AfterDawn: News

Universal to release singles on USB drives

Seeing the massive success of iTunes, which recently sold its 3 billionth song, Universal Music has decided to offer their digital singles on USB flash drives in an effort to replace CD singles and gain more sales volume. Analysts have also said that retail margins are much higher on digital downloads than on physical copies of music.

The first tracks will be released at the end of this month and retail in the UK for about $10 USD. In comparison, a CD single of the same track will cost $6 USD.



Universal UK’s commercial director Brian Rose said “This is aimed at the younger, 12 to 24 year olds, who no longer believe that the CD is as cool as it used to be.”

Although the idea may work for the record label, there is no way music fans in that age group will purchase a single for 10x the price of the same track on iTunes.

Source:
Dailytech

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Oct 2007 14:13

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• 14 comments

• WierdName

  Quote:Although the idea may work for the record label, there is no way music fans in that age group will purchase a single for 10x the price of the same track on iTunes.My thought exactly. Anyone with enough common sense to know what to do with music on a USB drive will have enough common sense to realize $6 for one song is enormously overpriced. Of course, they'll try to justify the cost with "expenses" due to putting them out on USB drives.

  19.10.2007 15:06 #1

• nobrainer

  Originally posted by WierdName: Quote:Although the idea may work for the record label, there is no way music fans in that age group will purchase a single for 10x the price of the same track on iTunes.My thought exactly. Anyone with enough common sense to know what to do with music on a USB drive will have enough common sense to realize $6 for one song is enormously overpriced. Of course, they'll try to justify the cost with "expenses" due to putting them out on USB drives./agree
  
  but isn't it funny how another riaa member has been using rootkit technology on usb's maybe a trial for the mp3 usb stick!! with added RINGLE!
  why is it that the riaa (Sony BMG, Warner, Universal & EMI) just continue to offer stupid marketing gimmicks that no one in their right mind would purchase and lock down content tighter than the proverbial Ducks ***
  
  http://tech.monstersandcritics.com/news/...oversy_for_Sony
  
  Originally posted by link: Owners of Sony’s MicroVault USB memory stick may well be digging nails into bloody palms and furiously grinding their teeth following news that the seemingly innocuous little device can potentially render computer systems open to attacks by nefarious hackers, reports Reuters.
  
  More pointedly, researchers from two separate Internet security groups have discovered that the MicroVault USB memory stick and fingerprint reader is secreting a hidden directory – or rootkit – onto the computer hard drives of its users. The rootkit can subsequently provide the perfect home for viruses and other malicious hacker code because security software and anti-virus programs are often unable to spot the infections contained within them.
  
  Mitch Bainwol became chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003, succeeding Hilary Rosen.
  Bainwol studied as an undergraduate at Georgetown University, and received an MBA from Rice University.
  Bainwol went on to become a member of staff for various Republican political figures before founding the Bainwol Group, a Washington based lobby group.
  In 2003, Bainwol left the group to become chairman and CEO of the RIAA.
  

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

  19.10.2007 15:31 #2

• locobrown

  If the flash drive is cheaper that the others that are within the same designated MB or GB capacity, I'll buy one but only for the drive itself and not necessarily for the track.

  19.10.2007 16:30 #3

• cleverick

  I dont think any age group will pay 10x for a single. maybe for the drive(depends on the size) but not for the single. no song is worth that much.

  19.10.2007 17:55 #4

• chaos_zzz

  Originally posted by cleverick: no song is worth that much. agree

  19.10.2007 22:44 #5

• chickenR

  Am I the only one who still prefers to (and will only) buy music on CD? I'd much rather have the CD with artwork, and be able to rip it to whichever format I want, at any quality I want.
  
  A bit more on topic, I don't buy singles often (only for a few bands) but when I do I buy them on CD and Vinyl.

  20.10.2007 04:12 #6

• gallagher

  I want to know whom they are paying for all the crap info. I am more than willing to contribute to their intel . . .
  
  As for the retards who are willing to pay 10 bucks for a single, that USB drive better have a ton of memory. CD's are no longer cool, huh? That is why you burn it onto your comp, idiots. Then you at least have a backup.
  
  I am starting to wonder, are these guys complete special ed retards, or brilliant businessman? They are selling the exact same songs and movies over and over and over in different formats to the same people. Either they are stupid, or they know how to rip people off.

  20.10.2007 15:20 #7

• DoomLight

  this idea was obviously concocted by someone with little or no sense with common real world situations. slapping a song on a 25 cent or less CD is cheaper than putting it on a microchip that has flash memory.
  
  i wonder what else they have in the works. perhaps music that u can smell is u rub the packaging hard enough. of course we'll know quickly if the song stinks LOL
  
  i kill me

  20.10.2007 21:16 #8

• ahiah9

  Quote:CD's are no longer cool, huh? That is why you burn it onto your comp, idiots. Then you at least have a backup.
  Maybe the moral of the story is that todays music is bad enough to be disposable? I have music that was so valuable to me that I converted it from cassette to CD. Some things I have are even ripped from vinyl. THOSE things I keep multiple backups of. Those 3 or 4 Nickelback tracks... not so much.

  20.10.2007 21:19 #9

• borhan9

  So it will be an extra $10 on top of the usb drive that consumers purchase however what happens if we want it without the files can we get it cheaper :P

  23.10.2007 22:03 #10

• dragnandy

  with the things goign around now, i do not believe cd's are even doing that good. one person can simply buy one, and burn a billion for his buddies.

  24.10.2007 01:01 #11

• borhan9

  Originally posted by dragnandy: with the things goign around now, i do not believe cd's are even doing that good. one person can simply buy one, and burn a billion for his buddies.LOL!! I like that. Well its funny and tru :)

  24.10.2007 04:48 #12

• Tarsellis

  1) I never buy singles. Period.
  
  2) Yeah, let me pay you for a root kit! Seriously, is there a single person who doubts that at least some of these, if not a significant portion or all will have root kits? You can guarantee that there's at least going to be DRM crap that's sure to screw up your computer, and likely not to run on a mac or vista, or both.

  29.10.2007 14:33 #13

• pryme_H

  This industry has grown extensively in such a short time. Competition amongst different major companies has been stiff. Other companies have come up with some innovative means of selling their music to set them apart from Apple. I guess only time will tell if this scheme will endure and can measure up to iTunes.

  30.10.2007 00:54 #14