Tech Lobbying/PR Firm Outed For Faked Op-Eds

Universal Music Playlist Your Way: Not Really A Playlist, Not Really Your Way

from the this-isn't-burger-king dept

Fri, Aug 15th 2008 5:13pm — Mike Masnick

It's so cute when the big record labels pretend like they're embracing the digital era sometimes. Check out the latest effort from Universal Music, which the company has dubbed "Playlist Your Way," and which it purports is a new sort of physical/digital hybrid for the internet era. It does have a few good elements -- but it wraps it up with plenty of bad elements, most specifically the name. This isn't a Burger King "Have it your way" type of thing. You don't get to select the tracks you want in order to create your own CD or anything. No, you're buying a ready-made greatest hits CD (from artists who almost all already have out existing greatest hits CDs), plus a few digital extras.

Jess Hemerly over at the Institute For The Future breaks down both the good and the bad of this idea, noting that doing "podcast liner notes" definitely makes sense. These podcasts do sound interesting:

The biographical download brings alive the artist's history, including archival interviews and commentary from journalists, friends and family members. Each audio documentary runs approximately 15 minutes.

Yes, that absolutely could be quite cool, but it comes tied to forcing you to buy another greatest hits CD. If anything, all this really seems like is Universal Music trying to convince you to buy the same music you already own by adding a few random extras.

And, then, of course, there's the totally misleading name. It's as if Universal Music thinks its customers are stupid. If it advertises something as a customizable playlist, people are going to probably expect a customizable playlist -- but that's not what you get. You get a set playlist on a greatest hits CD, and then the option to download some extra stuff: "Consumers may choose six additional tracks and/or a full-length original studio album." Of course, if customers really want a playlist "their way," they're going to do it the way so many people do it these days: they're just going to download the tracks they want, and not feel suckered into buying the packaging, even if it's "designed to be digital friendly, with more color and new impactful designs." As Hemerly points out: "How does "impactful" design make a physical CD more "digital friendly?" What does this sentence even mean?"

The idea of including a podcast about the artist is a good one. It's just too bad Universal Music is basically only using it to get you to buy yet another greatest hits album, and then making a bunch of boastful claims that either don't make sense or simply aren't accurate. At what point do the big record labels realize that they should offer people real options to get what they want, rather than trying to hype them into buying a bunch of crap they don't care about to get at the tiny nugget of stuff they do want?

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Filed Under: business models, digital, downloads, music, podcast
Companies: universal music

22 Comments

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Eric, 15 Aug 2008 @ 6:19pm

HMMM
Will the major record companies EVER figure out the 21st century? It's not looking promising.
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- Steve, 17 Aug 2008 @ 12:24pm
  
  Re: HMMM
  Oh they've figured it out already. They just don't like what they see so it's back to trying the same tired thing and hoping it sticks. For any kind of major paradigm shift to occur in the music industry, one of the major labels is going to have to break ranks and go full on into the digital fray without any illusions of control or market manipulation and the acceptance that there's only so much money that can be made from this "commodity". The idea of multiple revenue streams from a single product is dead. They've been fighting that reality for a decade now but they REALLY need to accept the fact that the heady days of people having to buy yet ANOTHER copy of the White Album are dead and gone. End of story.
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wasnt me!, 15 Aug 2008 @ 6:24pm

i guess the dinosaurs will be extinct more than once after all
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 15 Aug 2008 @ 6:32pm

Oh fer...
Look, just fire the board of directors and hire a bunch of middle schoolers. They couldn't do any worse, and would probably do a lot better.
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robert, 15 Aug 2008 @ 7:00pm

lol....
will the good be covered in another article?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2008 @ 7:09pm

ha ha ha ha ha '

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !

yeah, I think it is hilarious!!!
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Bobby Profitman, 15 Aug 2008 @ 7:36pm

Profit Chart
If we combine the efforts of HURR and DURR together, we can PROFIT as represented by this chart.
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Stevo, 15 Aug 2008 @ 8:38pm

Your always saying they should be adding value to their product to sell it, and then they do, but its not good enough. I get it. Record companies are evil.

I'm sorry but these articles are getting old. I keep reading because I am hoping for something new.
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- PaulT (profile), 16 Aug 2008 @ 4:28am
  
  Re:
  The sad thing is, yes, these articles do get repetitive but they address new issues every single time.
  
  This is a new article on a new set of stupid attempts by a major label to "get" Internet distribution, and fails pretty badly. Add that to incredibly misleading advertising and stupid use of marketing buzzwords with no credence to what they actually mean, and you have a big bucket of fail. Coming up in a few months: Universal's "playlist" gambit is pulled due to either lack of interest or a surge of complaints.
  
  The articles will stop when the stupidity does. It's not about them being "evil", it's about them totally failing to understand their own market.
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  - Stev, 17 Aug 2008 @ 12:31pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Again, they PERFECTLY understand their own market. They just can't accept what that market represents so they fight tooth and nail to force the market to fit their needs, wants, and desires. It's a hell of a thing when the Gravy Train pulls into the last stop but it happens to everyone eventually at some point in their lives/careers. Only thing you can do is get off and try to find a spot on the next train leaving. The **IA's however, still refuse to get off the empty train AND are demanding that it be turned around.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2008 @ 8:38pm

Science experiment for the BoD of Universal
I spent at least an hour putting together a post about multiple things with links to actuarial science provided by Lloyds of London, AEON, E&Y among others. But in the end, I decided to toss it all out for what was really important:
I have two dogs and a hedgehog.

Why does this matter? Well, Guess who always wins?

I don't want to spoil it for you, but, consider it's been written about in Jim Collins' Book "From Good to Great".

In fact, I recommend getting a "hedgie", for only then can you understand the concept presented in his "lab experiment":

http://www.jimcollins.com/lab/hedgehog/

Only then can you understand why E&Y, Lloyds and others really, really don't matter.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2008 @ 10:38pm

I disagree with most here so far. Considering current economic conditions, #8 may apply to any major company*.

Getting back to ITT:
What Universal offers is a Win-Win situation for artist and label. However, I remain curious as to what an acceptable answer to the customer, and what would be necessary to create a win-win-win situation in your mind. (Where the 3rd "Win" is the Consumer.)

Are you, possibly personally, just disappointed in having to hear ads?

Maybe I am the only one here, but personally, I applaud the fact that UMG is going the lengths they are to open their music catalog and *PROMOTE ARTISTS*

Am I wrong?

-=-=-=-=-=-
*There's incredible truth to #8's statement, and I think that UMG is applying it.
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- Vincent Clement, 16 Aug 2008 @ 5:16am
  
  Re:
  Funniest thing read on the internet today.
  
  If you truly believe that Universal is 'opening' their catalog and 'promoting' artists then you need to get your head checked.
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zarquon, 16 Aug 2008 @ 2:52am

has anyone noticed that "impactful" isn't even a word?
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Paul, 16 Aug 2008 @ 6:03am

Of course the record companies will figure out the 21st century, it will probably happen sometime around 2051, if they survive that long.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Aug 2008 @ 3:40pm

I wonder how long before we see someone try to sue them because Universal Music mislead them with a bad name and they downloaded and paid for several of these greatest hits CDs
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wow, 17 Aug 2008 @ 1:50am

wow i thought you just pick your own playlist too..

music industry is a buncha punks
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Aug 2008 @ 3:13pm
  
  Re:
  Angry dude, is that you? You're the only entity (I hesitate to call you a person) that uses the word "punk."
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wasnt me!, 17 Aug 2008 @ 5:39am

i just read some were that universal did not renew its contract with Apple, so no more Universal music on Itune music shop, if thats true i guess those two stories go together.
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Benson, 22 Aug 2008 @ 7:10am

Music on CD!
I want my music on CD, with the jewel box and liner notes. You can KEEP the stupid "audio files" and such. They are a joke.
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Overcast, 22 Aug 2008 @ 10:22pm

Well, crap like this is not really an option and not really worth spending money for - pretty simple.

Music isn't something I *have* to have, so it's easy to just ignore.

CD's are good - up until the point of the 'value' of them. They are really a rip-off. Digital Music is as well, no way of getting it back should your PC die, unless you deal with backups, and then there's worries about DRM and such....

It's easier to just find other spots to spend cash. For more value.
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john, 20 Nov 2008 @ 9:41pm

Music playlist for myspace
Hey, so I just made a piczo site and it looks so awesome but it seemed that something was missing. Than I realized I should add some music so my friend recommended a really cool site.www.hypster.com. It's so quick and easy,anyone could do it! In a matter of minuets I had made a account and uploaded the music onto my music player,not only that but You can also edit your music player to match your site colours! and if you don't want to upload your own music,you can search on other users playlists and take any songs you want! It works for piczo,myspace,facebook,bebo etc. check it out! www.hypster.com

Myspace Playlist
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