HMV boycotts Alanis Morissette
p2pnet.net News:- Starbucks Canada and Canada`s Alanis Morissette have given Canada’s largest music retailer a bitter pill to swallow.
Morissette’s label, Maverick Records, has struck a deal with Starbucks under which an acoustic re-release of her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill is about to go on the shelves.
But only on Starbucks shelves. For six weeks, at least.
Tomorrow, the album goes on sale at the coffee outlets but,”As of June 13, HMV will be removing all Alanis products from our stores, consistent with the views of the majority of our customers, and will be returning all Alanis product to the record company,” CTV has HMV president Humphrey Kadaner saying.
Nor, says the story, is this the first time HMV has had a hissy fit.
HMV, Music World and Sunrise Records all pulled Rolling Stones albums from their shelves as a protest of the aging rockers’ deal to sell their Four Flicks DVD through Best Buy and Future Shop.”
Freshly-inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, Morissette is now celebrating the 10th anniversary of her breakout album with the new CD and an acoustic tour, adds CTV.
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See:-
Starbucks – Starbucks and Big Music, p2pnet, March 12, 2004
CNN – Alanis’ Starbucks deal upsets music retailers, June 10, 2005
June 12th, 2005 at 5:12 pm
Good for HMV. The store should continue this trend of boycotting artists that make there work available at other stores during a period of exclusitivity.
June 12th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
yeah, and then pretty soon HMV won’t have anything to sell (not that they really have anything to sell right now) and they’ll go out of business. I for one, have never bought a CD at HMV– too expensive for too little. Why buy over-priced crap from a faceless entity when there is plenty of good stuff available at a reasonable price, or even free, direct from the artist?
June 12th, 2005 at 5:39 pm
I think everyone should boycott HMV for selling their products for 10 and sometimes 20 dollars more than anywhere else. Boycotting an aritist is stupid. They wrote and recorded the cd and it’s theirs to do with what they want. If they want to sell it only at gas stations that’s their choice. HMV wants to profit on the work of others and going even further by overpricing their merchandise. Wake up HMV you don’t own the copyrights to the material you sell, morons.
June 12th, 2005 at 5:45 pm
I totally agree with the previous post. HMV is overpriced and their location on Robson St Vancouver had to close due to this very reason. This is a lame hissy fit that will not even affect these artistes. HMV.com is STILL selling Alanis’ products so even if their stores are pulling them, you can still get them online if u wish. I for one have not walked into a HMV in 10 years. Why shop there when can buy cheaper at A&B or Futureshop or Virgin Megastore and they also have websites that sell for cheaper with FREE shipping. I’d say if you want value for money, BOYCOTT HMV instead.
June 12th, 2005 at 6:06 pm
Wah Wah Wah
June 12th, 2005 at 6:09 pm
Ha, ha, ha! This is sooo funny!
HMV overcharges for their music, Starbucks overcharges for their (crappy) coffee, and Alanis is a no talent hack who can’t make up her mind which country to call home. I say boycott them all!
June 12th, 2005 at 6:18 pm
u got that right =)
June 12th, 2005 at 7:11 pm
who gives a shit
June 12th, 2005 at 7:15 pm
It’s sad to see that a company cannot change with the times. HMV should reconcile itself to the fact that in the new downloadable digital age that it’s old antiquated method of selling music is obsolete. If HMV wants to alienate itself from music buyers so be it. Purchasers of music are no longer forced to deal with large companies that throw a hissy-fit when they do not get their way. I for one am glad that I can go to places like Star Bucks and Itunes to get the music that I enjoy.
June 12th, 2005 at 7:47 pm
hahahaha i’d like to know how much it is at Starbucks if it is still cheaper then HMV would be. And are the other companies ticked off? I for one wont buy anything at my local HMV store, they are in a mall and therefore the prices are way more then any other stores. I think im going to go to Starbucks and get a Venti Chi cream frapachino for $5 and come home and download the cd. lol. I ordered a movie from HMV and when it cam e in it was 30bucks on vhs and Blockbuster ordered it for me for 10 lol.
June 12th, 2005 at 8:02 pm
Once again the shallowness of corporate greed shows it’s troubled adolescent face, not unlike a school yard bully about to take his marbles home ’cause nobody wants to play with him.
June 12th, 2005 at 8:08 pm
HMV is absolutely doing the right thing.
June 12th, 2005 at 8:35 pm
Hmm, so at a time when an artist with an extensive back catalogue is putting herself in the news, HMV decides to make sure that anyone who wants to buy some of that back catalogue has to go to HMV’s competitors. Great way to lose even more sales than you will from the exclusive deal with Starbucks.
What HMV should have done is put all the back catalogue at the front of the shop, so when customers buy one of Morissette’s older CDs, they can also buy a voucher entitling them to get the new album in six weeks time at a lower price than at Starbucks .
HMV=idiots.
June 12th, 2005 at 9:09 pm
Tell me more! It seems like one more overblown pissing contest. I would be much more impressed if both parties could commit to a mutually beneficial situation. Sad really…. HMV should have put her back-catalog on sale at a greatly reduced price and donated all the money to her favourite charity. I’d like to see her respond to that one.
June 12th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
Wow, so if they boycotted all artist that sold their albums at other stores than they would have nothing to sell!
Well, my only response it that I am boycotting HMV, from now on I will buy all my CDs and DVD elsewhere.
June 12th, 2005 at 10:02 pm
Are you nuts??? How many other artist sell their CDs elsewhere? All of them!
June 12th, 2005 at 10:02 pm
right on the money
June 12th, 2005 at 10:37 pm
exactly
June 12th, 2005 at 10:41 pm
Let’s all buy stuff from Artist’s Internet sites and get rid of the middleman (HMV).
The long term viability of HMV is suspect. I either download stuff or I buy stuff on ebay or I get them from itunes.
June 12th, 2005 at 10:45 pm
I think you’re all morons. HMV is running a business which is of service to a large number of people, otherwise they would not be in business. (Although I am not one of their customers). This is a supplier who is screwing them over by changing the distribution terms. HMV has every reason to be pissed off and should take action. Would you bend over and take it if someone were screwing you? Clearly not as you all feel that way about your supplier of music (HMV). If you aren’t happy with HMV then don’t shop there – you have every right not to. You’re morons arguing a double standard. HMV should do what they want. Deal with it.
June 12th, 2005 at 11:29 pm
As a partner at Starbucks and a fan of Alanis Morissette, I am suprised about HMV’s reaction to the exclusivity of this release. In the past, HMV has had their own exclusive deals when you purchase a particular album. I distinctly remember getting an exclusive CD single for purchasing Sarah McLachlan’s Mirrorball CD through their website.
As the music industry continues to struggle on how to market to their audience, they have to find innovative ways to do this. I guess what I want to know is what would HMV do with an exclusive release if given the opportunity? Starbucks is committed to providing high quality releases and partnering with artists who are committed to the vision behind the music, as opposed to product. HMV should redirect their efforts to work with Alanis and other artists to get the exclusives if they are so worried about Starbucks cannibalizing their sales. It’s very passive-aggressive and creating more of an issue than a solution. Starbucks’ entry into the music market has only been positive for music as a whole. What has HMV done to promote high quality artists vs. making a profit?
June 12th, 2005 at 11:30 pm
Looks to me like HMV will have more room on the shelfes for Indie Atrists!!!!! Screw the major labels!!!!!
June 13th, 2005 at 12:41 am
The beauty of a free market system is it will all sort out in the end. HMV attempting to flex its market muscle as a monopolist in our current distribution system for music is advertising how desperate the future is for this music chain. If they fail to change their strategy and find some way to embrace and profit from the reality of the industry they will fade away. Now more then ever consumers need to recognize what happens to the money they spend and consciously choose where to spend and who to support.
June 13th, 2005 at 3:33 am
Alanis has ‘Hollywood’ fever cause she thinks she can compete with the likes of any big name now! Guess what, it’s HMV for me tomorrow to buy something as a ‘good for you’ gesture. My coffee will NOT BE Starbucks for the next 6 weeks either, but rather SecondCup.
K.
June 13th, 2005 at 3:38 am
On an exclusive basis for 6 weeks!!! Get real and read the article.
June 13th, 2005 at 3:40 am
I guess this must be HMV’s Corporate Manifesto:
1) Grossly inflate prices of products.
2) Refuse to carry artists’ works if they have exclusive deals with other distributors.
3) Hope that customers are foolish enough to stay away from other distributors because, after all, HMV ought to be the ONLY place to buy CD’s.
4) ????
5) Profit!!!
June 13th, 2005 at 3:52 am
If HMV boycotts Alanis Morissette, then we have to boycott HMV.
June 13th, 2005 at 7:49 am
I think I’ll pick up this horrible artist’s cd at starbucks and then rip it and make it available via various shared file services.
Somebody has to stop this capitalist madness.
Love,
Che
June 13th, 2005 at 10:40 am
Ha, quite right too.
It’ll all be the same in 10yrs’ time, too: I note with interest that many people are aware of these “Rolling Stones” to which the article also alludes. I also note that they are availble in HMV’s stores. So all HMV will be doing is hurting themselves for 6 weeks’ profit on all the other Alanis material, plus any amount of goodwill lost amongst the customer-base for having such a hissy-fit.
As a side thought: so this is the kind of playing-field in which the RIAA operates, yes? Talk of legalities and business models, all concerning one stroppy canadian wench who screeches angsty verse into a microphone for profit, and her actions? *Siiigh*…
June 13th, 2005 at 11:46 am
Buying music on the web is always 25-75% cheaper than HMV and similar stores.
Why would anyone shop there is completely beyond me.
I have two explnations:
A) They really get a lot of satsfaction out of wasting their money and giving it away.
B) They’re a bunch of total morons, uninfomed and uninterested in learning something so basic.
Umm, I wonder which is it…?
June 13th, 2005 at 11:51 am
Read the posts again before you flame. People aren’t saying that HMV shouldn’t do this. They’re saying its stupid for them to do this because they have nothing to gain and everything to lose.
A supplier changing the distribution terms? The supplier is running a business too and its up them to do it how they want it. Deal with that.
And the supplier in this case is more critical to the product than HMV. It’s not like GM putting the screws on their supplier of car seats, because they mess up GM car production. HMV is a middleman with no future, not a producer of anything. If they really want to screw themseves this way, its their choice. Doesn’t make it clever.
June 13th, 2005 at 11:53 am
Don’t boycot it for that, boycot it because it’s 25%-50% more expnsive than buying your music from pure web retailers or download services.
June 13th, 2005 at 5:20 pm
Absolutely, record stores were the ones that helped break her career in the first place.
Shame on you Alanis.
June 13th, 2005 at 6:54 pm
Don’t be stupid. HMV is protesting that they will lose money because of the Starbucks deal, and they are doing it by making sure that they lose *even more* money. It’s not like Morisette or her record company will suffer, it’s not like her fans will suffer – they will just buy CDs from other sources. The only person who loses out will be HMV. They’ve taken (from their view) a bad situation and made it worse.
You say they are “running a business”, but how exactly does increasing their losses help them? They’ve screwed themselves over more than any exclusive deal for a few weeks has done.
That’s why they are idiots. All it is will be one HMV exec at the top with an inflated ego and a sense of outrage that someone is doing an exclusive deal just like the ones HMV try to get – only the deal is with a competitor this time.
The chain stores used to have a load of power. If the likes of HMV or Tower didn’t carry your music, you lost sales and your single sank without a trace. Those days are long gone. You can now get music from Amazon, ITunes, Wal-Mart, your supermarket, Starbucks, your gas station, etc, but someone at HMV’s head office is living in the past and has an inflated sense of their own importance.
June 18th, 2005 at 2:24 am
Sure go buy at A&B, seeing that they went belly up selling their crap below their cost.
June 18th, 2005 at 2:34 am
You’re a moron! Did you actually read the article or are you just pissing in the wind. They’re only boycotting the artists that make exclusive deals with other entities. How would you like it if someone told you that you have to shop at a certain store for your groceries because the distributor has signed an exclusive deal with them even though you don’t believe in their business practice. By signing exclusive deals with certain retailers, the artists are taking away your freedom of choice.
June 18th, 2005 at 2:43 am
The artist and their record company will suffer because if all the artists starting signing exclusive deals with different retailers then as a consumer, you will never be sure of where you can get your favourite artists new CD. That will lead to more theft(downloading)and the artist will eventually suffer. HMV is just trying to ensure that the playing field is level and that all their customers can get what they want at their stores. If artists continue to sign these deals with non traditional record stores then HMV,Towers,Virgin etc. would have even bigger losses in the long term. Short term pain for long term gain baby!