Universal Takes Free Music Plunge
from the questions-linger dept
We've talked plenty of times about how record labels, despite their oft-repeated insistence to the contrary, can compete with free -- in particular, how they can embrace free music as a promotional tool and use it to sell other goods. One of the major record labels, Universal, has indeed decided to go the free route, but with a little twist: it's going to work with a startup to make its entire catalog freely available through an ad-supported service. At first glance, this sounds pretty great, but a second look raises some questions, the biggest of course being how they'll make this work commercially. When you see sites with massive amounts of traffic struggle a bit to monetize through ads, it simply underlines the point that having available ad inventory isn't the only thing sites need to be successful through advertising. The startup, Spiralfrog, says its 13- to 34-year-old target demographic is very attractive to advertisers; but this is largely the same market that delivers low clickthroughs and CPMs to social-networking sites. All this comes before even figuring out how to split up the revenues and pay artists.Another concern is that the company says its files will use some form of copy protection, which raises even more questions, in particular, will consumers have the ability to move files to their music players? The issue of DRM incompatibility among device vendors would say no, and Apple's resistance to license out its FairPlay DRM means iPod users are likely to be left out in the cold -- which won't help this system gain traction at all. Using DRM could also limit the value of the music as a promotional tool, which The issue here isn't that this free set-up will be competing with the likes of iTunes and Napster, but with P2P networks as well. This has been the issue all along, and the lesson still hasn't changed: the labels must come up with something better than the file-sharing services to draw customers away. They can already get free music, and to switch services will take something offering them a better experience, not just an equal price. Universal certainly deserves some credit for trying this new business model, and let's hope they can make it work. Update: Tech Trader Daily points out that iPod users will indeed be left out, and as an added bonus, our old friend Jay Berman, a former RIAA boss, is on SpiralFrog's board.
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I haven't read the details but it sounds like Universal may have set this up to fail, to "prove" their point that they can't compete with free... I hope not but I have my doubts that they really "get it"
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Thanks for trying
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Good Start!
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> it sounds like Universal may have set this up to fail
Let them. The existing online services are doing fine as far as I can tell.
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the obvious question
hopefully this will shed some light on the Fair Use issues of DRM. since the music costs nothing, people still won't use it because of the DRM roadblocks.
taking price out of the equation will shift the blame squarely on DRM.
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Hmm...
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Re: Hmm...
There is a HUGE cost involved in artists and labels putting out music, and you and your whiney liberal punk-ass friends think they should just give it all away.
You and those like you have no honor, no integrity, and in my NOT so humble opinion, you are what is wrong with society today. You want want want, without having to pay, without having to pay dues, without having to work your way up the ladder...
To put it another way, YOU MAKE ME SICK.
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Re: Re: Hmm...
Erm... WTF? He just said he's going to decrypt it so he can use it on his own device. He's still going to be veiwing the ads as he downloads.
Ideally, if *I* were them, I would utilize a P2P network with the servers set up as clients for sharing purposes, then have that client serve the advertisements. That would result in significantly Lower costs on their end as well as more control over the advertisments they do server(I.E Ad-blockers won't work)
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Re: Re: Hmm...
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Re: Hmm...
Necessity is the mother of invention ...someone is going to come uo with a "TiVO" for this website that downloads the songs and skips the ads ... wonder if this would up in a month after the site launches. Hope we don't have to sit through 2 minutes of ads to download a song. A worthy initiative though !!
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Re: Hmm...
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RE: Hmmm
Not unless the program (FairUse4WM) creator finds a way to bypass Microsoft's fix, which was released 3 days after the DRM decryption program, according to Engadget.com.
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One Step
Like al-a-carte media subscriptions- once one companies starts- they'll all have to do it to compete.
All we need is a catalyst- Universal looks like they could be that catalyst.
Mac better rethink their stratergy- they may have the market for now- but if free music becomes available on other MP3 players consumers will quickly lose any brand loyalty they have for buying iPods.
Consumers will always go for whats best for them.
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"Just Wanderful" needs to relax.
Generally speaking, just because someone does not want to pay for something does not make them a liberal. And before you go spouting off about me being a liberal, I'm not.
I had the same question as above. If it is free, why DRM? I may not understand the issue entirely though.
Is it possible that Apple is the driving force behind restricting this music to not play on iPod?
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Re:
My thoughts exactly, why encumber something you are giving away?
Also, if the tracks are going to be free, can the RIAA still sue someone for trading the same tracks without the DRM?
What if I own the same CD's they are giving away? Can I now rip those tracks and give them out as well without fear of prosecution?
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Re: AMP
I am a huge music fan, have owned hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of music. I rip my cd's onto my computer, I make my own mixes, I do what I want with it for my own use. I wish music were free. But if I buy something with not only the seller's words, but also part of the programming, to keep it locked in whatever fashion, that's my fault if i have a problem with the lock. I bought it knowing that. I don't buy it with the thought of "Screw the maker, I'll hack it however I want, to fit MY WANTS REGARDLESS OF WHAT I PAID FOR!"
You buy something with DRM, or in a proprietary format, or whatever, you knew it when you bought it. Have the respect for the person/company/whatever that made it and sold it to use it as they intended, as you implied you would when you laid your money down.
Again, for those that try to hack around anything and everything that doesn't work their way. YOU MAKE ME SICK.
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Re: Re: AMP
Just wondering...
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Re: Re: AMP
Remember, I did not break the lock.
What I did was the equivalent of taping a song off the radio, or use my TIVO to record a movie.
Do I still make you sick?
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Just some ideas.
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I'm with DataGuy on this one
Looks to me like they are going to go live with this. Lose lots of cash.. if you can call it losing cash. The turn around and tell the government/RIAA/Court systems that it cannot be done and something else has to be done about this.
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It depends on what the ads are
What they should do is pay attention to webcomics. Offer free music and have ads for that artist's t-shirts, posters, hats, underwear, mugs, tickets and whatever else they think people will buy.
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Let's get it right...
Oh, and you can make "fair use" copies of your music CDs (except with DRM) but the instant you try to give a copy to anyone else you are guilty of copyright infringment. Another thing about copyright infringment, monetary damage is not a consideration of guilt. Monetary damage is only factored into the sentancing once you've been found guilty.
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gotcha
Since Universal also used the same root kit as Sony (some how avoiding the same bad press) I guess all this is to be expected. :(
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Yes it is a (small) step in the right direction but they are still completely missing the point
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Where is this place?
Oh and they DRM it so that If you want the song your friend downloaded from there website you will have to go there and watch another advertisement to get the same song. Its to make more money off the advertising.
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Re: Where is this place?
Site's not of much use yet - just a splash page that says "Coming Soon".
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the answer to the obvious question
the answer is that it's not free. you have to sit thru ads, and can't actually use the music for anything once you have it. no, you don't pay actual dollars, but you don't get the music either. you're getting what you pay for.
i would gladly pay a dollar a track for music that i could use on my terms. i'd pay $2 a track even, as long as i only had to pay once. if i could get a bunch of stuff like shirts, posters, books and whatnot (real property that can't be digitally duplicated) at the same place i would spend a lot more. i have done that with artists like MC Fronatalot and his kind. until i can get my music on my terms none of these download systems are going to work.
the point of DRM has little to do with preventing piracy, since DRM does nothing to stop it. people circumvent DRM before the share it, and the stuff you get off P2P networks has no DRM on it.
DRM is about control. the industry wants the power to make the legitimate user pay over and over. pay for the CD, pay for the copy on your computer, pay for the copy in your portable player, rinse and repeat when they change formats. as long as they do this, it will make the piracy problem worse, not better, because only thru piracy can you get media on your terms.
the industry will either change or die... either way, the consumer will win.
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