AfterDawn: News

Universal considering music subscription model

With CD sales plummeting, Universal Music Group is reportedly considering a subscription based model for music downloads. It would create a P2P network for subscribers to freely share DRM free music files.

Unlike current subscription services like Rhapsody and Napster, Universal's proposed service called TotalMusic would be sold to ISP's rather than individuals. Under the proposal, ISPs would be forced to buy the service for all their customers, which would also require them to raise rates. While this would likely be a good deal for individuals who want the service, it would likely cause any ISP subscribing to the service to lose customers who don't want to pay extra for something they don't use.



While the general premise of a subscription model and P2P delivery seems sound, it's hard to believe that many ISPs will have enough customers interested in getting music from UMG to make it successful. However, with similar ideas coming from Columbia Records chairman Rick Rubin, it may only be a time before a more realistic service that involves all the major labels at least gets tested.

Source: The Register

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 15 Sep 2007 11:28

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• 5 comments

• sssharp

  Cancellation with my provider if the rate is huge. A little searching and decision will be needed on who will be the replacement. The older I have gotten the less music I listen to.

  15.9.2007 17:29 #1

• webe123

  Originally posted by sssharp: Cancellation with my provider if the rate is huge. A little searching and decision will be needed on who will be the replacement. The older I have gotten the less music I listen to.
  Well this is the way things may be going weather you listen to music or not!
  
  Frankly, I don't see how people bitch and moan about this, when they also pay public taxes on things they never see any benefit from....YET they have to pay the public taxes anyway.

  15.9.2007 19:58 #2

• duckNrun

  there is a HUGE difference between paying public taxes and a P2P tax with your ISP. And the difference is so glaringly obvious I won't even waste my time describing it to you.
  
  A better analogy would be the tiered pricing and services of cable. You want one or two channels and you have to buy the whole tier regardless of whether or not you watch those other channels.
  
  And if all ISPs move to this model then their won't be going to the other guy for the price cut; it will simply be a rate increase across the board.

  16.9.2007 00:32 #3

• chaos_zzz

  these won't work, so now people that buy music will ahve to pay more to accses their e-mal. don't think so.
  
  i think they should charge less for their stuff so people can actaully buy their stuff.
  I like rock punk so theere are like 50 bands i like ,so i have to spend at leas t 500 dollars (if they are on special :O ), not gonna happen.
  Start selling cd's chepaer dvd's cheaper and you'll do fine at the end of the day you are losing more money cuz of piracy.
  50% of internet bandwith worlwide is used on p2p wich means moneyloss ...

  16.9.2007 18:35 #4

• borhan9

  Did i read correctly that the studios are going with a p2p format. Wow how times are a changing.

  17.9.2007 02:46 #5