p2p news / p2pnet: "You are our queen," Warner Music’s Edgar Bronfman rhapsodized over the recently-ruptured Madonna, 147.

Is that why she’s able to rip fans off for $350 and more to see her cavort during her Confessions Tour?

"Judging from e-mails received by the BBC News website, there are plenty of people who are prepared to pay," says the BBC. "For every person denouncing the ticket costs as an ‘outrage’, there is a fan who feels the show is ‘worth every penny’."

Oh.

But of course, "veteran Madonna-watchers will be used to such high prices by now" and, "Madonna is one of the key beneficiaries of some powerful economic forces that have re-shaped the world of live music - for better or for worse."

And it’s all your fault if you’re a downloader.

Alan Krueger, a Princeton University economist described as "the world’s first and foremost professor of rockonomics", says concerts have become a much bigger source of income for major-league stars than CD sales.

Apparently, his interest was sparked when he took his father to the US Superbowl in 2001, paying $2,500 for a ticket listed at $325.

He says there’s no simple explanation for the sudden rise in music ticket prices, but, "He believes record sales are down because many potential customers frequently download music free from the Web or copy CDs, either legally or illegally," says the BBC.

"There are some people who are big defenders of the free availability of the internet. But the general reaction that I got has been agreement."

Before the advent of "illegal downloads," artists, "had an incentive to underprice their concerts, because bigger audiences translated into higher record sales, states Krueger.

Now, "artists and their managers need to make more money from concerts and feel less constrained in setting ticket prices".

And, "as Professor Krueger points out, the internet is ultimately going to lead to even bigger economic changes in the music industry," adds the story.

He got that right. But what about this?

Technological innovations, "continually cause change" and, "The industry has to change and it is changing."

Don’t bother to stay tuned.

Also See:
rhapsodized - Edgar Bronfman loves Madonna, April 19, 2006
recently-ruptured - $350 Confessions, April 4, 2006
BBC - Winners take all in rockonomics, April 20, 2006

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