AfterDawn: News

UMG starts selling downloadable tracks

World's largest record label, Universal Music Group, announced today that it will start offering downloadable tracks and albums from its music catalog through 25 online retailers.

Label, owned by French Vivendi Universal, will use Liquid Audio as its format and users who download tracks will be able to burn the music to CDs and transfer downloaded tracks to portable media players that support Liquid Audio (very few "MP3 players" support Liquid Audio..).



Each track will cost $0.99 and full albums will cost $9.99, making the downloaded version of a CD slightly cheaper than that bought as a physical CD. Universal said it was kicking off the initiative by making the new single from Mariah Carey available online before the release of her upcoming album.

Source: San Fransisco Chronicle

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 20 Nov 2002 14:25

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• 4 comments

• A_Klingon

  Liquid Schmikwid. Audio, Schmoddio.
  
  Keep it, don't want it. Been there, done that. Movie at 6:00.
  
  I smell DRM. Everywhere. Restrictions, downloadable licesences, the whole 9 yards. I wonder why Media Player 8 or 9 (or whatever in the hell number it's up to now) isn't involved.
  
  I don't know who now owns Liquid Audio, but it was a format that carried with it a major stink. Basically, it sucked. And then it stunk *some more*.
  
  And now it really reeks.
  
  Thanks, but no thanks.
  
  -- Me, with a clothespin on my nose --
  

  21.11.2002 05:08 #1

• A_Klingon

  Oh! Pardon Me! How silly I should not have noticed it earlier.
  
  MS's WMPlayer IS in there! (Surprise, farking surprise). <not>.
  
  Lord.....someone open up a window will ya, and let that stink outta here!!!
  
  (I might just join up & download something to see how crummy it sounds, and report back here)....no wait! Come to think of it, I'd have to install that filthy WMP 8 or something, wouldn't I? :-(
  
  Nah, think I'll pass.....
  
  -- Klingy, with his Windows open --
  

  21.11.2002 05:14 #2

• A_Klingon

  Hi, me again. You can start scooping up the poop (if you're a US resident), at:
  
  http://www.umusic.com/static/
  
  -- Klingy, with his super-dooper, pooper-scooper --
  

  21.11.2002 05:21 #3

• Ghostdog

  When will they learn, that people really don´t like restrictions, like shit audio-formats (I´ll take your word for it Klingon).

  21.11.2002 08:12 #4