Universal to Sell Music Without Copy Protection... but Not on iTunes
NYTimes reports that Universal Music is planning to sell a significant portion of its catalog without copy protection (DRM) "for at least the next few months" according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Universal is specifically not expected to offer DRM-free music through Apple's iTunes service.
This plan is described as a "test" and is expected to run from August 21 to January 31 to gauge user demand and to determine if there is any effect on online piracy. The exclusion of iTunes is seen as a push to leverage power away from Apple's iTunes which currently leads the digital music industry.
It was clear that trouble had been brewing between Universal and Apple, with the recent announcement that Universal would not renew their long term iTunes contract and instead be continuing "at will."
EMI was the first label to adopt DRM-free music distribution in a joint announcement with Apple. EMI's DRM-Free tracks are called "iTunes Plus" and cost $1.29/song for the DRM-free, but higher quality tracks.
According to the New York Times article EMI's sales results have been "promising". APNews reports that the tracks will be offered from Universal in MP3 format and expected to sell for 99 cents "in a variety of bit rates".
Universal, the worlds biggest music conglomerate, is set to announce that it will offer albums and songs without the software, known as digital rights management, through existing digital music retail services like RealNetworks and Wal-Mart, nascent services from Amazon.com and Google, and some artists web Wites, these people said.
Universal is specifically not expected to offer DRM-free music through Apple's iTunes service.
This plan is described as a "test" and is expected to run from August 21 to January 31 to gauge user demand and to determine if there is any effect on online piracy. The exclusion of iTunes is seen as a push to leverage power away from Apple's iTunes which currently leads the digital music industry.
It was clear that trouble had been brewing between Universal and Apple, with the recent announcement that Universal would not renew their long term iTunes contract and instead be continuing "at will."
EMI was the first label to adopt DRM-free music distribution in a joint announcement with Apple. EMI's DRM-Free tracks are called "iTunes Plus" and cost $1.29/song for the DRM-free, but higher quality tracks.
According to the New York Times article EMI's sales results have been "promising". APNews reports that the tracks will be offered from Universal in MP3 format and expected to sell for 99 cents "in a variety of bit rates".
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59 months ago
Here's another link :
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070809/D8QTQH5G0.html
"Universal Music spokesman Peter LoFrumento said, however, that the company isn't selling DRM-free tracks on iTunes for now so it could use the Apple store as a control group for measuring the impact of sales on pricing, piracy and sales."
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070809/D8QTQH5G0.html
"Universal Music spokesman Peter LoFrumento said, however, that the company isn't selling DRM-free tracks on iTunes for now so it could use the Apple store as a control group for measuring the impact of sales on pricing, piracy and sales."
59 months ago
That is one huge "eff you."
Yep but it won't work. iTunes is the only online music store that is actually selling something besides CDs... they don't even sell CDs :p
Sebastian
59 months ago
So how on earth do they expect to get results from this "test" with out using the largest online music store? Personally any listed place that they are offering this too are places I would not shop for online music. I think Universal is being stupid. They acting like a whinny teenager.
59 months ago
Will they get good results not going with iTunes? Probably not. But I think the decision to not use them isn't based on music sales alone but on an attitude that iTunes could monopolize the music downloading business. Perhaps theyre also testing how much clout they have over who buys what and where?
Just throwing a few thoughts out there.
Just throwing a few thoughts out there.
59 months ago
The stance taken by Universal depicts perfectly the problem facing the music industry -- arrogance and an inability to see the reality of the situation.
They are concerned with Apple gaining too much power with iTunes? Guess what, if not for iTunes, the market for legal music downloads would be virtually non-existent! They are shooting themselves in the foot by playing hardball with Apple on this.
Do they not recognize the severity of the problem? I am in my mid-twenties, and am basically the only one in my circle who pays for music. Everyone else I know -- including my peers in the workplace -- is downloading illegally.
iTunes appeals to me, and millions of others, because it is simple to use and looks nice. Everything else out there, to be frank, sucks!
Let them try their new strategy, whatever it is. If they continue to isolate themselves from Apple, they will regret it. If they wanted to be this aggressive, they should have taken action back in 1999. Idiots.
They are concerned with Apple gaining too much power with iTunes? Guess what, if not for iTunes, the market for legal music downloads would be virtually non-existent! They are shooting themselves in the foot by playing hardball with Apple on this.
Do they not recognize the severity of the problem? I am in my mid-twenties, and am basically the only one in my circle who pays for music. Everyone else I know -- including my peers in the workplace -- is downloading illegally.
iTunes appeals to me, and millions of others, because it is simple to use and looks nice. Everything else out there, to be frank, sucks!
Let them try their new strategy, whatever it is. If they continue to isolate themselves from Apple, they will regret it. If they wanted to be this aggressive, they should have taken action back in 1999. Idiots.
59 months ago
So how on earth do they expect to get results from this "test" with out using the largest online music store?
They're clearly not -- they're just using that excuse as a smokescreen to not make it seem like they're intentionally withholding product from the retailer people like to use most.
I understand their intent -- and if people were actively upset with FairPlay, and the other services worked as smoothly and easily with the iPod as the iTMS does, it may be a very powerful move against iTunes. Unfortunately, it seems they're once again not understanding why the iPod/iTMS combination works so easily, and what music purchasers really care about. (And I am speaking about music purchasers as a whole group; those of us that care about 128kbs and DRM are the minority).
Most people will choose ease of use vs. "DRM-free" -- particularly when the majority of people out there don't seem to be butting about against Apple's authorization/burning ceilings.
Universal is making their stance clear -- they're also wasting all of our -- their customers -- time.
[JonMan beat me to the philosophical punch, but... there you go]
59 months ago
Sounds dumb...why would i want to go to another music store open an account...download the song/album....and then load it into iTunes...thats just extra steps and more of a hastle for me...thats like driving 100 miles away to get cheaper gas...not worth it...boo universal!
59 months ago
Well, good news is they will be MP3 format, and play on ipods. Bad news is, as stated, most people will gravitate towards the ease of iTunes rather than buying on another service and importing into iTunes.
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