Well, since it’s been all over the web today, you no-doubt have already heard that EMI (one of the biggest music labels in the world) have announced that they will be making their entire online digital catalog available DRM-free starting at first through iTunes, and in the coming weeks and months through other online services as well.
Here are the details of the agreement, and then I’ll offer up some commentary:
1. Tracks can be purchased in two ways now. The “premium” download will be DRM-free, at twice the sound quality (256kbps AAC for iTunes), and will cost $1.29. Or they can be purchased for $.99 at the traditional 128kbps and will still contain DRM.
2. Full albums can be purchased DRM-free at 256kbps for the standard price.
3. EMI music videos will be DRM-free at the standard price as well.
4. Customers who purchased tracks previously can upgrade to DRM free tracks for $0.30 per track.
For the uninitiated, DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a protection scheme embedded into audio and video files that restricts their usage to certain devices and computers. It’s the reason your iTunes tracks can’t be played on a Zune (and vice-versa). And it’s the reason you lost all your iTunes music when you re-installed Windows and had to go back and forth with Apple for hours before you could play your legally bought music again.
I won’t go into all my issues with DRM, you can read my full thoughts on it here. But let’s just say I feel this is a big step in the right direction for the music industry.
Ultimately, I forsee a system where consumers pay a monthly or annual fee (say $50 a year or $7 a month) where they will have full unrestricted access to all music, anytime, anywhere. (This isn’t my idea, but one I subscribe to wholeheartedly. If you want to read more on the so-called “music like water” model, check this out). And while this EMI announcement isn’t that, it might be the first step in that direction.
You might remember back in February that Steve Jobs posted an essay on Apple.com about the dismantling of DRM. It comes as no real surprise that this EMI deal comes so hot on the heals of that essay. Many at the time felt that Jobs already had a deal in the works, and was simply putting his thoughts out there in public knowing full-well that the EMI deal was imminent, which would not only increase public awareness of DRM, but also make Jobs out to be the “Think Different” rebel who dared to take on the record industry and come out victorious. An iPhone-carrying David to the universally-loathed Goliath that is the RIAA. Afterall, there had been a groundswell of support within the record industry itself for ditching DRM for some time.
EMI didn’t suddenly decide to ditch protection schemes due to some altruistic urge to make right what was wrong, and they certainly didn’t do it because Steve Jobs had shown them the error of their ways. EMI is trying this for one reason, and one reason only. Take a wild guess what that reason is…
CD sales are in the tank with no hope of recovery, meanwhile online legal downloads at 99 cents a pop are not making up the difference. Not only that, but online music sales have been slowing since their astronomical growth in 2005. Furthermore, EMI’s own research tells them that people prefer non-DRM to DRM tracks 10:1. So EMI clearly is hedging its bet that an elimination of DRM will trigger an explosion in online music sales that will help to offset their losses in the overall market.
More to the point? EMI thinks there’s a chance that they can make more money selling DRM-free tracks than they can with restricted tracks.
No doubt the other major labels are waiting to see what happens before they take a similar leap.
I hope it’s a success, because a DRM-free world is a better world for music lovers, and ultimately, I believe, a more profitable world for the record labels and musicians as well.
Our site of Electronic and Instrument Enclosures has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Professional Lighting, Contactors, Insulation Materials and Elements, Wires, Cables, Cable Assemblies. Our site of Home Storage has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Laundry Products, Bath and Toilet, Household Plastic Products, Pet and Products. Our site of Street Lights has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Lamp Holders and Lamp Bases, Lighting Fixtures, Energy Saving and Fluorescent, Residential Lighting. Our site of Sports and Leisure Bags has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Special Purpose Bags and Cases, Handbags, Wallets and Purses, MP3 Bags and Cases, Sports Bags. Our site of Pipe and Fittings has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Metal Waste, Aluminum Pipes, Magnetic Materials, Non-ferrous Metal. Our site of Office Furniture has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Stationery, Consumable, Optical Instrument, Shredders and Cutters. Our site of Packaging Bags has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Woven and Netting Bags, Agricultural Packaging, Packaging Boxes, Bottles. Our site of Newspaper has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Tuner Module, Electronic Books, Printing Plate, Printing Machinery. Our site of Locks has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Roadway Safety, BulletProof, Iron Padlock, Roadway Safety. Our site of Scooters has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Swimwear and Beachwear, Joysticks and Game Controllers, Sportswear, Fencing and Shooting. Our site of Interphones has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Wireless Communication, Caller ID, Phone Cards, Radio and TV Broadcasting. Our site of Fur Raw Materials has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Non-woven Cloth, Chemical Fabrics, Knitting Fabrics, Textile Waste. Our site of Wall Clocks has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Jewellery Cases/Boxes, Watches, Gemstones, Watch Movements. Our site of Model Toys has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Toy Cars, Dolls, Stuffed and Plush Toys, Wooden Toys. Our site of Elevators and Funicular Cars has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Scooter, Aviation, Roadway Safety, Truck Tire.
Our site of plant extract has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Nuts and Kernels, Agriculture Product Stocks, Frozen and Dried Fruit, Poultry and Livestock. Our site of leisure wear has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Leisure Wear, Apparel Stocks, Belts and Accessories, Skirts and Dresses. Our site of motorcycles has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Wheel and Tire Parts, Auto Electrical System, Automobile, Auto Repair Equipment. Our site of telecommunication postal services has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Telecommunication Postal Services, Advertising, Exhibitions and Fairs, Food Service Supplies. Our site of pharmaceutical chemicals has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Paint, Agrochemicals and Pesticides, Dyestuffs, Rubber and Products. Our site of pda has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Notebooks/Laptops, Network Device, Earphone and Headphone, UPS and Power Supply. Our site of pipe and fittings has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Flooring and Tiles, Apartment, Villas, Bricks and Pavers, Fiberglass. Our site of plastic machinery has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Relays, Contactors, Motors and Engines, Wires, Cables, Cable Assemblies. Our site of semiconductors has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Thyristors, Electronic Signs, Potentiometers, Electronics Stocks. Our site of ups and power supply has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Paraffin, Crude Oil, Electricity, Energy. Our site of waste paper has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Metal Waste, Environment Projects, Reverse Osmosis System, Sewers. Our site of paper stocks has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Toy Stocks, Chemicals Stocks, Home Appliances Stocks, Leather Products Stocks. Our site of sugar and sweeteners has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Frozen Food, Alcohol, Frozen and Dried Fruit, Tea. Our site of plastic furniture has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Plastic Furniture, Bamboo, Rattan and Wicker Furniture, School Furniture, Living Room Furniture. Our site of resinic crafts has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Natural Crafts, Artificial Crafts, Holiday Lighting, Stone Carving and Sculpture. Our site of pharmaceutical chemicals has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Medicine and Health Products, Home Healthcare Equipment, Nail Care, Veterinary Medicine. Our site of washing machine has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Timer, Air-conditioner, Kitchen Appliances, Vacuum Cleaner.
The EMI Announcement
02Apr07Here are the details of the agreement, and then I’ll offer up some commentary:
1. Tracks can be purchased in two ways now. The “premium” download will be DRM-free, at twice the sound quality (256kbps AAC for iTunes), and will cost $1.29. Or they can be purchased for $.99 at the traditional 128kbps and will still contain DRM.
2. Full albums can be purchased DRM-free at 256kbps for the standard price.
3. EMI music videos will be DRM-free at the standard price as well.
4. Customers who purchased tracks previously can upgrade to DRM free tracks for $0.30 per track.
For the uninitiated, DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a protection scheme embedded into audio and video files that restricts their usage to certain devices and computers. It’s the reason your iTunes tracks can’t be played on a Zune (and vice-versa). And it’s the reason you lost all your iTunes music when you re-installed Windows and had to go back and forth with Apple for hours before you could play your legally bought music again.
I won’t go into all my issues with DRM, you can read my full thoughts on it here. But let’s just say I feel this is a big step in the right direction for the music industry.
Ultimately, I forsee a system where consumers pay a monthly or annual fee (say $50 a year or $7 a month) where they will have full unrestricted access to all music, anytime, anywhere. (This isn’t my idea, but one I subscribe to wholeheartedly. If you want to read more on the so-called “music like water” model, check this out). And while this EMI announcement isn’t that, it might be the first step in that direction.
You might remember back in February that Steve Jobs posted an essay on Apple.com about the dismantling of DRM. It comes as no real surprise that this EMI deal comes so hot on the heals of that essay. Many at the time felt that Jobs already had a deal in the works, and was simply putting his thoughts out there in public knowing full-well that the EMI deal was imminent, which would not only increase public awareness of DRM, but also make Jobs out to be the “Think Different” rebel who dared to take on the record industry and come out victorious. An iPhone-carrying David to the universally-loathed Goliath that is the RIAA. Afterall, there had been a groundswell of support within the record industry itself for ditching DRM for some time.
EMI didn’t suddenly decide to ditch protection schemes due to some altruistic urge to make right what was wrong, and they certainly didn’t do it because Steve Jobs had shown them the error of their ways. EMI is trying this for one reason, and one reason only. Take a wild guess what that reason is…
CD sales are in the tank with no hope of recovery, meanwhile online legal downloads at 99 cents a pop are not making up the difference. Not only that, but online music sales have been slowing since their astronomical growth in 2005. Furthermore, EMI’s own research tells them that people prefer non-DRM to DRM tracks 10:1. So EMI clearly is hedging its bet that an elimination of DRM will trigger an explosion in online music sales that will help to offset their losses in the overall market.
More to the point? EMI thinks there’s a chance that they can make more money selling DRM-free tracks than they can with restricted tracks.
No doubt the other major labels are waiting to see what happens before they take a similar leap.
I hope it’s a success, because a DRM-free world is a better world for music lovers, and ultimately, I believe, a more profitable world for the record labels and musicians as well.
Our site of Electronic and Instrument Enclosures has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Professional Lighting, Contactors, Insulation Materials and Elements, Wires, Cables, Cable Assemblies. Our site of Home Storage has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Laundry Products, Bath and Toilet, Household Plastic Products, Pet and Products. Our site of Street Lights has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Lamp Holders and Lamp Bases, Lighting Fixtures, Energy Saving and Fluorescent, Residential Lighting. Our site of Sports and Leisure Bags has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Special Purpose Bags and Cases, Handbags, Wallets and Purses, MP3 Bags and Cases, Sports Bags. Our site of Pipe and Fittings has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Metal Waste, Aluminum Pipes, Magnetic Materials, Non-ferrous Metal. Our site of Office Furniture has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Stationery, Consumable, Optical Instrument, Shredders and Cutters. Our site of Packaging Bags has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Woven and Netting Bags, Agricultural Packaging, Packaging Boxes, Bottles. Our site of Newspaper has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Tuner Module, Electronic Books, Printing Plate, Printing Machinery. Our site of Locks has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Roadway Safety, BulletProof, Iron Padlock, Roadway Safety. Our site of Scooters has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Swimwear and Beachwear, Joysticks and Game Controllers, Sportswear, Fencing and Shooting. Our site of Interphones has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Wireless Communication, Caller ID, Phone Cards, Radio and TV Broadcasting. Our site of Fur Raw Materials has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Non-woven Cloth, Chemical Fabrics, Knitting Fabrics, Textile Waste. Our site of Wall Clocks has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Jewellery Cases/Boxes, Watches, Gemstones, Watch Movements. Our site of Model Toys has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Toy Cars, Dolls, Stuffed and Plush Toys, Wooden Toys. Our site of Elevators and Funicular Cars has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Scooter, Aviation, Roadway Safety, Truck Tire.
Our site of plant extract has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Nuts and Kernels, Agriculture Product Stocks, Frozen and Dried Fruit, Poultry and Livestock. Our site of leisure wear has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Leisure Wear, Apparel Stocks, Belts and Accessories, Skirts and Dresses. Our site of motorcycles has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Wheel and Tire Parts, Auto Electrical System, Automobile, Auto Repair Equipment. Our site of telecommunication postal services has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Telecommunication Postal Services, Advertising, Exhibitions and Fairs, Food Service Supplies. Our site of pharmaceutical chemicals has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Paint, Agrochemicals and Pesticides, Dyestuffs, Rubber and Products. Our site of pda has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Notebooks/Laptops, Network Device, Earphone and Headphone, UPS and Power Supply. Our site of pipe and fittings has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Flooring and Tiles, Apartment, Villas, Bricks and Pavers, Fiberglass. Our site of plastic machinery has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Relays, Contactors, Motors and Engines, Wires, Cables, Cable Assemblies. Our site of semiconductors has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Thyristors, Electronic Signs, Potentiometers, Electronics Stocks. Our site of ups and power supply has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Paraffin, Crude Oil, Electricity, Energy. Our site of waste paper has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Metal Waste, Environment Projects, Reverse Osmosis System, Sewers. Our site of paper stocks has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Toy Stocks, Chemicals Stocks, Home Appliances Stocks, Leather Products Stocks. Our site of sugar and sweeteners has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Frozen Food, Alcohol, Frozen and Dried Fruit, Tea. Our site of plastic furniture has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Plastic Furniture, Bamboo, Rattan and Wicker Furniture, School Furniture, Living Room Furniture. Our site of resinic crafts has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Natural Crafts, Artificial Crafts, Holiday Lighting, Stone Carving and Sculpture. Our site of pharmaceutical chemicals has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Medicine and Health Products, Home Healthcare Equipment, Nail Care, Veterinary Medicine. Our site of washing machine has many offers from the companies worldwide, located in following categories: Timer, Air-conditioner, Kitchen Appliances, Vacuum Cleaner.