RSSRecord Industry Slowly Embraces MP3
By Ed Oswald | Published December 6, 2006, 12:15 PM
The tune seems to be changing ever so slowly at some record labels when it comes to DRM. Both out of consumer demand and to some extent necessity, some have begun to offer digital downloads in the unprotected MP3 format.
Record labels have so far resisted offering popular artists in the format, citing piracy concerns. But with the iPod and its closed DRM ecosystem becoming ever more prevalent, industry executives are looking for ways to continue the growth of digital music.
The market does need some help - for the last two quarters digital music sales have stalled, even dropping from the first quarter of the year. This is the first time that has happened since 2003, when Apple first debuted the iTunes Music Store.
What has resulted is a debate among music executives, with those who still support using DRM butting heads with those who see MP3 as a way to expand the nascent market.
On Tuesday, Blue Note Records, a division of EMI, announced it would offer the latest single titled "Thinking About You" from jazz-pop artist Norah Jones as an unprotected MP3 download through Yahoo. In addition, Christian rock band Relient K would also offer two of its songs in MP3.
These artists are not the only popular acts who have done so; they follow several others including Panic! At The Disco, Jessica Simpson, and Jesse McCartney, which all at one time have offered MP3s to consumers.
In addition, AOL Music has been offering MP3 downloads since July of last year from both mainstream and independent artists.
MP3 downloads also solve another conundrum for music labels: allowing more of the industry to participate in the rapid success of Apple's iPod. With songs available in the open format, consumers could use other services than iTunes, possibly loosening Apple's tight grip on the industry.
Getting rid of DRM has been somewhat of an expressed goal of some executives at Yahoo. David Goldberg, vice president of the company's music unit, has argued that DRM has done nothing to help the industry, and is in fact hurting it.
He argues that consumers find DRM to be a hindrance, and those who have a large catalog of protected music are much less likely to switch to a device that does not support the technology.
Goldberg hopes to have a large catalog of MP3 content on Yahoo! Music by next year, and is talking to independent labels about offering their content on the service. Many do already in the MP3 format through eMusic, which has grown to become the second largest digital music service in the US.
Record Industry Slowly Embraces MP3
About five years later than they should have.
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Corporate interests "versus" consumer freedom again and again.
The same way I went back from XP to Windows 98 SE and its eventual hangups to stop fighting a continuous war against viruses through an endless update process.
If you allow me it, I would recall Aesopus:
"A cottager and his wife had a Hen that laid a golden egg every day. They supposed that the Hen must contain a great lump of gold in its inside, and in order to get the gold they killed it. Having done so, they found to their surprise that the Hen differed in no respect from their other hens. The foolish pair, thus hoping to become rich all at once, deprived themselves of the gain of which they were assured day by day".
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I bought one today just on principle. I vote with my $ (minus the penny, of course).
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They tried very hard, and spent tons of money, but they finally realized that MP3 was simply not going to go away.
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yeah ? really? and how about embracing the fact that they are (executives) are greatly overpaid and their "product" is greatly overpriced?
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That didn't seem to stop millions of people from buying music before. Despite the merits of your argument I generally find that most people who make those arguments are expecting to get something for nothing. The reality is that many people would be willing to pay a reasonable fee for music provided the software
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uh...yea...the reason I didn't buy any cd's this week is because their executives are overpaid...
I'll never buy a BMW because I think their executives are also overpaid
/sarcasm
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i didn't adress you buying CD or not as even without your "sarcastic" coment i didn't think that consumer desicion is based on income of execs of given idustry.
what i did imply that industry needs to take a hard look on iself and realise that it is to fat. the execs don't produce music, they are just overhead that is not involved in making of the product. they make themself look more important then they actually are
the unneeded execs probably can be sold to slaughterhouse. this way industry can recover some costs from the sold meat revenue.
/humor so to say
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no, i'm not expecting to get something for nothing. i am willing to pay a REASONABLE fee, and the current asking price is way above what i consider fair compensation given the fact there are no extra cost incurred by the music seller when he provides me with COPY of a file (yes obviously there is a cost of transmition and power but these are negligeble).
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It's not the "file" being sold, it's the intellectual property that is being sold. Many of you seem to have little respect for that. When an artist signs a contract with a record label he/she is giving that label the right to resell that property at a profit.
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Yes, but the recording industry doesn't necessarily represent the artists; they're talking from their perspective. After all, it's the entertainment industry and not every artist will be able to adapt to this new business model. Here is one group of artists, where you can see their view - http://www.musiccreators.ca/
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File or IP or whatever you call it still doesn't change the fact that it was provided to consumer with very little cost to seller hence it not supposed to cost alot to consumer either (and i'm not talking about myself. read on). also if the artist is dead (J Hendrix and such)i believe that his creation should be distributed free of charge since the creator no longer can enjoy the compensation (unlles maybe if it is close familly).
now as far as IP. REAL artist conserned not about profit but about his creation and making people aware of it. the moment artist's priority shift to profit he looses my personal interest. the quality of his "creations" also takes a dive since he is told by his produser leaches what to sing and how to play. can i pirate his songs? probably. would i bother? no since his music is at this point is most likley crap.
LIFE IS TO SHORT TO LISTEN TO CRAPPY MUSIC! listen to something worthwile. you would not believe the what kind of music world is out there which is not represented by any label. there is absolutley no need for produser or major label to produce GOOD music.
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