More Competition -- from Napster
Roxio is planning on releasing Napster 2.0 by Christmas. The new music service will be legal and have the backing of the five major labels as well as independent labels. Their plan is to launch with 500,000 tracks -- with the bulk of the additional tracks being made up from the independent labels and artists. It is unclear, however, what usage rights will be provided with the songs.
The article notes that they are working on liberalizing usage rights for users -- but no final details are yet available. The new service does intend to provide some added flexibility -- with both subscription based as well as al la carte download services.
Napster was the first major MP3 trading application that popularized P2P (Peer to Peer) file-trading.
(More details are to be discussed at the Keynote address at Jupiter's Plug-In Conference today.)
With five months until Christmas, however, the digital music landscape could change dramatically. Apple's iTunes for Windows is also due to appear by year's end.
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Oh yea, that joke in The Italian Job about the 'real napster' was really funny.
--Waluigi
Those days of whiling away a few hours at the local Tower Record store flipping through phonograph albums...then seeing those "compact disc" things start to encroach upon the records little by little...then taken over completely, and now this...all just may become a memory someday. I know Tower has been bleeding red ink for a few years now...will brick and mortar venues for music become a thing of the past?
Indeed, with Apple leading the pack (as usual) we're seeing history in the making. Amazing times.
Really the name is the only thing the same I think.
I think one big variable that will play a factor is -- will Napter's service require a software download? i think that may be a hurdle.
Much like iTunes for Windows may be a hurdle for people to download - vs.. just go to a website.
arn
Something to chew on; The RIAA is pushing all the competition now seeing how successful ITMS is, and EVERYTIME a song is sold (Whether it be ITMS, buymusic.com[they should rename it to leasemusic.com]) you know who gets a cut; The RIAA! (those bastards have Apple to thank for saving their sorry asses).:eek:
i'm *really* hoping apple has some tricks up it's sleeve here... i cannot believe they would stick iTMS for mac out there so far ahead of a windows version, just to spur on early competition... It's my theory that they've just given that to draw off their competitors onto a longer timetable, and they'll be releasing iTMS for windows very shortly...
time will tell...
pnw
I think they'll do it and I'm not too worried about this Napster thing.
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