Translated by SOORIN KIM(voluntarily activist)
Few days ago, I downloaded the new mp3 files of Jang Ki-ha and the Faces, a Korean indie
band.
I use the fix rate product with which I can download
40 songs and listen to music unlimitedly a month for 7,000 won. I realized that
it takes 100 won to download a song. The cheaper the merrier as a consumer, but
thinking about how much of the price would go the original creator I get the
guilt creep on me because it seems as if I am taking the music for free. It usually costs 500 won to download a song in most
websites.
What does the profit distribution structure looks like
for digital music files?
The reports released by Choi Munsoon, the former
congressman show us how things work quite well.
When a consumer downloads a song for 500 won, 55% of
the cost, which is 275 won, goes to the download websites or the service businessmen.
The entertaining companies like SM, JYP get 150 won. 30 won at most go back to
the musician, meaning, only 6 (15)% of the profits go back to the original
creator.
The lives of indie musicians probably are even harsher
than we think.
Early this year, when the indie musician “Dalbit
Yojung Yeukjun Manru Homerun” died of stroke, the impoverished life of the
musician was finally revealed to the public. He sang about his life as a poor
musician and the unfair music profits distribution structure.
Mr. Lee Jin-won so called “Dalbit Yojung Yeukjun Manru home-run”
“Acorn shell, can’t even eat it. What the hell am I
supposed to do with it? This song is rubbish, but don’t have me live on morning
dew just because I’m ugly. Let me eat meat at least once a week. Don’t want any
acorns, don’t want any ramyon. Don’t want any squirrels’ food. Give me meat!!”
It seems like musicians, movie directors, writers and
artists have become the pronoun for poverty. However, the poverty they have to
face is not as romantic as the music they create seems to be. It is heart
aching to see that the result of their creation is poverty. Fruit of passion clearly
shouldn’t be this cheap. We need to reflect to ourselves once more where the
values are flowing and if we as consumers are not taking the passion as
granted.
Of course, if we want a change, we have to be the
change!
original Korean version of this post and attached files