British Telecom launches its music service

Former British monopoly, British Telecom, has launched its own legal music service together with artist Peter Gabriel's OD2 company. The new service, called Dotmusic.com, lists over 150,000 legal tracks in its catalog, but the service's main goal is to secure BT's position in country's emerging broadband markets.

BT's advertising claims of "unlimited music downloads" have already caused a British rival, Wippit, to complain to standards officers. In reality, the downloaded music can't be transferred to other computers and not even to portable audio devices. And when user ends his/her subscription, the downloaded tracks become unusable.

Service costs �10 a month (appx $17 or €16) and includes music from most of the major record labels -- except from Sony.

More info:

CNet/Reuters
The Register

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 7 Mar 2003 14:57

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3 comments

loaded

I love the way you immediately remind us of BTs monopoly. It is as if you hate their corporate butts for strangling our country's telecomminucation needs.

Which of course they have.

Paul

:-)

Now ask yourself, does that make me less dangerous...or more dangerous?

7.3.2003 15:22 #1

chriso123

What file format are the songs?

Besides I'm sure that someone will make a program like un****.exe to get rid of any protection.

Trevelyan: For England James?
Bond: No, for me.

-Chris

8.3.2003 03:13 #2

seanbyrne

The ideal legal music service would give the users downloadable tracks at affordable prices that they can do what they like, e.g. put them on an MP3 player and listen in the Car, or burn them on Audio CD and listen in a Hi-Fi. If this is not possible, then it is as usefull as inventing a solar-powered batterless flash-light (only works in direct sunlight) and hoping to make a profit on selling it.

Probably the best free legal music service there is: Turn on your radio ;-)

8.3.2003 12:45 #3

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