Should record companies compete with others to sell music?

[ShyGuyInChicago]

The opinion was expressed on this site that record companies should compete with others when it comes to selling music. The rationale was that under the principle of economic competition consumers could benefit from lower prices. Since only record companies can sell the music that they copyright, they are able to price it as high as they wish.

Now while, I wish music could be cheaper, it really does not make sense to me for people and entities in addition to the copyright holders (i.e. the record companies in this case) to choose the prices of their music. After all, the record companies own the music.

[Amnesiac]

The alternative is just letting piracy take over the Internet, without prosecuting it. That way, the record companies will have to attract consumers with the advantages of buying music (high quality, no viruses, ect.) and lower prices.

[Death]

Competition is necessary to motivate those in a business to work efficiently with good quality and innovation in its work. This applies to not just record companies, but all businesses.

[Peace God]

I really don't get what you're saying here exactly. Record companies already compete with each other. Telling a business to compete with other businesses is like telling a soldier to bring his weapon to the battlefield.

[ShyGuyInChicago]

I really don't get what you're saying here exactly. Record companies already compete with each other. Telling a business to compete with other businesses is like telling a soldier to bring his weapon to the battlefield.

I am talking about record companies competing with entities other than record companies to sell music. Do you understand now?

[Peace God]

Do you understand now?
Not really.
I am talking about record companies competing with entities other than record companies to sell music.
The same principle still applies. The competition has already been well underway for years now. Seriously, in any market it's almost impossible to avoid competition...unless no one else is there (aka. Monopoly).

[maestro15]

Well, Apologies for shifting the topic a bit.
Anyhow, Yes, i do agree, lower prices would be to an advantage. But also take into consideration that if one competing company posts music on Youtube for free, and the other would forbid it, that would cause some minor issues concerning copyrighting for the one that forbids the use of Youtube.
also i think that record companies are kind of "competing" with illegal downloading. Once that ends, i do believe that competing record companies would have a better leeway into competition.

i dunno, i could be wrong D: