on Music Information Retrieval
Victoria, Canada, 2006 October 9
The history of past music technologies tells us that the specific technical and legal frameworks for music distribution can have a major impact on patterns of production and use. If we wish to ensure that future music distribution maximizes public benefit, it is essential to ensure that commercial interests and public interests are aligned rather than juxtaposed. In assembling the music distribution systems of the future, law-makers need to be able to draw on pertinent policy research that identifies and explores the critical issues. Unfortunately, little music policy research is being carried out. Government, industry, academia, non-profit organizations and international bodies have not yet risen to the policy challenges -- even as web-based music distribution systems appear. As a result, we are in danger of creating ad hoc systems that fall short in serving the public good, especially in a global context. In this presentation, I identify some of the pertinent policy issues and discuss a values-based approach to design.