AfterDawn: News

Do DRM free downloads mean innovation in online music?

With DRM apparently on its way out for music downloads, developers are working hard to come up with new ways to make use of their customers' new found freedom.

According to MP3tunes CEO and MP3.com founder Michael Robertson, the switch to a DRM free model will free up developers to try new and innovative ideas, instead of spending all their time finding ways to implement DRM solutions and develop frameworks that work with them.



"Over the last decade, the many different DRM schemes (Windows Media, ATRAC, iTunes, Madison Project, Liquid Audio, SDMI, Real, a2b, etc.) promoted by so many large corporations have created confusion in the marketplace and soaked up hundreds of millions of dollars in development," he said. "The resurgent focus on MP3 will mean future dollars can be focused on building compelling new ways for the consumer to first get and then enjoy their music."

Not all online retailers are likely to be as happy about going DRM free however. Subscription services like Napster rely on DRM considerations to sell the ability to access music from various locations on various devices. With no DRM to hold them back, other services are likely to target subscription customers with services like MP3Tunes' music lockers, which allow DRM free music to be stored online for access from any internet connection.

Additionally, potential competition from music labels determined to break iTunes' hold on the music download industry could be the final straw for such ventures. Universal Music Group is already considering setting up a subscription based service of their own that would charge consumers invisibly when they buy portable media players, and automatically provide access to an unlimited subscription for the life of the device. They already have Sony BMG as a potential partner, and are in talks with Warner Music Group to get their participation. Ironically, such a venture appears to depend on DRM to be successful.

Source: Wired

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 15 Oct 2007 10:18

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• 6 comments

• chaos_zzz

  grat cuz drm just suxs, i would buy music online buth with norestriccions since now ripping your own stuff is ilegall

  15.10.2007 10:42 #1

• ZippyDSM

  DRM stifles innovation,or at the least gives them a excuse not to try, with DRM they can make odd schemes like the time out renting scheme ,one player only scheme , 3$ a song scheme.
  
  
  what they should focus on is that they have certain artists that might sell well and that thos needs to be spread around at a quarter a shot, see if tis at a quarter a shot you wont care if a few get "sheared" and at a quarter a shot you would sell 100's as many as at 1$ a shot, and without costly and thusly pointless DRM you would save even more.
  
  its simple math people, think about it!

  15.10.2007 11:25 #2

• vinny13

  What's DRM? lol

  15.10.2007 15:28 #3

• duckNrun

  Quote:Universal Music Group is already considering setting up a subscription based service of their own that would charge consumers invisibly when they buy portable media playersNot so invisibly.... all you have to do is look at the new higher price of the players.

  15.10.2007 19:50 #4

• nobrainer

  In regards to the amount of cash thrown at these pointless drm companies, the answer is yes as its diverting funds that could be used elsewhere but the real killer in innovation is copywrite and patents. i mean 170years on a copywrite is beyond belief, the media corporations are profiteering and killing themselves and they cant even see it, but i suppose their backup plan of sue everyone can be employed for a good while!
  
  http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...s-14-years.html
  
  Originally posted by link: Researcher: Optimal copyright term is 14 years
  According to Pollock's calculations (and his paper [PDF] is full of calculations), this is exactly the opposite result that one would expect from a rational copyright system. Of course, there's no guarantee that copyright law has anything to do with rationality; as Pollock puts it, "the level of protection is not usually determined by a benevolent and rational policy-maker but rather by lobbying." The predictable result has been a steady increase in the period of copyright protection during the twentieth century.
  a video explaining copywrite!
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo
  
  and a quote from David Berlind:
  
  DRM = C.R.A.P.
  
  content, restriction, annulment, protection.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKI_w_VBoTQ
  
  
  
  As for Universal Music Group and Sony BMG's plan of "free downloads" is a huge step backwards to propertarian content locked to a single device that you have already paid for in the cost of the hardware, a plan to take down apple so they can drive up and fix prices. interoperability would be what these two companies would be talking about if they actually wanted to give something to the consumer that is worth while not locking it up even tighter than it is already, but that's sony for ya! I think sony's motto is "lock up customers hardware, watch the cash flow"
  

  Track What Companies Have Edited Wiki http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/ (very heavy load atm)

  16.10.2007 07:25 #5

• borhan9

  They have to come up with a way that lets the user do what they want to do with their own legit product they acquired themselves.

  23.10.2007 07:15 #6