It seems there’s no stopping the growing popularity of entertainment pirating, but could the solution be as simple as making entertainment cheaper? Australia’s Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull sure thinks so.
As SBS reported earlier this summer, Turnbull addressed the issue of internet piracy ahead of the introduction of brand new laws meant to help diminish piracy (namely “forcing internet service providers (ISP) to block overseas sites known to offer illegal access to content”).
“There is an obligation on the content owners, if their concerns are to be taken seriously and they are by government, and if governments are to take action to help them prevent piracy, then they’ve got to play their part which is to make their content available universally and affordably,” Turnbull told ABC Radio, going against the grain and shifting the blame from consumers to content providers.
“It’s become a massive problem for the content creators of Australia and right around the world. It is really undermining a very important industry globally and it is simply theft,” he continued and he is, of course, right.
Personally, I’ve always strongly believed that entertainment shouldn’t be an unattainable luxury. It should be accessible and affordable for absolutely everyone who wishes to enjoy it. After all, at its very core, that’s the whole point of entertainment.
When founding Playster, one of the most important aspects we focused on, other than offering a great service with great content, was to ensure that it could fit into every type of budget.
To start, we knew we had to get rid of all restrictions and allow members unlimited, uninterrupted streaming of our full catalog. That means no ads and no need to keep track of credits or pay-per-view fees. Members can listen to as many albums as they want, watch as many movies as they like and take advantage of books and audiobooks to their heart’s desire, all for one flat monthly fee that won’t increase based on streaming. People have enough stress in their lives without trying to keep on top of confusing billing structures.
Next up, when we were deciding on a monthly price to accompany the service, we knew it had to offer serious value for money. How much should Playster cost? It’s a conversation we spent months on. Eventually, we settled on $24.95 per month for an all-inclusive subscription. By trading in multiple accounts and service providers for Playster’s all-in-one model, entertainment lovers can save up to $230 per year. That’s money that can go towards so many other things!
Since launching, we’ve found our members responding strongly to the ease, convenience and savings offered by Playster. Which brings us back to the initial point of this post: Is cheaper entertainment the answer to stopping piracy? It’s too early to know for certain, but so far, it sure looks like it.
What do you think? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.
