Microsoft is now experiencing a shortage on its recently-released, 80GB Zune, a development that raises some positive possibilities. Research group iSuppli reported the shortage, though the company was careful in its assessments. Last year, Microsoft aggressively hoisted its first-run, 30GB player, though iSuppli characterized the second wave marketing approach as tentative. "Given the widespread criticism of the first Zune model, it is likely Microsoft erred on the side of caution when placing initial orders for the new Zunes, which include the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) based Zune 80 as well as the flash memory-based Zune 4 and 8," said senior analyst Chris Crotty.
The Zune could be picking up speed, though the iPod still remains king. Recent rumors recently suggested that the Zune was beating the iPod on Amazon, though Crotty quickly dismissed those reports. "In reality, those reports referred to a sales spike for the older, deeply discounted Zune 30 model," Crotty said. Meanwhile, hard numbers remain elusive, though most expect a better Microsoft showing this holiday season. Across all manufacturers, iSuppli projected year-end global sales of roughly 211.5 million units and revenues of $19.5 billion. The latest round of Zunes, released in September, were mostly praised by once-critical reviewers.
woensdag 19 december 2007
All-Time Online Shopping Record Emerges, Growth Concerns Linger
Online shopping tallies continued their year-over-year gains last week, and a fresh, one-day record emerged. According to research group comScore, December 10th was the biggest online shopping day on record, reaching a healthy revenue total of $881 million. Between November 1st and December 14th, online spending totaled $22.7 billion, a bump from year-ago figures of $19.2 billion. On the music side, digital downloads moved upward 35.9 percent to 15.6 million a-la-carte downloads for the week ending December 9th. Cumulative annual downloads are now up 45.9 percent to 766.3 million units, according to figures published by Nielsen Soundscan.
All of that sounds impressive, though some signs of sluggishness are surfacing. Despite the one-day record, online shopping volumes are growing at a slower pace than last year. Specifically, year-over-year gains for the holiday period improved by roughly 18 percent, slower than a 26 percent gain from last year, according to comScore. And households with less than $50,000 in annual earnings are showing the slowest purchasing activity, a sign of possible consumer anxiety.
Meanwhile, the same type of slowdown is being found in the paid download arena. At the end of 2006, year-over-year paid download volumes had jumped 65 percent to 581.9 million, a more aggressive pace. The year earlier, the growth rate was 147 percent, though total volumes of 352.7 million were considerably smaller.
All of that sounds impressive, though some signs of sluggishness are surfacing. Despite the one-day record, online shopping volumes are growing at a slower pace than last year. Specifically, year-over-year gains for the holiday period improved by roughly 18 percent, slower than a 26 percent gain from last year, according to comScore. And households with less than $50,000 in annual earnings are showing the slowest purchasing activity, a sign of possible consumer anxiety.
Meanwhile, the same type of slowdown is being found in the paid download arena. At the end of 2006, year-over-year paid download volumes had jumped 65 percent to 581.9 million, a more aggressive pace. The year earlier, the growth rate was 147 percent, though total volumes of 352.7 million were considerably smaller.
Resnikoff's Parting Shot: The Universal Tollbooth
Universal Music Group is quickly losing cash, but Doug Morris is now converting downstream device manufacturers into paying partners. The latest is XM Satellite Radio, which has now entered into a "multi-year deal covering all XM radios with advanced recording functionality," including future devices. The vague description sounds like a per-device levy on time-shifting devices, or at least a stepped-up revenue payment tied to advanced players.
XM Satellite already pays for the use of recorded music content. Now, the royalties are spreading into devices, and overall payments are larger as a result. Although deal specifics are foggy, the top-level description resembles a recent arrangement with Microsoft, which is now delivering a per-unit fee to Universal Music on every Zune sold.
In the current landscape, time-shifting satellite receivers and Zunes are marginal sellers. Perhaps that will change over time, but if not, Doug Morris is putting other partners in place - across devices and beyond.
But what about the iPod, the most important portable music and media device? The question is whether Morris has the muscle to force a similar toll on Apple. And the answer is probably not.
Earlier this year, Universal started beating its chest by shifting towards a shorter-term iTunes Store licensing arrangement. Instead of an extended, more friendly agreement, Universal opted for a narrower month-to-month deal. The shift was designed to dangle the possibility of a catalog pullout, and highlight the dissatisfaction Universal felt over its lack of control over digital pricing and packaging.
Morris has the balls to do it, but an iTunes pullout would not be the shrewdest of moves. And the reason is obvious - iPod+iTunes is mostly about elegant devices and seamless music management, not ecommerce. Sure, the iTunes Store is part of the play, but not a critical component.
Others are more willing to jump into a partnership. Just recently, Nokia announced its inclusion of Universal Music artists into its "Comes With Music" initiative, a plan that packages catalog access into newer handhelds - and pays Universal a piece of each purchased phone.
The Nokia deal started in a less acrimonious place than the XM Satellite and Microsoft agreements, and is part of a broader Total Music strategy for Universal. The details on that strategy are still emerging, though earlier information pointed to potential alliances with a number of downstream heavyweights, including ISPs.
Total Music or not, all of these deals are collectively designed to shift the emphasis away from discrete recording purchases - and more towards licensing and usage agreements. The Morris strategy is destined to tap other manufacturers and providers - either through acrimony or amicable agreement. But whether that will compensate for a downward spiral in physical sales remains highly questionable.
The reason is that Universal - and other majors - have a fairly narrow window to develop diversification strategies. Concepts like Total Music - and hard-fought per-device deals - not only take time and money to develop, they take even longer to produce meaningful revenues. And time is not something that major labels have, especially with bread-and-butter albums sinking at such an alarming rate.
XM Satellite already pays for the use of recorded music content. Now, the royalties are spreading into devices, and overall payments are larger as a result. Although deal specifics are foggy, the top-level description resembles a recent arrangement with Microsoft, which is now delivering a per-unit fee to Universal Music on every Zune sold.
In the current landscape, time-shifting satellite receivers and Zunes are marginal sellers. Perhaps that will change over time, but if not, Doug Morris is putting other partners in place - across devices and beyond.
But what about the iPod, the most important portable music and media device? The question is whether Morris has the muscle to force a similar toll on Apple. And the answer is probably not.
Earlier this year, Universal started beating its chest by shifting towards a shorter-term iTunes Store licensing arrangement. Instead of an extended, more friendly agreement, Universal opted for a narrower month-to-month deal. The shift was designed to dangle the possibility of a catalog pullout, and highlight the dissatisfaction Universal felt over its lack of control over digital pricing and packaging.
Morris has the balls to do it, but an iTunes pullout would not be the shrewdest of moves. And the reason is obvious - iPod+iTunes is mostly about elegant devices and seamless music management, not ecommerce. Sure, the iTunes Store is part of the play, but not a critical component.
Others are more willing to jump into a partnership. Just recently, Nokia announced its inclusion of Universal Music artists into its "Comes With Music" initiative, a plan that packages catalog access into newer handhelds - and pays Universal a piece of each purchased phone.
The Nokia deal started in a less acrimonious place than the XM Satellite and Microsoft agreements, and is part of a broader Total Music strategy for Universal. The details on that strategy are still emerging, though earlier information pointed to potential alliances with a number of downstream heavyweights, including ISPs.
Total Music or not, all of these deals are collectively designed to shift the emphasis away from discrete recording purchases - and more towards licensing and usage agreements. The Morris strategy is destined to tap other manufacturers and providers - either through acrimony or amicable agreement. But whether that will compensate for a downward spiral in physical sales remains highly questionable.
The reason is that Universal - and other majors - have a fairly narrow window to develop diversification strategies. Concepts like Total Music - and hard-fought per-device deals - not only take time and money to develop, they take even longer to produce meaningful revenues. And time is not something that major labels have, especially with bread-and-butter albums sinking at such an alarming rate.
MTV Dips Into GoFish, Broadens Distribution Network
MTV Networks recently grabbed an equity stake in GoFish, an online video destination. The pact, which first bubbled in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), gives MTV ownership of one million GoFish shares. Additionally, GoFish will carry a non-exclusive right to broadcast MTV Networks content, and share advertising revenues accordingly. As part of the pact, MTV also grabs the right to participate in future financings, according to the filing. The two-year MTV arrangement comes alongside an equity investment and advertising pact between GoFish and UK-based MiniClip.
iTunes DRM-Free Catalog Steadily Grows, Koch Joins Ranks
Apple is steadily expanding its iTunes Plus offering, part of a larger shift towards DRM-free content. The move, first announced on Monday, taps a sizable Koch catalog that includes Styles P, OTEP, Sinead O'Connor, Bebe Winans, Ray J, DJ Khaled, Jim Jones and Unk. Those artists have helped to make Koch a heavyweight independent, and a significant addition to the iTunes Plus offering. "Koch Records continues to embrace new delivery methods and technologies as we always have," said Bob Frank, president of the label.
The tracks will not be available as MP3s, rather, they will be packaged as unprotected, 256kbps AAC files. That is the codec of choice for Apple, though compatibility is actually spotty across non-iPod portable MP3 players. The incompatibility is an unfortunate asterisk on the iTunes Plus initiative, though iPod owners are unlikely to care.
Meanwhile, Apple recently dropped the price of its DRM-free downloads from $1.29 to 99-cents, a move that closely followed the launch of a cut-rate, MP3-based Amazon download store. Other iTunes Plus participants include Sub Pop, Nettwerk, IODA, and The Orchard.
The tracks will not be available as MP3s, rather, they will be packaged as unprotected, 256kbps AAC files. That is the codec of choice for Apple, though compatibility is actually spotty across non-iPod portable MP3 players. The incompatibility is an unfortunate asterisk on the iTunes Plus initiative, though iPod owners are unlikely to care.
Meanwhile, Apple recently dropped the price of its DRM-free downloads from $1.29 to 99-cents, a move that closely followed the launch of a cut-rate, MP3-based Amazon download store. Other iTunes Plus participants include Sub Pop, Nettwerk, IODA, and The Orchard.
Universal Music Drops XM Satellite Beef, Revenue Deal Arranged
Universal Music Group has now dropped its lawsuit against XM Satellite Radio, according to an official statement issued on Monday. The original lawsuit, filed by major labels last year, alleged that devices like the XM-compatible Pioneer Inno unfairly allow users to record and time-shift programming. The challenge set the stage for a potentially important precedent, though Universal is now bowing out of the action.
Instead, Universal Music chief Doug Morris pointed to a multi-year deal that covers a range of advanced XM Satellite receivers. "We are pleased to have resolved this situation in an amicable manner," said Morris. "We pride ourselves on empowering new technology and expanding consumer choice." The top-level description of the agreement hinted at a per-device payment arrangement, though neither party would offer settlement details.
The resolution could pave the way for similar agreements with other majors, and XM Satellite president and chief executive Nate Davis invited others to forge amicable accords. Shares of XMSR fell on the news.
Instead, Universal Music chief Doug Morris pointed to a multi-year deal that covers a range of advanced XM Satellite receivers. "We are pleased to have resolved this situation in an amicable manner," said Morris. "We pride ourselves on empowering new technology and expanding consumer choice." The top-level description of the agreement hinted at a per-device payment arrangement, though neither party would offer settlement details.
The resolution could pave the way for similar agreements with other majors, and XM Satellite president and chief executive Nate Davis invited others to forge amicable accords. Shares of XMSR fell on the news.
Resnikoff's Parting Shot: What Happens Next
Album sales have been sinking for most of this decade, but this year marks a sudden change. Instead of a single-digit percentage drop, albums - mostly CDs - are now roughly 15 percent below already-depressed 2006 totals. And with less than two weeks left, the fourth quarter has failed to produce a recovery.
Suddenly, more air is leaking out of the tire. And that changes the prospects for a recording industry turnaround considerably.
The reason is that revolutionizing business models is a time-consuming process, and the window for change is quickly narrowing. Flashback to the earlier part of this decade, and labels had more time to operate, and more time to diversify. Now, newer initiatives have less time to incubate, executives have less time to reorient teams and approaches, and worsening financial conditions are making it difficult to protect human resources and retain investors.
Some view the demise of major labels as an inevitable result. Highly disruptive markets are great at producing casualties, and the recording industry has shown limited ability to adapt.
We all know the criticisms. But labels have started to score limited successes in mobile, digital, and advertising arenas. And for all the criticism that Doug Morris has attracted, he is at least pushing a number of newer revenue approaches.
The question is whether early-stage gains can be developed into meaningful revenue producers. Universal Music Group is the biggest of the roost, and enjoys a massive market share. That spells more insulation, and a greater window for experimentation and development. But all four majors are facing incredibly difficult fates, and far less time than they would ideally prefer.
So what do the next few years look like? Barring a miraculous turnaround, labels will continue to shrink, and eventually wither. But the end is never a neat-and-clean process. Distressed companies often attract bargain-hunters and liquidators, and produce breakups, mergers, and everything in-between. Parent companies like Vivendi may hold onto their musical ambitions for a protracted period. Others, like Terra Firma, may trigger a fire sale.
But majors aren't free-falling dot coms. They have publishing, recording, branding, and even real estate assets. And those are attractive to newer players, especially those pursuing broader, next-generation models.
So, lights out, liquidation? Again, not so simple. Because the asset drain is already happening - whether majors control the process or not.
The biggest asset any major label has is its superstar artists. And those heavy-sellers are now exiting the building. The Eagles are now partnered with Wal-Mart, Madonna is hanging with Live Nation, and Radiohead is playing an independent card. Majors no longer play a critical role in the promotion, distribution, and development of artists - instead, they are now liabilities to the artists they once helped to develop.
Even publishing assets are being auctioned off. Sure, a suddenly frigid capital market is precluding moves currently, though both EMI and Warner Music Group are eyeing publishing securitization plays. That is different from a liquidation, though it falls under a similar umbrella.
Perhaps the most overlooked liquidation is happening in the human arena. All four majors have been shrinking their workforces, and Sony BMG and Universal Music Group are currently doing the most downsizing.
Sure, layoffs are often an excuse to trim underperforming employees. But this is broader than that, and a great deal of highly-qualified minds are exiting. And many of the brightest minds left long ago, simply because they had more options. It's a classic brain drain.
So what happens next? The details are entirely unpredictable, though the prospects are rocky for 2008. Sure, consumer appetites for music have never waned - and they appear to be growing exponentially. But consumers are the ultimate drivers of change, and their shift away from bundled CDs - and paid recordings in general - is likely to intensify.
That is forcing labels to monetize elsewhere, and orchestrate comebacks almost overnight. Impossible? No. Difficult? Incredibly.
Suddenly, more air is leaking out of the tire. And that changes the prospects for a recording industry turnaround considerably.
The reason is that revolutionizing business models is a time-consuming process, and the window for change is quickly narrowing. Flashback to the earlier part of this decade, and labels had more time to operate, and more time to diversify. Now, newer initiatives have less time to incubate, executives have less time to reorient teams and approaches, and worsening financial conditions are making it difficult to protect human resources and retain investors.
Some view the demise of major labels as an inevitable result. Highly disruptive markets are great at producing casualties, and the recording industry has shown limited ability to adapt.
We all know the criticisms. But labels have started to score limited successes in mobile, digital, and advertising arenas. And for all the criticism that Doug Morris has attracted, he is at least pushing a number of newer revenue approaches.
The question is whether early-stage gains can be developed into meaningful revenue producers. Universal Music Group is the biggest of the roost, and enjoys a massive market share. That spells more insulation, and a greater window for experimentation and development. But all four majors are facing incredibly difficult fates, and far less time than they would ideally prefer.
So what do the next few years look like? Barring a miraculous turnaround, labels will continue to shrink, and eventually wither. But the end is never a neat-and-clean process. Distressed companies often attract bargain-hunters and liquidators, and produce breakups, mergers, and everything in-between. Parent companies like Vivendi may hold onto their musical ambitions for a protracted period. Others, like Terra Firma, may trigger a fire sale.
But majors aren't free-falling dot coms. They have publishing, recording, branding, and even real estate assets. And those are attractive to newer players, especially those pursuing broader, next-generation models.
So, lights out, liquidation? Again, not so simple. Because the asset drain is already happening - whether majors control the process or not.
The biggest asset any major label has is its superstar artists. And those heavy-sellers are now exiting the building. The Eagles are now partnered with Wal-Mart, Madonna is hanging with Live Nation, and Radiohead is playing an independent card. Majors no longer play a critical role in the promotion, distribution, and development of artists - instead, they are now liabilities to the artists they once helped to develop.
Even publishing assets are being auctioned off. Sure, a suddenly frigid capital market is precluding moves currently, though both EMI and Warner Music Group are eyeing publishing securitization plays. That is different from a liquidation, though it falls under a similar umbrella.
Perhaps the most overlooked liquidation is happening in the human arena. All four majors have been shrinking their workforces, and Sony BMG and Universal Music Group are currently doing the most downsizing.
Sure, layoffs are often an excuse to trim underperforming employees. But this is broader than that, and a great deal of highly-qualified minds are exiting. And many of the brightest minds left long ago, simply because they had more options. It's a classic brain drain.
So what happens next? The details are entirely unpredictable, though the prospects are rocky for 2008. Sure, consumer appetites for music have never waned - and they appear to be growing exponentially. But consumers are the ultimate drivers of change, and their shift away from bundled CDs - and paid recordings in general - is likely to intensify.
That is forcing labels to monetize elsewhere, and orchestrate comebacks almost overnight. Impossible? No. Difficult? Incredibly.
Rhapsody Keeps Spreading, Denon Integration Latest
Rhapsody is now insinuating itself into a number of new platforms, and gaining broader exposure in the process. Just this week, the company launched a Facebook application, one that plays into existing user preferences and teases full subscriptions. Of course, Facebook is a massive destination, but Rhapsody is also blending itself into more niche platforms as well.
On Tuesday, stereo manufacturer Denon announced that Rhapsody would be integrated into a pair of connected systems. The S-Series Networked Audio Systems, specifically models S-52 ($699) and S-32 ($499), offer easy access to the massive, on-demand Rhapsody collection. That follows an earlier deal involving Sonos, perhaps the best-known manufacturer of connected, high-end stereo systems.
On Tuesday, stereo manufacturer Denon announced that Rhapsody would be integrated into a pair of connected systems. The S-Series Networked Audio Systems, specifically models S-52 ($699) and S-32 ($499), offer easy access to the massive, on-demand Rhapsody collection. That follows an earlier deal involving Sonos, perhaps the best-known manufacturer of connected, high-end stereo systems.
Nonesuch Balances CD, Download Sales Online
Warner Music Group label Nonesuch Records is now attempting a balancing act between CD sales and downloads. The group already offers a number of digital plays, including Nonesuch Radio. Now, the company is unveiling its Nonesuch Store, which packages downloads alongside CD purchases. "We recognize the convenience and the portability downloading music allows, but we also believe that the physical CD still offers a more complete listening experience," the company explained.
Along those lines, the Nonesuch store positions full CD purchases, but instantly offers downloads after an order is placed. In addition, downloads are available as DRM-free, 320kbps tracks, a fidelity that plays better with audiophiles. Lower-quality, 128kbps files are also available.
The site itself is rather simple and uncluttered, a nice change of pace. But a-la-carte downloads are not part of the plan, and not all artist albums are available. But the group is steadily adding content from a catalog that spans roughly 50 years.
Along those lines, the Nonesuch store positions full CD purchases, but instantly offers downloads after an order is placed. In addition, downloads are available as DRM-free, 320kbps tracks, a fidelity that plays better with audiophiles. Lower-quality, 128kbps files are also available.
The site itself is rather simple and uncluttered, a nice change of pace. But a-la-carte downloads are not part of the plan, and not all artist albums are available. But the group is steadily adding content from a catalog that spans roughly 50 years.
Apple Negotiates iPhone In Japan, Snags Materialize
Apple is now negotiating its iPhone presence in Japan, though operators NTT DoCoMo and Softbank are reportedly uncomfortable with the initial terms. "The negotiations are not going smoothly, as Apple's conditions are extremely hard to meet," one source recently told Reuters. If European and American deals offer a clue, those conditions probably include control over the subscriber through iTunes, and a percentage of subscriber revenue from iPhone users.
Other carriers have paid that price to win an exclusive, and a similar result is likely in Japan. And discussions with multiple operators could spark a competition on terms, depending on the flexibility each carrier is willing to entertain. In its march eastward, Apple is now encountering increasingly sophisticated markets, and Japan represents one of the most developed arenas for mobile telephony.
Other carriers have paid that price to win an exclusive, and a similar result is likely in Japan. And discussions with multiple operators could spark a competition on terms, depending on the flexibility each carrier is willing to entertain. In its march eastward, Apple is now encountering increasingly sophisticated markets, and Japan represents one of the most developed arenas for mobile telephony.
Federal Judge Rules Against "Obstreperous" TorrentSpy
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) won a decisive victory against TorrentSpy this week, after a judge terminated the case. US District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper found that TorrentSpy had destroyed, withheld or modified important evidence, and determined that a fair trial was impossible.
The group was accused of tampering with evidence like server logs, IP addresses, and usernames. "Defendants' conduct during discovery in this case has been obstreperous," the judge declared. "They have engaged in widespread and systematic efforts to destroy evidence and have provided false testimony under oath in an effort to hide evidence of such destruction."
The result is an MPAA victory, though TorrentSpy indicated that it would appeal. That will be a difficult protest, especially given the now-sullied reputation of the group. The case started in February of 2006, and TorrentSpy closed access to US-based visitors several months later. TorrentSpy is a leading BitTorrent indexing service, one that helps users locate and download specific files.
The group was accused of tampering with evidence like server logs, IP addresses, and usernames. "Defendants' conduct during discovery in this case has been obstreperous," the judge declared. "They have engaged in widespread and systematic efforts to destroy evidence and have provided false testimony under oath in an effort to hide evidence of such destruction."
The result is an MPAA victory, though TorrentSpy indicated that it would appeal. That will be a difficult protest, especially given the now-sullied reputation of the group. The case started in February of 2006, and TorrentSpy closed access to US-based visitors several months later. TorrentSpy is a leading BitTorrent indexing service, one that helps users locate and download specific files.
FCC Green Lights Increased Media Consolidation
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved increased media consolidation on Tuesday, though not without a fight. After a cantankerous internal debate, the group voted to allow cross-ownership between radio stations, television stations, and newspapers within the largest US markets. That could stimulate increased merger and acquisition activity, though the loosened regulation comes with a number of strings attached.
Among them is a stipulation that the consolidation can only happen within a top-twenty market. Additionally, eight independently-owned stations or media sources must exist in the market post-acquisition. And a top-four television station is off limits.
Elsewhere, the group moved to cap the marketshare of cable operators to 30 percent of nationwide subscribers. Overall, the changes face a considerable level of opposition from both legislators and special interest groups, many of whom favor more fragmented media ownership.
Among them is a stipulation that the consolidation can only happen within a top-twenty market. Additionally, eight independently-owned stations or media sources must exist in the market post-acquisition. And a top-four television station is off limits.
Elsewhere, the group moved to cap the marketshare of cable operators to 30 percent of nationwide subscribers. Overall, the changes face a considerable level of opposition from both legislators and special interest groups, many of whom favor more fragmented media ownership.
More Facebook Music Rumors
Is Facebook finally going to take on MySpace as a place for bands and music fans to hang out? We’ve heard various Facebook Music rumors before. The latest one comes from CO-ED Magazine.com According to CO-ED’s executive editor Stephen Gebhardt, who says he heard it from a group of marketing managers at a major music label, Facebook has been holding secret meetings with all the music labels and will announce Facebook Music next week at New York’s ad:tech conference. Added 10/31/2007.
3 in 5 "Didn't Pay a Cent" for Radiohead Album
Radiohead's grand experiment in 'honesty box' music sales may have gone a little flat after a report found that three in five people downloading the band's latest album did not pay a cent for it. Of the 1.2 million people who have downloaded In Rainbows since it was released last month, 62 per cent did not pay anything, and 12 per cent accounted for more than 52 per cent of the revenue from sales. The average price paid was $6 (£2.90) globally, but this figure was propped up by the 12 per cent who were willing to pay between $8 to $12 (£3.90 to £5.80) - the approximate cost of downloading an album from a retail service like iTunes, the report, by comScore, concluded. Added 11/06/2007.
Wendy's to Give Away Digital Music With Their Burgers!
Wendy's and Rhapsody have joined forces to delight music fans across the country with the giveaway of up to 100,000,000 songs. Starting this week, every Wendy's medium- and large-sized combo meal sold at participating restaurants will include a unique code redeemable for any of Rhapsody's over 4.5 million songs. The Wendy's/Rhapsody song download giveaway will be supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign including broadcast and online media. Added 11/14/2007.
Nokia Calls New Collaborative Social Media Phenomenon "Circular Entertainment"
The trends we are seeing show us that people will have a genuine desire not only to create and share their own content, but also to remix it, mash it up and pass it on within their peer groups - a form of collaborative social media," said Mark Selby, Nokia's Vice President of Multimedia. ""From our research we predict that up to a quarter of the entertainment being consumed in five years will be what we call 'Circular'." Selby continued, "We think it will work something like this; someone shares video footage they shot on their mobile device from a night out with a friend, that friend takes that footage and adds an MP3 file - the soundtrack of the evening - then passes it to another friend. That friend edits the footage by adding some photographs and passes it on to another friend and so on. The content keeps circulating between friends, who may or may not be geographically close, and becomes part of the group's entertainment."He was speaking as the results of a global study into the future of entertainment were announced. The study, entitled 'A Glimpse of the Next Episode', carried out by The Future Laboratory, interviewed trend-setting consumers from 17 countries about their digital behaviors and lifestyles signposting emerging entertainment trends. Combining views from industry leading figures with Nokia's own research from its 900 million consumers around the world, Nokia has constructed a global picture of what it believes entertainment will look like over the next five years.
Tom Savigar, Trends Director at The Future Laboratory added:
"Consumers are increasingly demanding their entertainment be truly immersive, engaging and collaborative. Whereas once the act of watching, reading and hearing entertainment was passive, consumers now and in the future will be active and unrestrained by the ubiquitous nature of circular entertainment. Key to this evolution is consumers' basic human desire to compare and contrast, create and communicate. We believe the next episode promises to deliver the democracy politics can only dream of."Savigar continued that, of the 9,000 consumers surveyed:
23% buy movies in digital format
35% buy music on MP3 files
25% buy music on mobile devices
39% watch TV on the internet
23% watch TV on mobile devices
46% regularly use IM, 37% on a mobile device
29% regularly blog
28% regularly access social networking sites
22% connect using technologies such as Skype
17% take part in Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games
17% upload to the internet from a mobile device
"As part of the research we have identified four key driving trends; Immersive Living; Geek Culture; G Tech and Localism. These trends are currently sitting on the edge, but as these trends become more mainstream, they will have a collaborative, creative effect on the way people consume entertainment and, we predict, will lead to the Circular Entertainment phenomenon," said Selby.
Tom Savigar, Trends Director at The Future Laboratory added:
"Consumers are increasingly demanding their entertainment be truly immersive, engaging and collaborative. Whereas once the act of watching, reading and hearing entertainment was passive, consumers now and in the future will be active and unrestrained by the ubiquitous nature of circular entertainment. Key to this evolution is consumers' basic human desire to compare and contrast, create and communicate. We believe the next episode promises to deliver the democracy politics can only dream of."Savigar continued that, of the 9,000 consumers surveyed:
23% buy movies in digital format
35% buy music on MP3 files
25% buy music on mobile devices
39% watch TV on the internet
23% watch TV on mobile devices
46% regularly use IM, 37% on a mobile device
29% regularly blog
28% regularly access social networking sites
22% connect using technologies such as Skype
17% take part in Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games
17% upload to the internet from a mobile device
"As part of the research we have identified four key driving trends; Immersive Living; Geek Culture; G Tech and Localism. These trends are currently sitting on the edge, but as these trends become more mainstream, they will have a collaborative, creative effect on the way people consume entertainment and, we predict, will lead to the Circular Entertainment phenomenon," said Selby.
Globalization of Online Record Company Continues With Launch of BETA Records UK
Indie Artists and Fans Are Invited to Join www.betarecords.co.uk Starting September, 2007 as BETA Adds Another Country to a Growing List of LocationsLOS ANGELES, Calif. and LONDON, England - Sept. 4 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- BETA Records, the online record company, officially launched BETA Records UK (www.betarecords.co.uk) on September 1, opening a London office and a portal for music lovers and artists of every style.Following the success of BETA Records in the USA, Germany and Mexico, company founders Chris Honetschlaeger and Georg van Handel are moving forward with creation of an interconnected online community for the sharing of musical and social experiences. Additional expansion is planned with pending deals in the Netherlands and China expected by year-end."BETA Records is opening its online portal to singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, bands and fans everywhere, but with the additional advantage of local land-based operations, expanding global distribution channels and new revenue opportunities across BETA's multiple ecosystem platforms," states Honetschlaeger."By combining online's social interaction with the personalization of local facilities, BETA Records offers the best of both worlds to everyone who makes or enjoys music," van Handel states. "We love being an online record company, but there are many advantages to having terrestrial operations, including recording studios, mobile recording facilities, A&R representatives, video and broadcast professionals, and distribution channels," van Handel added."Unsigned artists joining BETA Records receive their own personal Web presence, complete with hosting of songs, photos, biographical and contact information, and a wide variety of additional features, including opportunities for networking, studio appearances, live shows, airplay on BETA Radio (www.BETA.fm), and presentation to decision-makers throughout the fields of music, motion pictures, television, radio and live venues," says Honetschlaeger."Every advancement in technology, recording, distribution and promotion at BETA Records brings independent artists closer to enjoying all the advantages formerly reserved for artists on one of the four major record labels," notes Chris Harper, BETA's Chief Experience Officer. About BETA Records:Blending 21st century digital technology with traditional brick-and-mortar approaches, BETA Records is both online and terrestrial. Using a growing network of offices, BETA finds, produces, and showcases unsigned artists and distributes content to fans globally.Additional information: www.betarecords.co.uk
zondag 16 december 2007
Starbucks, HP music cafe percolating
Coffee company Starbucks and computer maker Hewlett-Packard are working together on a new music-centric coffee store as they look for ways to grow.
Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz and HP CEO Carly Fiorina plan to be in Santa Monica, Calif., to launch the companies' first such shop, according to an HP advisory. More of these stores, each called Hear Music Coffeehouse, are expected to open later this year, according to the Starbucks Web site.
The coffee house customers will be able to create their own music compilations from a digital library and burn them to CDs. HP Tablet PCs will be used in the stores, along with listening stations, where consumers will be able to listen to music before purchasing it.
Store locations and the prices of their services and products will be detailed at the Tuesday press conference, the companies said.
Starbucks, which already owns several Hear Music retail stores that sell albums only, declined to comment for this story. HP representatives also declined to comment.
Both companies have turned to digital music in varying degrees as a way to complement their businesses.
Starbucks and its Wi-Fi partner T-Mobile USA offer music downloads over a wireless network. And earlier this year, HP, which has been making a broad expansion into consumer electronics said it was teaming with Apple Computer to resell iPod portable digital audio players. HP is expected to start preinstalling Apple's iTunes and reselling its iPods by this summer.
Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz and HP CEO Carly Fiorina plan to be in Santa Monica, Calif., to launch the companies' first such shop, according to an HP advisory. More of these stores, each called Hear Music Coffeehouse, are expected to open later this year, according to the Starbucks Web site.
The coffee house customers will be able to create their own music compilations from a digital library and burn them to CDs. HP Tablet PCs will be used in the stores, along with listening stations, where consumers will be able to listen to music before purchasing it.
Store locations and the prices of their services and products will be detailed at the Tuesday press conference, the companies said.
Starbucks, which already owns several Hear Music retail stores that sell albums only, declined to comment for this story. HP representatives also declined to comment.
Both companies have turned to digital music in varying degrees as a way to complement their businesses.
Starbucks and its Wi-Fi partner T-Mobile USA offer music downloads over a wireless network. And earlier this year, HP, which has been making a broad expansion into consumer electronics said it was teaming with Apple Computer to resell iPod portable digital audio players. HP is expected to start preinstalling Apple's iTunes and reselling its iPods by this summer.
Apple and Starbucks Announce Music Partnership
Wirelessly Find and Buy Music at Starbucks
SAN FRANCISCO Apple® and Starbucks today announced an exclusive partnership that lets customers wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes® Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod® touch, iPhone™ or PC or Mac® running iTunes while at a participating location.
When a customer enters a participating location, their device will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high-speed Wi-Fi wireless network with no connection fee or hotspot login. Customers will be able to browse, search and freely preview millions of songs, including a new “Now Playing” service which displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment, then easily buy and download songs or albums directly to their device. Prices and selection on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store are the same as on the regular iTunes Store. The service will make its debut at more than 600 Starbucks company-operated locations in New York and Seattle on October 2.
“Getting free access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and the ‘Now Playing’ service at Starbucks is a great way for customers to discover new music,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Imagine walking into a participating Starbucks, hearing a great song, and being able to instantly download it onto your iPod or iPhone. We think this is very cool.”
“With this partnership, we’re bringing Apple’s leadership in digital music together with not only our retail footprint, but the unique Starbucks experience, to offer customers a world-class digital music experience,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company. “Introducing this new service is a natural extension of our music strategy which only enhances the retail coffee experience for customers by helping them discover and acquire new music instantly.”
After its debut in New York and Seattle on October 2, the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store will continue its national rollout to 350 Starbucks stores in the San Francisco Bay area on November 7; 500 stores in Los Angeles in early February 2008; 300 stores in Chicago in March 2008; and additional markets throughout the US later in 2008.
The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks will run on the robust T-Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi network which is available at participating Starbucks locations across the US.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as Cover Flow™, integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and iPhone, and the ability to turn previously purchased songs into completed albums at reduced prices, the iTunes Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online. BULLET LIST HEADER (as needed)
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.
Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people’s lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time. To share in the experience, visit www.starbucks.com.
SAN FRANCISCO Apple® and Starbucks today announced an exclusive partnership that lets customers wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes® Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod® touch, iPhone™ or PC or Mac® running iTunes while at a participating location.
When a customer enters a participating location, their device will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high-speed Wi-Fi wireless network with no connection fee or hotspot login. Customers will be able to browse, search and freely preview millions of songs, including a new “Now Playing” service which displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment, then easily buy and download songs or albums directly to their device. Prices and selection on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store are the same as on the regular iTunes Store. The service will make its debut at more than 600 Starbucks company-operated locations in New York and Seattle on October 2.
“Getting free access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and the ‘Now Playing’ service at Starbucks is a great way for customers to discover new music,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Imagine walking into a participating Starbucks, hearing a great song, and being able to instantly download it onto your iPod or iPhone. We think this is very cool.”
“With this partnership, we’re bringing Apple’s leadership in digital music together with not only our retail footprint, but the unique Starbucks experience, to offer customers a world-class digital music experience,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company. “Introducing this new service is a natural extension of our music strategy which only enhances the retail coffee experience for customers by helping them discover and acquire new music instantly.”
After its debut in New York and Seattle on October 2, the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store will continue its national rollout to 350 Starbucks stores in the San Francisco Bay area on November 7; 500 stores in Los Angeles in early February 2008; 300 stores in Chicago in March 2008; and additional markets throughout the US later in 2008.
The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks will run on the robust T-Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi network which is available at participating Starbucks locations across the US.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as Cover Flow™, integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and iPhone, and the ability to turn previously purchased songs into completed albums at reduced prices, the iTunes Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online. BULLET LIST HEADER (as needed)
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.
Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people’s lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time. To share in the experience, visit www.starbucks.com.
Paul McCartney noemt platenlabel EMI 'saai'
vr 14 dec 2007, 12:31
Paul McCartney noemt platenlabel EMI 'saai'
LONDEN - Sir Paul McCartney heeft na 45 jaar platenlabel EMI verlaten omdat hij het „saai” vindt. McCartney vond het vreselijk om langs te gaan bij de directie van EMI.
Tegen de Britse krant The Times zei McCartney dat de manier waarop EMI met zijn muziek omging, symbolisch is voor de sleur. „Iedereen bij EMI is niet meer dan meubilair. Ik ben de bank, Coldplay is de stoel.”
De zanger heeft momenteel een overeenkomst met Hear Music, het label van koffieketen Starbucks. In juni bracht hij daarop zijn cd Memory Almost Full uit. In de eerste week na de release verkocht hij meer exemplaren dan van zijn eerdere studioalbums.
Paul McCartney noemt platenlabel EMI 'saai'
LONDEN - Sir Paul McCartney heeft na 45 jaar platenlabel EMI verlaten omdat hij het „saai” vindt. McCartney vond het vreselijk om langs te gaan bij de directie van EMI.
Tegen de Britse krant The Times zei McCartney dat de manier waarop EMI met zijn muziek omging, symbolisch is voor de sleur. „Iedereen bij EMI is niet meer dan meubilair. Ik ben de bank, Coldplay is de stoel.”
De zanger heeft momenteel een overeenkomst met Hear Music, het label van koffieketen Starbucks. In juni bracht hij daarop zijn cd Memory Almost Full uit. In de eerste week na de release verkocht hij meer exemplaren dan van zijn eerdere studioalbums.
woensdag 5 december 2007
Band Maximo Park krijgt eigen bier....
Maximo Park krijgt eigen bier BIERTJE?.
Fans van Maximo Park in Groot-Brittannië krijgen binnenkort de kans
een biertje te drinken dat de naam van hun favoriete band draagt.
Vanaf 15 december heet het Newcastle Brown Ale namelijk voor een gelimiteerde
periode Maximo Brown Ale. Bierbrouwer Tynedise Brewers uit Newcastle hernoemt
het bier in verband met een concert van de band in die stad.
“De laatste tijd zijn zoveel verbazingwekkende dingen gebeurd”, zegt frontman Paul Smith.
“Een eigen biertje kan ook nog wel op die lijst. Aan de ene kant heel amusant,
tegelijkertijd een enorme eer.”
Overigens is Maximo Park zeker niet de enige band die zijn eigen bier heeft.
Zo had in ons land begin jaren negentig de Achterhoekse rockformatie Normaal
al zijn eigen biertje. Dat werd destijds gebrouwen door de Gulpener Brouwerijen in Limburg.
Fans van Maximo Park in Groot-Brittannië krijgen binnenkort de kans
een biertje te drinken dat de naam van hun favoriete band draagt.
Vanaf 15 december heet het Newcastle Brown Ale namelijk voor een gelimiteerde
periode Maximo Brown Ale. Bierbrouwer Tynedise Brewers uit Newcastle hernoemt
het bier in verband met een concert van de band in die stad.
“De laatste tijd zijn zoveel verbazingwekkende dingen gebeurd”, zegt frontman Paul Smith.
“Een eigen biertje kan ook nog wel op die lijst. Aan de ene kant heel amusant,
tegelijkertijd een enorme eer.”
Overigens is Maximo Park zeker niet de enige band die zijn eigen bier heeft.
Zo had in ons land begin jaren negentig de Achterhoekse rockformatie Normaal
al zijn eigen biertje. Dat werd destijds gebrouwen door de Gulpener Brouwerijen in Limburg.
Metallica lanceert single via game
Metallica overweegt om hun nieuwe single als eerste via de game Rock Band te lanceren.
Het nummer zou dan pas later in de winkels komen te liggen. Precieze details over het nummer zelf en de overwegingen van de band zijn nog niet bekend, maar zeker is wel dát Metallica een bijdrage gaat leverenmaan het spel.
“Metallica is een band waar we echt trouw aan zweren. Ze
hebben het recht verdiend hun eerste single van het nieuwe album in het spel te krijgen”, aldus MTV Entertainment-directeur Paul DeGooyer.
Rock Band is de bandvariant van dezelfde makers op het spel Guitar Hero. In de VS kunnen gamers nu al een virtuele band vormen, in Nederland moeten we nog wachten tot
begin volgend jaar.
METRO 5-12-2007
Het nummer zou dan pas later in de winkels komen te liggen. Precieze details over het nummer zelf en de overwegingen van de band zijn nog niet bekend, maar zeker is wel dát Metallica een bijdrage gaat leverenmaan het spel.
“Metallica is een band waar we echt trouw aan zweren. Ze
hebben het recht verdiend hun eerste single van het nieuwe album in het spel te krijgen”, aldus MTV Entertainment-directeur Paul DeGooyer.
Rock Band is de bandvariant van dezelfde makers op het spel Guitar Hero. In de VS kunnen gamers nu al een virtuele band vormen, in Nederland moeten we nog wachten tot
begin volgend jaar.
METRO 5-12-2007
Nokia biedt onbeperkt muziek op mobiele telefoon
Nokia heeft vandaag een grote stap gezet op de mobiele muziekmarkt. Op de jaarlijkse Nokia World Conference, die in Amsterdam gehouden wordt, presenteerde de Finse grootmacht een nieuw programma: Comes with Music.
Een nieuwe Nokia kan binnenkort voorzien zijn van een jaar lang onbeperkte toegang tot een downloadservice. Nokia streeft naar een schier oneindig aanbod van miljoenen tracks. Bij het verstrijken van het abonnement blijven de tracks gewoon in bezit van de klant. “We willen de muziekervaring creëren waar mensen om roepen – alle muziek die ze willen in de vorm van een onbeperkte hoeveelheid downloads naar hun mobile device en pc”, zegt Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President en General Manager, Multimedia van Nokia. V
oor het ambitieuze project heeft Nokia direct een belangrijke partner weten te interesseren: platenmaatschappij Universal, de grootste van de vier major labels. Universal Chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge toonde zich verheugd met de deal: “Comes with Music stelt onze artiesten in staat een nieuw publiek te bereiken op een heel makkelijke en betaalbare manier.” De deal met
Universal is een overtuigend begin, maar een dergelijk project zal vermoedelijk alleen kans van slagen hebben als de klant kan putten uit alle beschikbare muziek.
Nokia is dan ook in gesprek met de andere major labels. Over deals met independent labels is voorlopig niets bekend. Ook heeft Nokia niets bekend gemaakt over eventuele kopieerbeveiliging op de bestanden of de kwaliteit ervan. Muziek op je mobiele telefoon is in Europa nog niet heel gewoon, maar met name in Azië heeft het fenomeen al een aardige vlucht genomen.
Experts in de industrie verwachten ook in Europa een doorbraak. Apple’s iPhone – letterlijk een combinatie van een iPod en een telefoon – was eerder dit jaar een belangrijke zet in die richting. Het Amerikaanse computerbedrijf zal dan ook niet blij zijn met het project van Nokia. Met zijn downloaddienst iTunes is Apple marktleider op het gebied van digitale muziekverkoop, tot ongenoegen van Universal.
De samenwerking van Universal met Nokia kan dan ook gerust gezien worden als een poging de hegemonie van Apple te doorbreken.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
dinsdag 4 december 2007
Nokia heeft een deal met Universal gesloten die bezitters van telefoons die Nokia's toekomstige 'Comes with Music'-dienst ondersteunen, in staat stellen tot een jaar na de aankoop van het mobieltje gratis muziek te downloaden naar telefoon en pc.
Dat heeft Nokia-ceo Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo dinsdag gezegd op de Nokia World Conference te Amsterdam. De mobieltjesfabrikant is in gesprek met andere muziekmaatschappijen om vergelijkbare overeenkomsten te sluiten, maar met Universal hebben ze alvast het grootste label ter wereld aan boord. Nokia lanceert 'Comes with Music' in de tweede helft van volgend jaar.
Nokia-bezitters mogen de gedownloade muziek na verloop van dat jaar de houden. Universal Music-ceo Lucian Grainge, die Kallasvuo op de conferentie vergezelde, sprak wat dat betreft van een revolutionaire overeenkomst. 'Er zijn geen vergelijkbare diensten waarbij je na afloop van het abonnement de muziek mag houden', aldus Grainge. Consumenten mogen zoveel Universal-tracks binnenhengelen als ze willen.
In eerste instantie zullen enkel mobieltjes uit Nokia's N-serie van het 'Comes with Music'-label worden voorzien. Later volgen ook andere modellen, maar welke dat zullen zijn is niet bekendgemaakt. Ook is onbekend hoeveel Nokia aan Universal betaalt voor de downloads, en hoeveel consumenten voor de muziek moeten gaan betalen na het eerste jaar.
Universal-topman Rob Wells ziet de overeenkomst als een stap op weg naar een nieuw toegangsmodel voor muziek. 'Consumenten krijgen de beschikking over alle opgenomen muziek, en dat zit inbegrepen in de prijs van een apparaat of dienst, of in de prijs van breedbandtoegang', aldus Wells tegen persbureau Reuters.
Een nieuwe Nokia kan binnenkort voorzien zijn van een jaar lang onbeperkte toegang tot een downloadservice. Nokia streeft naar een schier oneindig aanbod van miljoenen tracks. Bij het verstrijken van het abonnement blijven de tracks gewoon in bezit van de klant. “We willen de muziekervaring creëren waar mensen om roepen – alle muziek die ze willen in de vorm van een onbeperkte hoeveelheid downloads naar hun mobile device en pc”, zegt Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President en General Manager, Multimedia van Nokia. V
oor het ambitieuze project heeft Nokia direct een belangrijke partner weten te interesseren: platenmaatschappij Universal, de grootste van de vier major labels. Universal Chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge toonde zich verheugd met de deal: “Comes with Music stelt onze artiesten in staat een nieuw publiek te bereiken op een heel makkelijke en betaalbare manier.” De deal met
Universal is een overtuigend begin, maar een dergelijk project zal vermoedelijk alleen kans van slagen hebben als de klant kan putten uit alle beschikbare muziek.
Nokia is dan ook in gesprek met de andere major labels. Over deals met independent labels is voorlopig niets bekend. Ook heeft Nokia niets bekend gemaakt over eventuele kopieerbeveiliging op de bestanden of de kwaliteit ervan. Muziek op je mobiele telefoon is in Europa nog niet heel gewoon, maar met name in Azië heeft het fenomeen al een aardige vlucht genomen.
Experts in de industrie verwachten ook in Europa een doorbraak. Apple’s iPhone – letterlijk een combinatie van een iPod en een telefoon – was eerder dit jaar een belangrijke zet in die richting. Het Amerikaanse computerbedrijf zal dan ook niet blij zijn met het project van Nokia. Met zijn downloaddienst iTunes is Apple marktleider op het gebied van digitale muziekverkoop, tot ongenoegen van Universal.
De samenwerking van Universal met Nokia kan dan ook gerust gezien worden als een poging de hegemonie van Apple te doorbreken.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
dinsdag 4 december 2007
Nokia heeft een deal met Universal gesloten die bezitters van telefoons die Nokia's toekomstige 'Comes with Music'-dienst ondersteunen, in staat stellen tot een jaar na de aankoop van het mobieltje gratis muziek te downloaden naar telefoon en pc.
Dat heeft Nokia-ceo Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo dinsdag gezegd op de Nokia World Conference te Amsterdam. De mobieltjesfabrikant is in gesprek met andere muziekmaatschappijen om vergelijkbare overeenkomsten te sluiten, maar met Universal hebben ze alvast het grootste label ter wereld aan boord. Nokia lanceert 'Comes with Music' in de tweede helft van volgend jaar.
Nokia-bezitters mogen de gedownloade muziek na verloop van dat jaar de houden. Universal Music-ceo Lucian Grainge, die Kallasvuo op de conferentie vergezelde, sprak wat dat betreft van een revolutionaire overeenkomst. 'Er zijn geen vergelijkbare diensten waarbij je na afloop van het abonnement de muziek mag houden', aldus Grainge. Consumenten mogen zoveel Universal-tracks binnenhengelen als ze willen.
In eerste instantie zullen enkel mobieltjes uit Nokia's N-serie van het 'Comes with Music'-label worden voorzien. Later volgen ook andere modellen, maar welke dat zullen zijn is niet bekendgemaakt. Ook is onbekend hoeveel Nokia aan Universal betaalt voor de downloads, en hoeveel consumenten voor de muziek moeten gaan betalen na het eerste jaar.
Universal-topman Rob Wells ziet de overeenkomst als een stap op weg naar een nieuw toegangsmodel voor muziek. 'Consumenten krijgen de beschikking over alle opgenomen muziek, en dat zit inbegrepen in de prijs van een apparaat of dienst, of in de prijs van breedbandtoegang', aldus Wells tegen persbureau Reuters.
Universal Music group wil gaan experimenteren met online verkoop DRM-vrij muziek
13 augustus 2007 -
Universal Music Group heeft aangekondigd te gaan experimenteren met de online verkoop van DRM-vrije muziek. Universal biedt nummers van zijn populairste artiesten aan in DRM-vrije vormmet een hogere geluidskwaliteit dan de reguliere nummers.
Voor de verkoop van zijn DRM-vrije muziek werkt Universal Music Group samen met de muziekdiensten van Amazon, RealNetworks en de Amerikaanse winkelketens BestBuy en Wal-Mart. Voorlopig kunnen alleen Amerikaanse internetters DRM-vrije muziek van Universal artiesten kopen.
RealNetworks Rhapsody zal de DRM-vrije nummers voor 99 dollarcent per stuk verkopen, hiervoor krijgen kopers een mp3-bestand in 256 kbps kwaliteit. Het experiment loopt vanaf 21 augustus aanstaande tot en met 31 januari 2008.
Universal Music is het tweede grote internationale label dat zich stort op de verkoop van DRM-vrije muziek. EMI Music ging Universal al voor. EMI Music verkoopt al langere tijd DRM-vrije muziek, eerst via de Apple iTunes Store en sinds kort ook via andere partijen. Ook Microsoft heeft aangekondigd DRM-vrije muziek te gaan verkopen via Zune Marketplace.
Universal Music Group heeft aangekondigd te gaan experimenteren met de online verkoop van DRM-vrije muziek. Universal biedt nummers van zijn populairste artiesten aan in DRM-vrije vormmet een hogere geluidskwaliteit dan de reguliere nummers.
Voor de verkoop van zijn DRM-vrije muziek werkt Universal Music Group samen met de muziekdiensten van Amazon, RealNetworks en de Amerikaanse winkelketens BestBuy en Wal-Mart. Voorlopig kunnen alleen Amerikaanse internetters DRM-vrije muziek van Universal artiesten kopen.
RealNetworks Rhapsody zal de DRM-vrije nummers voor 99 dollarcent per stuk verkopen, hiervoor krijgen kopers een mp3-bestand in 256 kbps kwaliteit. Het experiment loopt vanaf 21 augustus aanstaande tot en met 31 januari 2008.
Universal Music is het tweede grote internationale label dat zich stort op de verkoop van DRM-vrije muziek. EMI Music ging Universal al voor. EMI Music verkoopt al langere tijd DRM-vrije muziek, eerst via de Apple iTunes Store en sinds kort ook via andere partijen. Ook Microsoft heeft aangekondigd DRM-vrije muziek te gaan verkopen via Zune Marketplace.
Nokia and Universal Music Publishing Group Sign Deal forRing Tones in Asia-Pacific Region
Nokia and Universal Music Publishing Group Sign Deal forRing Tones in Asia-Pacific Region
Nokia, the world’s leading mobile phone brand has signed an agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the world's leading music publishers, for the licensing of musical compositions for ring tones for mobile phones in the Asia Pacific region.The agreement enables
Nokia to have access to a comprehensive and diverse range of music repertoire, with particular focus on Asian music. The regional licensing agreement, which is non-exclusive, covers rights to Universal Music Publishing Group's song catalog where it owns or controls digital rights. It does not include the rights to Universal Music Group's owned or controlled master recording catalog.
For UMP Asia, the agreement signals a strategic step to growing the market in Asia, by delivering its repertoire of music to consumers through a volume distribution channel such as Nokia mobile phones. This collaboration between two leading industry players in mobile communications and music will offer an innovative and greater range of mobile phones ringing tones to Nokia phone users, enabling them to enjoy a richer user experience.
Nigel Rundstrom, Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Nokia Mobile Phones Asia Pacific, commented, "We are pleased to enter into this licensing deal with UMP Asia. The development of mobile communication technologies has made the mobile phone a preferred personal device that connects consumers to services beyond voice communication.
Nokia's aim is to add value to our terminals through service offerings that are optimized for Nokia terminals to bring a richer user experience. This includes a wide choice of ringing tones and mobile music contents. The cooperation with UMP Asia strongly complements Nokia's efforts." He added, "Nokia will continue to build strategic alliances with content owners in the area of music and entertainment to bring relevant and interesting mobile entertainment and services to Nokia phone users."
Nokia has had a successful history in pioneering innovative features to support personalised services, such as ringing tones and ringing tone composer capabilities in its mobile phones. This is part of the Smart Messaging technology which is based upon an open specification that Nokia developed, to bring features such as ringing tones, picture messaging and pictorial logos in Nokia mobile phones since 1997.
Nokia, the world’s leading mobile phone brand has signed an agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the world's leading music publishers, for the licensing of musical compositions for ring tones for mobile phones in the Asia Pacific region.The agreement enables
Nokia to have access to a comprehensive and diverse range of music repertoire, with particular focus on Asian music. The regional licensing agreement, which is non-exclusive, covers rights to Universal Music Publishing Group's song catalog where it owns or controls digital rights. It does not include the rights to Universal Music Group's owned or controlled master recording catalog.
For UMP Asia, the agreement signals a strategic step to growing the market in Asia, by delivering its repertoire of music to consumers through a volume distribution channel such as Nokia mobile phones. This collaboration between two leading industry players in mobile communications and music will offer an innovative and greater range of mobile phones ringing tones to Nokia phone users, enabling them to enjoy a richer user experience.
Nigel Rundstrom, Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Nokia Mobile Phones Asia Pacific, commented, "We are pleased to enter into this licensing deal with UMP Asia. The development of mobile communication technologies has made the mobile phone a preferred personal device that connects consumers to services beyond voice communication.
Nokia's aim is to add value to our terminals through service offerings that are optimized for Nokia terminals to bring a richer user experience. This includes a wide choice of ringing tones and mobile music contents. The cooperation with UMP Asia strongly complements Nokia's efforts." He added, "Nokia will continue to build strategic alliances with content owners in the area of music and entertainment to bring relevant and interesting mobile entertainment and services to Nokia phone users."
Nokia has had a successful history in pioneering innovative features to support personalised services, such as ringing tones and ringing tone composer capabilities in its mobile phones. This is part of the Smart Messaging technology which is based upon an open specification that Nokia developed, to bring features such as ringing tones, picture messaging and pictorial logos in Nokia mobile phones since 1997.
maandag 3 december 2007
Sony Prepares Video-Enabled Walkman
Sony Prepares Video-Enabled Walkman
Sony will soon deliver a video-enabled Walkman, a move comes more than a year after Apple released its comparable iPod. The announcement was made by Sony senior vice president
Hiroshi Yoshioka, who pointed to "a product that handles images" without offering a specific release date. Yoshioka also introduced a collection of flash-based players, which will offer a range of colors and storage sizes. Specifically, consumers can grab sizes ranging from 1GB to 4GB, and a total of five colors will be offered.
The flash-based lineup, which also includes noise-cancellation capabilities, will be released by year-end. Sony is constantly tossing new players into the ring, though it has struggled to gain meaningful market traction.
Yoshioka is now driving to double market share, from 10 percent to 20 percent, according to recent comments. That will be challenging, especially as the space gets more crowded. On November 14th, Microsoft is launching its Zune, a 30GB, video- and WiFi-enabled player that will be backed by serious marketing dollars.
Mobile manufacturers and carriers are also getting aggressive, a trend that could move into overdrive following the release of an iPod phone, anticipated early next year.
Sony will soon deliver a video-enabled Walkman, a move comes more than a year after Apple released its comparable iPod. The announcement was made by Sony senior vice president
Hiroshi Yoshioka, who pointed to "a product that handles images" without offering a specific release date. Yoshioka also introduced a collection of flash-based players, which will offer a range of colors and storage sizes. Specifically, consumers can grab sizes ranging from 1GB to 4GB, and a total of five colors will be offered.
The flash-based lineup, which also includes noise-cancellation capabilities, will be released by year-end. Sony is constantly tossing new players into the ring, though it has struggled to gain meaningful market traction.
Yoshioka is now driving to double market share, from 10 percent to 20 percent, according to recent comments. That will be challenging, especially as the space gets more crowded. On November 14th, Microsoft is launching its Zune, a 30GB, video- and WiFi-enabled player that will be backed by serious marketing dollars.
Mobile manufacturers and carriers are also getting aggressive, a trend that could move into overdrive following the release of an iPod phone, anticipated early next year.
zondag 2 december 2007
Black Eyed Vlogging Peas
De inmiddels crossmediale formatie Black Eyed Peas vormt de eerste band ter wereld die zijn tournee via de website up-to-date houdt middels vloggen. De term vloggen komt van video en bloggen. De artiesten posten korte beelden via hun mobiele telefoon naar hun website. De fans kunnen de beelden gratis bekijken.
De telefoonvideotechniek wordt mogelijk gemaakt door de 3G (derde generatie) videotelefoons, VideoCall2Web genaamd. De techniek is ontwikkeld door het Europese bedrijf IceMobile.
Will.i.am: Het is wonderbaarlijk wat men tegenwoordig allemaal kan met techniek. De VideoCall2Web maakt het mogelijk om dichter bij alle fans wereldwijd te komen. Het is te gek.
De telefoonvideotechniek wordt mogelijk gemaakt door de 3G (derde generatie) videotelefoons, VideoCall2Web genaamd. De techniek is ontwikkeld door het Europese bedrijf IceMobile.
Will.i.am: Het is wonderbaarlijk wat men tegenwoordig allemaal kan met techniek. De VideoCall2Web maakt het mogelijk om dichter bij alle fans wereldwijd te komen. Het is te gek.
MUZIKALE CREDITCARD Mogelijke kans??
Alles in de elektronicawereld moet kleiner, dunner en platter. Walletex ontwierp eerder al een creditcard-USB flash drive en wil nu met de Wallet MP3 de muziekmarkt gaan veroveren.
Deze mp3-speler is gemaakt van laagjes plastic en heeft de grootte van een pinpas. Om het apparaatje zo klein mogelijk te houden, heeft hij één USB-aansluitingspunt om hem mee op te laden, muziek te downloaden en een koptelefoon in te steken.
De Wallet MP3 heeft geen display, dus je zult zelf moeten onthouden waar het nummer staat dat je op dat moment wilt horen. Een LED-indicator geeft wel aan of bijvoorbeeld je batterij is opgeladen. Groot pluspunt: hij is waterdicht.
Bedrijven kunnen ze ook met een eigen logo gaan bestellen om als relatiegeschenk weg te geven. Walletex wil hem met zes verschillende schijven, van 128 MB tot en met 4 GB, in het midden van 2007 op de markt brengen. -WJ
(Bron: Walletex)
Deze mp3-speler is gemaakt van laagjes plastic en heeft de grootte van een pinpas. Om het apparaatje zo klein mogelijk te houden, heeft hij één USB-aansluitingspunt om hem mee op te laden, muziek te downloaden en een koptelefoon in te steken.
De Wallet MP3 heeft geen display, dus je zult zelf moeten onthouden waar het nummer staat dat je op dat moment wilt horen. Een LED-indicator geeft wel aan of bijvoorbeeld je batterij is opgeladen. Groot pluspunt: hij is waterdicht.
Bedrijven kunnen ze ook met een eigen logo gaan bestellen om als relatiegeschenk weg te geven. Walletex wil hem met zes verschillende schijven, van 128 MB tot en met 4 GB, in het midden van 2007 op de markt brengen. -WJ
(Bron: Walletex)
MUZIEKVERKOOP DAALT, CONCERTPRIJZEN STIJGT
De verkoopcijfers van cd’s dalen nog steeds, en de toename van legale downloads lijkt het verlies niet te kunnen compenseren. Waar moet de muziekindustrie dan zijn geld vandaan halen?
In het eerste kwartaal van 2007 bleek in Groot-Brittannië, het land waar per hoofd van de bevolking de meeste cd’s verkocht worden, de verkoop van de zilveren schijfjes met 20 procent afgenomen te zijn ten opzichte van het jaar ervoor. Voor andere landen gelden vergelijkbare cijfers: in de VS nam de cd-verkoop met 15 procent af, in Frankrijk met 25 procent, in Canada zelfs met 35 procent.
Ondertussen worden betaalde downloads wel populairder, maar die toename lijkt af te vlakken. Met andere worden: er wordt alles bij elkaar minder muziek verkocht, en het lijkt erop dat platenmaatschappijen daarmee moeten zien te leren leven.
Waar dan wel het geld vandaan moet komen? Live-optredens, zegt Robert Sandall in het Britse Prospect Magazine, en de daarbij verkochte merchandise. Grappig voorbeeld van dat laatste is het verhaal van een jonge Amerikaanse band die onlangs stopte met het verkopen van cd's bij concerten. Vroeger een goede manier om het bedrag dat normaal voor de cd-winkel is in eigen zak te steken, tegenwoordig alleen maar lastig. Want: de verkoop van de twee keer zo dure, maar waarschijnlijk voor een habbekrats in de derde wereld geproduceerde tour-T-shirts heeft eronder te lijden.
Ook de kaartverkoop brengt veel geld in het laatje. Dat is een relatief nieuw verschijnsel: voorheen was toeren vooral een manier om je album te promoten waar je desnoods geld bijlegde, nu lijkt het omgekeerde waar te zijn. Zoals de gitarist van Anthrax het formuleerde: “Ons album is het menu, het concert is de maaltijd.”
Tekenend zijn daarbij de toegenomen prijzen van de kaartjes. “In de jaren tachtig kostte een plek bij een concert van een superster ongeveer evenveel als een album op cd,” schrijft Sandall. “Nu kun je het complete oeuvre van Madonna kopen voor de helft van het bedrag dat je nodig hebt om haar in de Wembley Arena live te zien.”
Pijnlijk zijn deze dure tickets vooral als je geboren bent in een wat minder bedeelde plek op aarde. Een Chileen moet zo’n 120 euro neertellen om Coldplay te zien spelen, terwijl daar een gemiddeld maandsalaris onder de 400 euro ligt. Dan houd je inderdaad weinig geld over voor een handjevol nieuwe cd’s per maand. -JPK
(Bron: Prospect Magazine)
In het eerste kwartaal van 2007 bleek in Groot-Brittannië, het land waar per hoofd van de bevolking de meeste cd’s verkocht worden, de verkoop van de zilveren schijfjes met 20 procent afgenomen te zijn ten opzichte van het jaar ervoor. Voor andere landen gelden vergelijkbare cijfers: in de VS nam de cd-verkoop met 15 procent af, in Frankrijk met 25 procent, in Canada zelfs met 35 procent.
Ondertussen worden betaalde downloads wel populairder, maar die toename lijkt af te vlakken. Met andere worden: er wordt alles bij elkaar minder muziek verkocht, en het lijkt erop dat platenmaatschappijen daarmee moeten zien te leren leven.
Waar dan wel het geld vandaan moet komen? Live-optredens, zegt Robert Sandall in het Britse Prospect Magazine, en de daarbij verkochte merchandise. Grappig voorbeeld van dat laatste is het verhaal van een jonge Amerikaanse band die onlangs stopte met het verkopen van cd's bij concerten. Vroeger een goede manier om het bedrag dat normaal voor de cd-winkel is in eigen zak te steken, tegenwoordig alleen maar lastig. Want: de verkoop van de twee keer zo dure, maar waarschijnlijk voor een habbekrats in de derde wereld geproduceerde tour-T-shirts heeft eronder te lijden.
Ook de kaartverkoop brengt veel geld in het laatje. Dat is een relatief nieuw verschijnsel: voorheen was toeren vooral een manier om je album te promoten waar je desnoods geld bijlegde, nu lijkt het omgekeerde waar te zijn. Zoals de gitarist van Anthrax het formuleerde: “Ons album is het menu, het concert is de maaltijd.”
Tekenend zijn daarbij de toegenomen prijzen van de kaartjes. “In de jaren tachtig kostte een plek bij een concert van een superster ongeveer evenveel als een album op cd,” schrijft Sandall. “Nu kun je het complete oeuvre van Madonna kopen voor de helft van het bedrag dat je nodig hebt om haar in de Wembley Arena live te zien.”
Pijnlijk zijn deze dure tickets vooral als je geboren bent in een wat minder bedeelde plek op aarde. Een Chileen moet zo’n 120 euro neertellen om Coldplay te zien spelen, terwijl daar een gemiddeld maandsalaris onder de 400 euro ligt. Dan houd je inderdaad weinig geld over voor een handjevol nieuwe cd’s per maand. -JPK
(Bron: Prospect Magazine)
Muziek net zo lekker als seks??
Muziek net zo lekker als seks?
Canadees onderzoekt effecten muziek op onze hersens
‘Bij het luisteren naar muziek komen de zelfde chemicaliën vrij in onze hersens als tijdens het eten of tijdens de seks.’ Dit is een van de conclusies van Professor Daniël Levitin, een Canadese neuroloog, die onderzoek deed naar de effecten van verschillende soorten muziek op onze geestelijke gesteldheid.
‘Bij het luisteren naar muziek ervaren we min of meer hetzelfde gevoel als dat van een gokker die een winnende gok waagt, of iemand die net drugs heeft gebruikt’ stelt Levitin. Maar het blijft niet bij geestelijke effecten. Je favoriete artiest kan ook fysieke invloed op je uitoefenen. Zo heeft muziek invloed op bijvoorbeeld onze hartslag en onze zweetklieren.
Soundtrack van je dagMuziek heeft zelfs zoveel invloed op onze gemoedstoestand dat het volgens de Canadees nuttig is om een ‘soundtrack van je dag’ te maken. Door op de juiste momenten de goede muziek te luisteren kunnen je prestaties gedurende de dag aanzienlijk verbeteren. Volgens Levitin is het bijvoorbeeld verstandig om tijdens het studeren klassiek of jazz op te zetten, terwijl popmuziek weer erg geschikt is voor tijdens het sporten.
LijstAan de hand van zijn onderzoek stelde Levitin de volgende lijst met muzikale suggesties voor:
Studie en werk:Mozart, Divertimenti for Winds; Doc Watson, Foundation: The Doc Watson Guitar Instrumental Collection, John Coltrane, Ballads; Gary Burton and Chick Corea, Crystal Silence; Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells.
Huishoudelijke activiteiten: Sarah McLachlin, Wintersong; Buena Vista Social Club; Tommy Flanagan, Trio and Sextet; Vivaldi, Four Seasons; AC/DC, Back in Black; McFly, Baby's Coming Back.
Lichamelijke oefeningen: Avril Lavigne, The Village People; Arrested Development; Creedence Clearwater Revival; the Temptations; Talking Heads; Madonna, Hung Up; Irene Cara, What A Feeling.
Ontspannen (en voor het slapen gaan):Bach, Oboe Concertos, Triple Concerto, Flute Concerto; Bill Evans, The Village Vanguard Sessions; Chopin, Nocturnes; Brahms, Lullaby; Peter, Paul & Mary, Greatest Hits.
Romantiek: Amerie; Akon, Konvicted; the Postal Service; Ella Fitzgerald, The Cole Porter Songbook.
Canadees onderzoekt effecten muziek op onze hersens
‘Bij het luisteren naar muziek komen de zelfde chemicaliën vrij in onze hersens als tijdens het eten of tijdens de seks.’ Dit is een van de conclusies van Professor Daniël Levitin, een Canadese neuroloog, die onderzoek deed naar de effecten van verschillende soorten muziek op onze geestelijke gesteldheid.
‘Bij het luisteren naar muziek ervaren we min of meer hetzelfde gevoel als dat van een gokker die een winnende gok waagt, of iemand die net drugs heeft gebruikt’ stelt Levitin. Maar het blijft niet bij geestelijke effecten. Je favoriete artiest kan ook fysieke invloed op je uitoefenen. Zo heeft muziek invloed op bijvoorbeeld onze hartslag en onze zweetklieren.
Soundtrack van je dagMuziek heeft zelfs zoveel invloed op onze gemoedstoestand dat het volgens de Canadees nuttig is om een ‘soundtrack van je dag’ te maken. Door op de juiste momenten de goede muziek te luisteren kunnen je prestaties gedurende de dag aanzienlijk verbeteren. Volgens Levitin is het bijvoorbeeld verstandig om tijdens het studeren klassiek of jazz op te zetten, terwijl popmuziek weer erg geschikt is voor tijdens het sporten.
LijstAan de hand van zijn onderzoek stelde Levitin de volgende lijst met muzikale suggesties voor:
Studie en werk:Mozart, Divertimenti for Winds; Doc Watson, Foundation: The Doc Watson Guitar Instrumental Collection, John Coltrane, Ballads; Gary Burton and Chick Corea, Crystal Silence; Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells.
Huishoudelijke activiteiten: Sarah McLachlin, Wintersong; Buena Vista Social Club; Tommy Flanagan, Trio and Sextet; Vivaldi, Four Seasons; AC/DC, Back in Black; McFly, Baby's Coming Back.
Lichamelijke oefeningen: Avril Lavigne, The Village People; Arrested Development; Creedence Clearwater Revival; the Temptations; Talking Heads; Madonna, Hung Up; Irene Cara, What A Feeling.
Ontspannen (en voor het slapen gaan):Bach, Oboe Concertos, Triple Concerto, Flute Concerto; Bill Evans, The Village Vanguard Sessions; Chopin, Nocturnes; Brahms, Lullaby; Peter, Paul & Mary, Greatest Hits.
Romantiek: Amerie; Akon, Konvicted; the Postal Service; Ella Fitzgerald, The Cole Porter Songbook.
Ringo Starr biedt muziek aan op internet
Ringo Starr biedt zijn muziekcatalogus aan op internet.
De voormalige drummer van The Beatles heeft daarvoor een deal gesloten met platenlabel Capitol/EMI. Onder meer de albums 'Beaucoups of blues' uit 1970 en 'Ringo' uit 1973, die hij beide als soloartiest uitbracht, zullen als downloads op internet worden aangeboden.
De muziek, waaronder het compilatiealbum 'Photograph: the very best of Ringo Starr', is vanaf 28 augustus verkrijgbaar. Om het digitale geheel af te maken, biedt de 66-jarige Starr ook zes ringtones aan. Begin volgend jaar komt zijn nieuwe soloalbum uit, 'Liverpool 8'.Het oeuvre van
The Beatles kan nog niet online worden aangeschaft, wat de Britse band één van de meest prominente bands maakt die ontbreekt in virtuele winkels. EMI liet eerder dit jaar weten wel te werken aan een deal de muziek van The Beatles te gaan verkopen via online muziekwinkels.
De voormalige drummer van The Beatles heeft daarvoor een deal gesloten met platenlabel Capitol/EMI. Onder meer de albums 'Beaucoups of blues' uit 1970 en 'Ringo' uit 1973, die hij beide als soloartiest uitbracht, zullen als downloads op internet worden aangeboden.
De muziek, waaronder het compilatiealbum 'Photograph: the very best of Ringo Starr', is vanaf 28 augustus verkrijgbaar. Om het digitale geheel af te maken, biedt de 66-jarige Starr ook zes ringtones aan. Begin volgend jaar komt zijn nieuwe soloalbum uit, 'Liverpool 8'.Het oeuvre van
The Beatles kan nog niet online worden aangeschaft, wat de Britse band één van de meest prominente bands maakt die ontbreekt in virtuele winkels. EMI liet eerder dit jaar weten wel te werken aan een deal de muziek van The Beatles te gaan verkopen via online muziekwinkels.
Artiesten eisen vergoeding voor kopiëren films en muziek
Artiesten eisen vergoeding voor kopiëren films en muziek
HILVERSUM - Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin van Justitie is door musici en acteurs voor de rechter gedaagd omdat ze vergoeding eisen voor gekopieerde films op een computerschijf en gekopieerde muziek op een MP3-speler. Dat zeiden zangeres Ricky Koole en acteur Peter Blok zaterdag in NOVA.
Hirsch Ballin zei onlangs dat zo'n heffing er niet voor 1 januari 2009 komt. Hierdoor lopen de artiesten miljoenen euro's mis.
Computer
Op lege cassettebandjes, cd's of dvd's zit al jaren een toeslag. Daarmee worden artiesten betaald voor het kopiëren van hun werk. Tegenwoordig worden de liedjes of tv-series vaak rechtstreeks op de harde schijf van een computer of MP3-speler gezet.
De artiesten zeggen daardaar ruim 16 miljoen euro mis te lopen. Samen met de rechtenorganisatie Stichting Norma beginnen de artiesten nu een rechtszaak. Het kort geding dient op 11 december.
HILVERSUM - Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin van Justitie is door musici en acteurs voor de rechter gedaagd omdat ze vergoeding eisen voor gekopieerde films op een computerschijf en gekopieerde muziek op een MP3-speler. Dat zeiden zangeres Ricky Koole en acteur Peter Blok zaterdag in NOVA.
Hirsch Ballin zei onlangs dat zo'n heffing er niet voor 1 januari 2009 komt. Hierdoor lopen de artiesten miljoenen euro's mis.
Computer
Op lege cassettebandjes, cd's of dvd's zit al jaren een toeslag. Daarmee worden artiesten betaald voor het kopiëren van hun werk. Tegenwoordig worden de liedjes of tv-series vaak rechtstreeks op de harde schijf van een computer of MP3-speler gezet.
De artiesten zeggen daardaar ruim 16 miljoen euro mis te lopen. Samen met de rechtenorganisatie Stichting Norma beginnen de artiesten nu een rechtszaak. Het kort geding dient op 11 december.
woensdag 28 november 2007
Led Zeppelin landmarks now on Google Maps
Check out the historic locations online now
4 hours ago
Led Zeppelin's greatest landmarks have been added to Google Maps and Google Earth.Fans can now tour virtually around sites that were pivotal in the group's history, including Olympic Studios and Jimmy Page's Scottish mansion Boleskine House.Also included are the O2 Arena and drummer John Bonham's grave.A handful of locations in the US are also pinpointed, including Madison Square Garden, where the group filmed their concert documentary 'The Song Remains The Same' in 1973.Go to Google Maps to view the Led Zeppelin landmarks
4 hours ago
Led Zeppelin's greatest landmarks have been added to Google Maps and Google Earth.Fans can now tour virtually around sites that were pivotal in the group's history, including Olympic Studios and Jimmy Page's Scottish mansion Boleskine House.Also included are the O2 Arena and drummer John Bonham's grave.A handful of locations in the US are also pinpointed, including Madison Square Garden, where the group filmed their concert documentary 'The Song Remains The Same' in 1973.Go to Google Maps to view the Led Zeppelin landmarks
Downloading is killing music industry
XS4ALL mag van Buma/Stemra niet zomaar online liedjes aanbieden. Ook niet nu alle betrokken artiesten en platenmaatschappijen expliciet toestemming hebben gegeven om de gespeelde liedjes gratis aan te bieden aan iedereen die het wil downloaden.
De Buma eist 8 eurocent per gedownload liedje - en dat is dan nog bij wijze van grote gunst. Het reguliere tarief bedraagt 13 procent van de winkelprijs, met een minimum van 20 eurocent per track.
Eerdere emotionelere verzoeken om gratis muziek te draaien, waren ook afgewezen, liet de organisatie hooghartig weten, inclusief verzoeken om het speciaal gecomponeerde herdenkingslied 'Candle in the wind' rechtenvrij te draaien bij de begrafenis van Lady Di. Dus ook voor het 'auteursrechtenvrij' festival maakt de rechtenorganisatie geen uitzondering.
Dit summum van monopolistengedrag wordt mogelijk gemaakt door onze uit 1912 stammende Auteurswet. Sinds 1913 heeft de Buma het wettelijk monopolie op het uitbaten van de rechten van componisten en tekstschrijvers. Daar kwam ruim twintig jaar later de Stemra bij, die de rechten int voor het vastleggen en verveelvoudigen van muziek, en sinds 1993 de SENA, die de zogenaamde 'naburige' rechten int. Binnenkort gaan ze fuseren, helemaal in stijl.
Met een gezamenlijke omzet van bijna 230 miljoen euro in 2002 hebben de organisaties inmiddels een zeer lucratieve business. Daar kun je wel een lobby van betalen. Van daadkrachtig toezicht of reguliere inspraak van de groep die aangeduid wordt als de 'betalingsplichtigen' is geen sprake. De regeringscommissaris die sinds begin vorige eeuw belast was met het toezicht is eerder dit jaar weliswaar vervangen door een onafhankelijk college van toezicht, maar als het gaat om de inhoudelijke koers heeft het college slechts recht van advies.
Die inhoudelijke koers van Buma/Stemra is in mijn ogen vooral een oorlogsverklaring aan de burger, die al heel lang laat merken graag via internet naar muziek te willen luisteren. Maar het is ook een oorlogsverklaring aan de muzikant, de eigenlijke rechthebbende. Muzikanten en componisten hebben immers geen keuze: als ze zich niet inschrijven bij de monopolist, moeten ze afzien van hun rechten. Er is geen alternatieve organisatie, dus de Buma kan alle vernieuwingen stelselmatig frustreren.
Verzoeken om bijvoorbeeld flexibele contracten, waarbij muzikanten hun rechten soms wel en soms niet laten innen, worden steevast weggebureaucratiseerd met een beroep op het belang van de collectiviteit van rechten-inning.
Ik koester een beschermingshoes voor een plaat - ik denk uit de jaren 70 - met een plaatje van een cassettebandje erop, doorkruist door twee botten, het internationale symbool van piraterij. 'Hometaping is killing music industry!!!' staat er in chocoladeletters onder. Jammer voor de optimisten, die toen repliceerden: "And it was about time". Want de belangenbehartigers hebben de radio, het cassettebandje en de cd niet alleen overleefd, ze hebben er ook telkens nieuwe inkomstenbronnen door aangeboord. Toch lijken de rechtenorganisaties in het zicht van nieuwe technologie telkens maar één reactie te hebben: verbieden! Of het nu gaat om DAT-recorders, om minidisks met digitale opnamemogelijkheid of om bestandsruilprogramma's op internet.
Nieuwe technologie gaat meestal ten koste van oude. Dat bracht de advocaat-generaal vorige maand in herinnering in zijn advies aan de Hoge Raad in de zaak van Kazaa tegen Buma: "zoals het spoor natuurlijk ten koste ging van de trekschuit". Door de rituele verbodsgebedszangen van de Buma lijken de meeste mensen te vergeten dat er allang voorzien is in een regeling om muzikanten en componisten tegemoet te komen voor thuisgebruik van muziek, via de heffing op tapes, blanco opneembare cd's en dvd's. Die heffing bedraagt nu in Nederland 14 eurocent voor data-cd-r's en 42 eurocent voor officiële audio-cd-r's.
Ik betaal die heffing graag, ondanks het feit dat ik maar een klein deel van die schijfjes gebruik om er muziek op te zetten. De meeste schijfjes vul ik met back-ups van bijvoorbeeld e-mail en zelfgemaakte digitale foto's. Het belangrijkste voordeel vind ik de door Buma zo bejubelde collectiviteit: omdat het een algemene heffing is, is het niet nodig om de individuele lees- en luistergewoonten van iedere internetter te bewaren en te analyseren. Maar alle ontwikkelingen met Digital Rights Management wijzen juist de andere kant op, richting totale controle over ieders elektronisch gedrag. De heffingen worden daarbij steeds vaker een obstakel genoemd.
Downloading is killing music industry. Of is het zelfmoord? De huidige doodsstrijd duurt in ieder geval wel erg lang
De Buma eist 8 eurocent per gedownload liedje - en dat is dan nog bij wijze van grote gunst. Het reguliere tarief bedraagt 13 procent van de winkelprijs, met een minimum van 20 eurocent per track.
Eerdere emotionelere verzoeken om gratis muziek te draaien, waren ook afgewezen, liet de organisatie hooghartig weten, inclusief verzoeken om het speciaal gecomponeerde herdenkingslied 'Candle in the wind' rechtenvrij te draaien bij de begrafenis van Lady Di. Dus ook voor het 'auteursrechtenvrij' festival maakt de rechtenorganisatie geen uitzondering.
Dit summum van monopolistengedrag wordt mogelijk gemaakt door onze uit 1912 stammende Auteurswet. Sinds 1913 heeft de Buma het wettelijk monopolie op het uitbaten van de rechten van componisten en tekstschrijvers. Daar kwam ruim twintig jaar later de Stemra bij, die de rechten int voor het vastleggen en verveelvoudigen van muziek, en sinds 1993 de SENA, die de zogenaamde 'naburige' rechten int. Binnenkort gaan ze fuseren, helemaal in stijl.
Met een gezamenlijke omzet van bijna 230 miljoen euro in 2002 hebben de organisaties inmiddels een zeer lucratieve business. Daar kun je wel een lobby van betalen. Van daadkrachtig toezicht of reguliere inspraak van de groep die aangeduid wordt als de 'betalingsplichtigen' is geen sprake. De regeringscommissaris die sinds begin vorige eeuw belast was met het toezicht is eerder dit jaar weliswaar vervangen door een onafhankelijk college van toezicht, maar als het gaat om de inhoudelijke koers heeft het college slechts recht van advies.
Die inhoudelijke koers van Buma/Stemra is in mijn ogen vooral een oorlogsverklaring aan de burger, die al heel lang laat merken graag via internet naar muziek te willen luisteren. Maar het is ook een oorlogsverklaring aan de muzikant, de eigenlijke rechthebbende. Muzikanten en componisten hebben immers geen keuze: als ze zich niet inschrijven bij de monopolist, moeten ze afzien van hun rechten. Er is geen alternatieve organisatie, dus de Buma kan alle vernieuwingen stelselmatig frustreren.
Verzoeken om bijvoorbeeld flexibele contracten, waarbij muzikanten hun rechten soms wel en soms niet laten innen, worden steevast weggebureaucratiseerd met een beroep op het belang van de collectiviteit van rechten-inning.
Ik koester een beschermingshoes voor een plaat - ik denk uit de jaren 70 - met een plaatje van een cassettebandje erop, doorkruist door twee botten, het internationale symbool van piraterij. 'Hometaping is killing music industry!!!' staat er in chocoladeletters onder. Jammer voor de optimisten, die toen repliceerden: "And it was about time". Want de belangenbehartigers hebben de radio, het cassettebandje en de cd niet alleen overleefd, ze hebben er ook telkens nieuwe inkomstenbronnen door aangeboord. Toch lijken de rechtenorganisaties in het zicht van nieuwe technologie telkens maar één reactie te hebben: verbieden! Of het nu gaat om DAT-recorders, om minidisks met digitale opnamemogelijkheid of om bestandsruilprogramma's op internet.
Nieuwe technologie gaat meestal ten koste van oude. Dat bracht de advocaat-generaal vorige maand in herinnering in zijn advies aan de Hoge Raad in de zaak van Kazaa tegen Buma: "zoals het spoor natuurlijk ten koste ging van de trekschuit". Door de rituele verbodsgebedszangen van de Buma lijken de meeste mensen te vergeten dat er allang voorzien is in een regeling om muzikanten en componisten tegemoet te komen voor thuisgebruik van muziek, via de heffing op tapes, blanco opneembare cd's en dvd's. Die heffing bedraagt nu in Nederland 14 eurocent voor data-cd-r's en 42 eurocent voor officiële audio-cd-r's.
Ik betaal die heffing graag, ondanks het feit dat ik maar een klein deel van die schijfjes gebruik om er muziek op te zetten. De meeste schijfjes vul ik met back-ups van bijvoorbeeld e-mail en zelfgemaakte digitale foto's. Het belangrijkste voordeel vind ik de door Buma zo bejubelde collectiviteit: omdat het een algemene heffing is, is het niet nodig om de individuele lees- en luistergewoonten van iedere internetter te bewaren en te analyseren. Maar alle ontwikkelingen met Digital Rights Management wijzen juist de andere kant op, richting totale controle over ieders elektronisch gedrag. De heffingen worden daarbij steeds vaker een obstakel genoemd.
Downloading is killing music industry. Of is het zelfmoord? De huidige doodsstrijd duurt in ieder geval wel erg lang
Open Mic Night Magic
There is a lot of talk on this site about the importance of playing live to building up an audience for your band, but what if you have never played live before, and the prospect of taking to the stage has you quaking in your boots? There is a place where you can get some on-stage practice under your belt without braving the crowds at a big show - your local open mic night. Open mic nights sometimes get a little a bit of a bad rap, but not every open mic night is associated with earnest performances of poorly written pseudo-beat poetry. In fact, many towns have established open mic nights that are great places to catch the best up and coming local talent, and if you need to hone your stage act, these nights can be just the place to build up your comfort level on stage in a supportive environment. The crowds that turn up to see open mic nights are genuinely interested in hearing new music, and there also tends to be a good sense of community between the musicians taking part. Once you feel like you know how to own the stage, those same musicians you meet at open mic nights could be the contacts you need to get on your first concert bill. Open mic nights aren't also great for new musicians. They also offer band who are old hats at playing live a place to try out new songs and experiment a little bit with their sound. If you are trying to move your band out of your local scene, hitting up open mic nights in another town is a good way to get a foot in the door with the music scene in that area. All in, open mic nights offer you the chance to practice your live set and build your confidence - plus, they can be a lot of fun. If you have written off the open mic night as an option for your band, don't knock it until you've tried it.
Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper's free Prince CD
Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper's free Prince CD
Katie Allen, media business correspondent
The Guardian
Friday June 29 2007
The eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free CD with a national Sunday newspaper in a move that has drawn widespread criticism from music retailers.
The Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday that the 10-track Planet Earth CD will be available with an "imminent" edition, making it the first place in the world to get the album. Planet Earth will go on sale on July 24.
"It's all about giving music for the masses and he believes in spreading the music he produces to as many people as possible," said Mail on Sunday managing director Stephen Miron. "This is the biggest innovation in newspaper promotions in recent times."
The paper, which sells more than 2m copies a week, will be ramping up its print run in anticipation of a huge spike in circulation but would not reveal how much the deal with Prince would cost.
One music store executive described the plan as "madness" while others said it was a huge insult to an industry battling fierce competition from supermarkets and online stores. Prince's label has cut its ties with the album in the UK to try to appease music stores.
The Entertainment Retailers Association said the giveaway "beggars belief". "It would be an insult to all those record stores who have supported Prince throughout his career," ERA co-chairman Paul Quirk told a music conference. "It would be yet another example of the damaging covermount culture which is destroying any perception of value around recorded music.
"The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores. And I say that to all the other artists who may be tempted to dally with the Mail on Sunday."
High street music giant HMV was similarly scathing about the plans. Speaking before rumours of a giveaway were confirmed, HMV chief executive Simon Fox said: "I think it would be absolutely nuts. I can't believe the music industry would do it to itself. I simply can't believe it would happen; it would be absolute madness."
Prince, whose Purple Rain sold more than 11m copies, also plans to give away a free copy of his latest album with tickets for his forthcoming concerts in London. The singer had signed a global deal for the promotion and distribution of Planet Earth in partnership with Columbia Records, a division of music company Sony BMG. A spokesman for the group said last night that the UK arm of Sony BMG had withdrawn from Prince's global deal and would not distribute the album to UK stores.
Katie Allen, media business correspondent
The Guardian
Friday June 29 2007
The eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free CD with a national Sunday newspaper in a move that has drawn widespread criticism from music retailers.
The Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday that the 10-track Planet Earth CD will be available with an "imminent" edition, making it the first place in the world to get the album. Planet Earth will go on sale on July 24.
"It's all about giving music for the masses and he believes in spreading the music he produces to as many people as possible," said Mail on Sunday managing director Stephen Miron. "This is the biggest innovation in newspaper promotions in recent times."
The paper, which sells more than 2m copies a week, will be ramping up its print run in anticipation of a huge spike in circulation but would not reveal how much the deal with Prince would cost.
One music store executive described the plan as "madness" while others said it was a huge insult to an industry battling fierce competition from supermarkets and online stores. Prince's label has cut its ties with the album in the UK to try to appease music stores.
The Entertainment Retailers Association said the giveaway "beggars belief". "It would be an insult to all those record stores who have supported Prince throughout his career," ERA co-chairman Paul Quirk told a music conference. "It would be yet another example of the damaging covermount culture which is destroying any perception of value around recorded music.
"The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores. And I say that to all the other artists who may be tempted to dally with the Mail on Sunday."
High street music giant HMV was similarly scathing about the plans. Speaking before rumours of a giveaway were confirmed, HMV chief executive Simon Fox said: "I think it would be absolutely nuts. I can't believe the music industry would do it to itself. I simply can't believe it would happen; it would be absolute madness."
Prince, whose Purple Rain sold more than 11m copies, also plans to give away a free copy of his latest album with tickets for his forthcoming concerts in London. The singer had signed a global deal for the promotion and distribution of Planet Earth in partnership with Columbia Records, a division of music company Sony BMG. A spokesman for the group said last night that the UK arm of Sony BMG had withdrawn from Prince's global deal and would not distribute the album to UK stores.
Steve Jobs: "The music industry nobs have finally fugured out what we're doing".
So you've no doubt seen this story or one like it explaining that Universal Music Group won't renew its iTunes deal. And you've seen people saying that the majors are trying to "recalibrate" their relationships with us. Actually what's happening is they're crapping in their pants. They woke up one day and realized that we've got 80% share of digital downloads. Suddenly all the power in the value chain resides in one player. Oops.Here's the thing. These guys could have done what we did. In the early days of the Internet, everyone figured the majors would build digital distribution arms. But they didn't do it, because they didn't understand technology, and they didn't want to invest in building this expertise, and they were freaked out about piracy and paralyzed with fear. So we stepped in. We made the big investment. We hired programmers. We developed software that's easy to use and works flawlessly. (If you think that's trivial, think again. It's huge.) We ran the system. We promoted it, we marketed it, we haggled with all the majors and struck deals. We took all the risk, which was considerable. Now we're reaping the reward. And the majors want a bigger slice. Um, for what? We did all the work. Ain't gonna happen, slick.Here's the back story. The music companies are in a dying business, and they know it. Sure, they act all cool because they hang around with rock stars. But beneath all the glamour these guys are actually operating two very low-tech businesses. One is a form of loan-sharking: they put up money to make records, then force recording artists to pay the money back with exorbitant interest. The other business is distribution. They’ve got big warehouses and they control the shipment of little plastic boxes that happen to have music in them. The guys running the labels are pretty stupid -- most are just dirtbags who started out as band managers or promoters -- but now at long last they are kinda sorta finally vaguely getting clued in to the fact that both parts of their business model are fucked. Their loan-sharking business is being eliminated by low-cost digital recording technology that lets people make an album for very little money. And by letting us build the online music store they've taken themselves out of the distribution business. In the days of vinyl and then CDs, the labels managed to control the value chain by having loads of retailers in a highly fragmented market, and playing them off each other. In the digital world they've got us. And that's it. Ironically the mistake the major labels made was the same one that IBM made when it gave the DOS franchise to Microsoft nearly 30 years ago. They were faced with a new market that they didn't understand. They had a piece of work that they couldn't do on their own or didn't want to do on their own and they didn't view it as critical or important, so they outsourced it to a partner. The partner turned that seemingly unimportant work into a way to accrue power and create a monopoly and control the industry. Today in the music business we're about where IBM and Microsoft were in 1989, when IBM finally got hit with the clue stick and realized what Microsoft was doing. How will it play out this time? I don't know, honestly. But I like our chances.
The Problem With Music
Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying shit. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed. Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the shit stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the shit. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim again, please. Backstroke". And he does of course.
Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave.
Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well. There are several reasons A & R scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip to the current musical "scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences. The A & R person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it. When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast. By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" A & R guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired.
These A & R guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on. The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little memo, is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document. That is, once the band signs it, they are under obligation to conclude a deal with the label. If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength. These letters never have any terms of expiration, so the band remain bound by the deal memo until a contract is signed, no matter how long that takes. The band cannot sign to another laborer or even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens. Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the label or they will be destroyed.
One of my favorite bands was held hostage for the better part of two years by a slick young "He's not like a label guy at all," A & R rep, on the basis of such a deal memo. He had failed to come through on any of his promises [something he did with similar effect to another well-known band], and so the band wanted out. Another label expressed interest, but when the A & R man was asked to release the band, he said he would need money or points, or possibly both, before he would consider it. The new label was afraid the price would be too dear, and they said no thanks. On the cusp of making their signature album, an excellent band, humiliated, broke up from the stress and the many months of inactivity. There's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label. They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus -- nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work. To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyways, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. 15% of nothing isn't much! One day an A & R scout calls them, says he's 'been following them for a while now, and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time. They meet the guy, and y'know what -- he's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude.
They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot. The A & R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question-he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe-- cost you 5 or 7 grand] and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points. It was a lot to think about. Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated, of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself.
Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either: 50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children-- without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties. Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer--one who says he's experienced in entertainment law and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good. They'll be great royalty: 13% [less a 1O% packaging deduction]. Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever. The old label only wants 50 grand, an no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter million, just for being in a rock band! Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contract over too. Hell, it's free money. Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody In the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some bands like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.
The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer Should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe. They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picked them up in a limo. They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm." All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies! Here is the math that will explain just how fucked they are: These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. income is bold and underlined, expenses are not.
Advance:
$ 250,000
Manager's cut:
$ 37,500
Legal fees:
$ 10,000
Recording Budget:
$ 150,000
Producer's advance:
$ 50,000
Studio fee:
$ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors":
$ 3,000
Recording tape:
$ 8,000
Equipment rental:
$ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation:
$ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio:
$ 10,000
Catering:
$ 3,000
Mastering:
$ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses:
$ 2,000
Video budget:
$ 30,000
Cameras:
$ 8,000
Crew:
$ 5,000
Processing and transfers:
$ 3,000
Off-line:
$ 2,000
On-line editing:
$ 3,000
Catering:
$ 1,000
Stage and construction:
$ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation:
$ 2,000
Director's fee:
$ 3,000
Album Artwork:
$ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication:
$ 2,000
Band fund:
$ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit:
$ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]:
$ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]:
$ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar:
$ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp:
$ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental:
$ 500
Big blowout party for their friends:
$ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]:
$ 50,875
Bus:
$ 25,000
Crew [3]:
$ 7,500
Food and per diems:
$ 7,875
Fuel:
$ 3,000
Consumable supplies:
$ 3,500
Wardrobe:
$ 1,000
Promotion:
$ 3,000
Tour gross income:
$ 50,000
Agent's cut:
$ 7,500
Manager's cut:
$ 7,500
Merchandising advance:
$ 20,000
Manager's cut:
$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:
$ 1,000
Publishing advance:
$ 20,000
Manager's cut:
$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:
$ 1,000
Record sales:
250,000 @ $12 =$3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty:
[13% of 90% of retail]:$ 351,000
Less advance:
$ 250,000
Producer's points:
[3% less $50,000 advance]:$ 40,000
Promotional budget:
$ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label:
$ 50,000
Net royalty:
$ -14,000
Record company income:
Record wholesale price:
$6.50 x 250,000 =$1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties:
$ 351,000
Deficit from royalties:
$ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution:
@ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit:
$ 7l0,000
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.
Record company:
$ 710,000
Producer:
$ 90,000
Manager:
$ 51,000
Studio:
$ 52,500
Previous label:
$ 50,000
Agent:
$ 7,500
Lawyer:
$ 12,000
Band member net income each:
$ 4,031.25
The band is now 1/4 of the way through its contract, has made the music industry more than 3 million dollars richer, but is in the hole $14,000 on royalties. The band members have each earned about 1/3 as much as they would working at a 7-11, but they got to ride in a tour bus for a month. The next album will be about the same, except that the record company will insist they spend more time and money on it. Since the previous one never "recouped," the band will have no leverage, and will oblige. The next tour will be about the same, except the merchandising advance will have already been paid, and the band, strangely enough, won't have earned any royalties from their T-shirts yet. Maybe the T-shirt guys have figured out how to count money like record company guys. Some of your friends are probably already this fucked.
Steve Albini is an independent and corporate rock record producer most widely known for having produced Nirvana's "In Utero".
Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave.
Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well. There are several reasons A & R scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip to the current musical "scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences. The A & R person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it. When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast. By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" A & R guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired.
These A & R guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on. The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little memo, is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document. That is, once the band signs it, they are under obligation to conclude a deal with the label. If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength. These letters never have any terms of expiration, so the band remain bound by the deal memo until a contract is signed, no matter how long that takes. The band cannot sign to another laborer or even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens. Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the label or they will be destroyed.
One of my favorite bands was held hostage for the better part of two years by a slick young "He's not like a label guy at all," A & R rep, on the basis of such a deal memo. He had failed to come through on any of his promises [something he did with similar effect to another well-known band], and so the band wanted out. Another label expressed interest, but when the A & R man was asked to release the band, he said he would need money or points, or possibly both, before he would consider it. The new label was afraid the price would be too dear, and they said no thanks. On the cusp of making their signature album, an excellent band, humiliated, broke up from the stress and the many months of inactivity. There's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label. They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus -- nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work. To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyways, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. 15% of nothing isn't much! One day an A & R scout calls them, says he's 'been following them for a while now, and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time. They meet the guy, and y'know what -- he's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude.
They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot. The A & R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question-he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe-- cost you 5 or 7 grand] and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points. It was a lot to think about. Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated, of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself.
Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either: 50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children-- without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties. Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer--one who says he's experienced in entertainment law and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good. They'll be great royalty: 13% [less a 1O% packaging deduction]. Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever. The old label only wants 50 grand, an no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter million, just for being in a rock band! Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contract over too. Hell, it's free money. Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody In the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some bands like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.
The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer Should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe. They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picked them up in a limo. They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm." All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies! Here is the math that will explain just how fucked they are: These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. income is bold and underlined, expenses are not.
Advance:
$ 250,000
Manager's cut:
$ 37,500
Legal fees:
$ 10,000
Recording Budget:
$ 150,000
Producer's advance:
$ 50,000
Studio fee:
$ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors":
$ 3,000
Recording tape:
$ 8,000
Equipment rental:
$ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation:
$ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio:
$ 10,000
Catering:
$ 3,000
Mastering:
$ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses:
$ 2,000
Video budget:
$ 30,000
Cameras:
$ 8,000
Crew:
$ 5,000
Processing and transfers:
$ 3,000
Off-line:
$ 2,000
On-line editing:
$ 3,000
Catering:
$ 1,000
Stage and construction:
$ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation:
$ 2,000
Director's fee:
$ 3,000
Album Artwork:
$ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication:
$ 2,000
Band fund:
$ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit:
$ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]:
$ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]:
$ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar:
$ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp:
$ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental:
$ 500
Big blowout party for their friends:
$ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]:
$ 50,875
Bus:
$ 25,000
Crew [3]:
$ 7,500
Food and per diems:
$ 7,875
Fuel:
$ 3,000
Consumable supplies:
$ 3,500
Wardrobe:
$ 1,000
Promotion:
$ 3,000
Tour gross income:
$ 50,000
Agent's cut:
$ 7,500
Manager's cut:
$ 7,500
Merchandising advance:
$ 20,000
Manager's cut:
$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:
$ 1,000
Publishing advance:
$ 20,000
Manager's cut:
$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:
$ 1,000
Record sales:
250,000 @ $12 =$3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty:
[13% of 90% of retail]:$ 351,000
Less advance:
$ 250,000
Producer's points:
[3% less $50,000 advance]:$ 40,000
Promotional budget:
$ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label:
$ 50,000
Net royalty:
$ -14,000
Record company income:
Record wholesale price:
$6.50 x 250,000 =$1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties:
$ 351,000
Deficit from royalties:
$ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution:
@ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit:
$ 7l0,000
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.
Record company:
$ 710,000
Producer:
$ 90,000
Manager:
$ 51,000
Studio:
$ 52,500
Previous label:
$ 50,000
Agent:
$ 7,500
Lawyer:
$ 12,000
Band member net income each:
$ 4,031.25
The band is now 1/4 of the way through its contract, has made the music industry more than 3 million dollars richer, but is in the hole $14,000 on royalties. The band members have each earned about 1/3 as much as they would working at a 7-11, but they got to ride in a tour bus for a month. The next album will be about the same, except that the record company will insist they spend more time and money on it. Since the previous one never "recouped," the band will have no leverage, and will oblige. The next tour will be about the same, except the merchandising advance will have already been paid, and the band, strangely enough, won't have earned any royalties from their T-shirts yet. Maybe the T-shirt guys have figured out how to count money like record company guys. Some of your friends are probably already this fucked.
Steve Albini is an independent and corporate rock record producer most widely known for having produced Nirvana's "In Utero".
The Day The Music Indusrty Died
From The Sunday Times
October 7, 2007
The day the music industry died
There is no money in recorded music any more, that’s why bands are now giving it away
Robert Sandall
Having waited four years for their heroes to finish another record, Radiohead fans were understandably excited last week to learn that the band’s seventh album, In Rainbows, will finally be released on Wednesday. But what really rocked the fanbase – and heightened the air of gloom enveloping the global record industry – was the news that In Rainbows could be preordered and downloaded perfectly legally for as little as 1p at Radio-head.com.
Currently out of contract and thus entitled to dispose of their recordings as they see fit, one of the most popular bands in the world had decided to let the fans decide how much their latest album was worth. An MP3 file of In Rainbows would have no price tag. Honesty boxes, it seemed, were the new rock’n’roll.
If the Radiohead faithful appeared somewhat nonplussed by this move – “The danger is that people will stop seeing their music as important,” one fan posted in a blog; “I will gladly pay $20 knowing the artist will get the money,” pledged another – the band’s strategy was anything but mad, and not even that revolutionary. Last week the Charlatans announced they would be giving away their new album as a free download. Earlier this year another rock band, the Crimea, did the same.
In July Prince arranged for 2.5m copies of his new album to be cover-mounted on a Sunday newspaper and issued several hundred thousand more free of charge to anybody attending his London concerts in August. The scale of this charitable epidemic can be measured by a quick browse of the Free Albums Galore blog that lists more than 800 albums by a range of artists – from the Beastie Boys to some unsigned metal bands – all of which are free to download.
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Related Links
Radiohead: In Rainbows
What looks like commercial suicide is, in today’s reality, sound business sense. Records, CDs or downloads now have all become downgraded to the status of promotional tools – useful to sell concert tickets and fan paraphernalia. While there is still good money to be made in music, and particularly on the concert circuit, the record business – blame it on piracy, too many CD giveaways or the advent of the recordable CD – is a busted flush.
A revealing story doing the rounds in America tells of a young rock band who decided to stop selling their CDs at gigs after they discovered that by offering their CDs for $10 they were cannibalising sales of their $20 T-shirts. The truth now is that a rudimentary cotton garment with a band logo stamped across it that has probably been manufactured for pennies in a Third World sweatshop costs about twice as much as an album recorded in a state-of-the-art western studio. And even at that price, recorded music isn’t selling.
Album sales are currently in freefall all over the world. The 10% drop in the UK over the past year is dwarfed by a 15% slide in the US, 25% in France and a whopping 35% in Canada. The bankruptcy this summer of the CD retail chain Fopp, HMV’s announcement that its profits halved in the first six months of this year and Richard Branson’s recent decision to dump the Virgin Megastores – which have reportedly lost him more than £50m in 2007 – are only the most visible signs of a crisis that has rocked the music industry on its axis.
The point isn’t just that people are buying fewer CDs; they are paying as much as two-thirds less in real terms today for the music they listen to on their iPods than they used to when the compact disc first took over the market. Twenty years ago a chart CD cost about £14. Today you can buy the same in a super-market for £9.
The online market may have grown recently, but not enough to fix the hole. Here, too, margins have shrunk. A download of a single track now costs 79p against the £4 a CD single cost in 1999.
The impact on the bottom line of the record labels has been catastrophic. When EMI’s subsidiary Virgin put out the Spice Girls’ debut album in 1996 the company cleared roughly £5 in profit on each copy sold. That margin has since shrivelled to around £2 – and only then for albums that are significant hits. Industry insiders estimate that only one of the new British acts that has “broken” in 2007 – the pop diva Mika – will actually make his record company any money.
This has not gone unremarked in the City. When the private equity firm Terra Firma bought EMI recently it paid about a third, in real terms, what the company nearly fetched 10 years ago when a sale to its competitor Universal was mooted. That decline mirrors what has happened over the same period to the retail price of new CDs, and it also reflects the scale of the cull of EMI’s workforce, which has shrunk in 10 years from more than 10,000 worldwide to about 4,000 today.
The mood of panic is palpable, and there are no obvious solutions in sight. In America the recently appointed co-chairman of the Columbia label Rick Rubin, formerly a record producer by trade, has spoken of his ambition to turn the company around by refocusing it along the lines of a cable TV business – making Columbia’s entire catalogue downloadable to customers who pay a monthly subscription.
Another senior figure at Columbia has dismissed this plan as “potentially the last nail in the coffin”. The recent establishment of a “word of mouth” department at the label reflects the loss of control felt within a business that has lost a grip on its market.
One – fading – hope of the major labels is that they can somehow grab a share of the profits their artists make elsewhere. When Robbie Williams resigned to EMI in 2002 for a reported £80m this new deal guaranteed the label a piece of the action from Williams’s highly lucrative concert tours. But many young artists since have become wary of such composite arrangements. Some have decided to bypass the major record companies altogether.
One of the hottest new names to emerge here this year, the rave metal band Enter Shikari, refused to sign to anybody and in March released their debut album, Take to the Skies, on their own label Ambush Reality. In the past these tiny, so-called indie labels have usually been funded by majors anxious to covertly purchase credibility for their products with a young audience traditionally distrustful of big music corporations.
But that is not how it is with Ambush Reality. The marketing of Take to the Skies was largely down to the band themselves, who have played nearly 700 gigs since forming in St Albans in 2003. Word of mouth, coupled with a band presence on MySpace, has done the rest.
In November 2006 Enter Shikari became only the second unsigned act after the Darkness to sell out the leading London rock venue the Astoria. Take to the Skies entered the album chart at number four in March. In May they undertook a major tour of America – the first British band to do so without the support of a big record company.
This upending of the music business was neatly predicted back in the 1990s by the guitarist of the American hardcore band Anthrax who described their new album as “the menu; our concert is the meal”. This comment recalled the Beatles’ producer George Martin’s observation about his protégés’ first LP, Please Please Me from 1963. It was, Martin said, “just a memento of a concert”. Now, likewise, bands sell CD recordings of their performances at the end of the night.
The reprioritisation in recent years of live music over the recorded variety has been dramatic. Attendance at arena shows rose here by 11% last year. By the time 2007 bows out, 450 music festivals will have taken place in the UK.
Every week brings news of another frenzied assault on the box office. Last Monday Ticket-master reported that 20,000 tickets for the Spice Girls’ first reunion concert at London’s O2 arena in December sold out in 38 seconds, with 1m fans registering to buy. Three weeks back more than a million clamoured for seats at the forthcoming Led Zeppelin reunion. Glastonbury disposed of its 135,000 weekend passes for this year’s event within two hours – taking more than £21m in the process.
Ticket prices, especially for Alist artists, have soared as the price of CDs has tumbled. You could have bought Madonna’s entire catalogue for less than half what it cost to see her perform at Wembley Arena last summer where the best seats in the house went for £160. With the Rolling Stones at Twickenham a view from the pitch would have set you back £150.
Now that live music rules, nobody bothers to complain about what it costs any more. Euphoria at the news earlier this year that the Police had reformed obliterated all concerns that it cost between £70 and £90 to see them play at Twickenham in September. I spoke to many fans at one of those gigs; not one complained about the ticket price.
In the light of these numbers, the probability is that music fans now are spending more money on their passion than they were in the heyday of the CD. They have rediscovered an ancient truth that music is, at root, a communal experience as much as it is something that goes on between your ears.
Interestingly the band now tolling the death knell of the record industry, Radiohead, seem currently to have mixed feelings about live work.
“They probably will be playing some dates next year,” a spokesman said last week. “But Thom Yorke doesn’t like touring much.”
October 7, 2007
The day the music industry died
There is no money in recorded music any more, that’s why bands are now giving it away
Robert Sandall
Having waited four years for their heroes to finish another record, Radiohead fans were understandably excited last week to learn that the band’s seventh album, In Rainbows, will finally be released on Wednesday. But what really rocked the fanbase – and heightened the air of gloom enveloping the global record industry – was the news that In Rainbows could be preordered and downloaded perfectly legally for as little as 1p at Radio-head.com.
Currently out of contract and thus entitled to dispose of their recordings as they see fit, one of the most popular bands in the world had decided to let the fans decide how much their latest album was worth. An MP3 file of In Rainbows would have no price tag. Honesty boxes, it seemed, were the new rock’n’roll.
If the Radiohead faithful appeared somewhat nonplussed by this move – “The danger is that people will stop seeing their music as important,” one fan posted in a blog; “I will gladly pay $20 knowing the artist will get the money,” pledged another – the band’s strategy was anything but mad, and not even that revolutionary. Last week the Charlatans announced they would be giving away their new album as a free download. Earlier this year another rock band, the Crimea, did the same.
In July Prince arranged for 2.5m copies of his new album to be cover-mounted on a Sunday newspaper and issued several hundred thousand more free of charge to anybody attending his London concerts in August. The scale of this charitable epidemic can be measured by a quick browse of the Free Albums Galore blog that lists more than 800 albums by a range of artists – from the Beastie Boys to some unsigned metal bands – all of which are free to download.
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Related Links
Radiohead: In Rainbows
What looks like commercial suicide is, in today’s reality, sound business sense. Records, CDs or downloads now have all become downgraded to the status of promotional tools – useful to sell concert tickets and fan paraphernalia. While there is still good money to be made in music, and particularly on the concert circuit, the record business – blame it on piracy, too many CD giveaways or the advent of the recordable CD – is a busted flush.
A revealing story doing the rounds in America tells of a young rock band who decided to stop selling their CDs at gigs after they discovered that by offering their CDs for $10 they were cannibalising sales of their $20 T-shirts. The truth now is that a rudimentary cotton garment with a band logo stamped across it that has probably been manufactured for pennies in a Third World sweatshop costs about twice as much as an album recorded in a state-of-the-art western studio. And even at that price, recorded music isn’t selling.
Album sales are currently in freefall all over the world. The 10% drop in the UK over the past year is dwarfed by a 15% slide in the US, 25% in France and a whopping 35% in Canada. The bankruptcy this summer of the CD retail chain Fopp, HMV’s announcement that its profits halved in the first six months of this year and Richard Branson’s recent decision to dump the Virgin Megastores – which have reportedly lost him more than £50m in 2007 – are only the most visible signs of a crisis that has rocked the music industry on its axis.
The point isn’t just that people are buying fewer CDs; they are paying as much as two-thirds less in real terms today for the music they listen to on their iPods than they used to when the compact disc first took over the market. Twenty years ago a chart CD cost about £14. Today you can buy the same in a super-market for £9.
The online market may have grown recently, but not enough to fix the hole. Here, too, margins have shrunk. A download of a single track now costs 79p against the £4 a CD single cost in 1999.
The impact on the bottom line of the record labels has been catastrophic. When EMI’s subsidiary Virgin put out the Spice Girls’ debut album in 1996 the company cleared roughly £5 in profit on each copy sold. That margin has since shrivelled to around £2 – and only then for albums that are significant hits. Industry insiders estimate that only one of the new British acts that has “broken” in 2007 – the pop diva Mika – will actually make his record company any money.
This has not gone unremarked in the City. When the private equity firm Terra Firma bought EMI recently it paid about a third, in real terms, what the company nearly fetched 10 years ago when a sale to its competitor Universal was mooted. That decline mirrors what has happened over the same period to the retail price of new CDs, and it also reflects the scale of the cull of EMI’s workforce, which has shrunk in 10 years from more than 10,000 worldwide to about 4,000 today.
The mood of panic is palpable, and there are no obvious solutions in sight. In America the recently appointed co-chairman of the Columbia label Rick Rubin, formerly a record producer by trade, has spoken of his ambition to turn the company around by refocusing it along the lines of a cable TV business – making Columbia’s entire catalogue downloadable to customers who pay a monthly subscription.
Another senior figure at Columbia has dismissed this plan as “potentially the last nail in the coffin”. The recent establishment of a “word of mouth” department at the label reflects the loss of control felt within a business that has lost a grip on its market.
One – fading – hope of the major labels is that they can somehow grab a share of the profits their artists make elsewhere. When Robbie Williams resigned to EMI in 2002 for a reported £80m this new deal guaranteed the label a piece of the action from Williams’s highly lucrative concert tours. But many young artists since have become wary of such composite arrangements. Some have decided to bypass the major record companies altogether.
One of the hottest new names to emerge here this year, the rave metal band Enter Shikari, refused to sign to anybody and in March released their debut album, Take to the Skies, on their own label Ambush Reality. In the past these tiny, so-called indie labels have usually been funded by majors anxious to covertly purchase credibility for their products with a young audience traditionally distrustful of big music corporations.
But that is not how it is with Ambush Reality. The marketing of Take to the Skies was largely down to the band themselves, who have played nearly 700 gigs since forming in St Albans in 2003. Word of mouth, coupled with a band presence on MySpace, has done the rest.
In November 2006 Enter Shikari became only the second unsigned act after the Darkness to sell out the leading London rock venue the Astoria. Take to the Skies entered the album chart at number four in March. In May they undertook a major tour of America – the first British band to do so without the support of a big record company.
This upending of the music business was neatly predicted back in the 1990s by the guitarist of the American hardcore band Anthrax who described their new album as “the menu; our concert is the meal”. This comment recalled the Beatles’ producer George Martin’s observation about his protégés’ first LP, Please Please Me from 1963. It was, Martin said, “just a memento of a concert”. Now, likewise, bands sell CD recordings of their performances at the end of the night.
The reprioritisation in recent years of live music over the recorded variety has been dramatic. Attendance at arena shows rose here by 11% last year. By the time 2007 bows out, 450 music festivals will have taken place in the UK.
Every week brings news of another frenzied assault on the box office. Last Monday Ticket-master reported that 20,000 tickets for the Spice Girls’ first reunion concert at London’s O2 arena in December sold out in 38 seconds, with 1m fans registering to buy. Three weeks back more than a million clamoured for seats at the forthcoming Led Zeppelin reunion. Glastonbury disposed of its 135,000 weekend passes for this year’s event within two hours – taking more than £21m in the process.
Ticket prices, especially for Alist artists, have soared as the price of CDs has tumbled. You could have bought Madonna’s entire catalogue for less than half what it cost to see her perform at Wembley Arena last summer where the best seats in the house went for £160. With the Rolling Stones at Twickenham a view from the pitch would have set you back £150.
Now that live music rules, nobody bothers to complain about what it costs any more. Euphoria at the news earlier this year that the Police had reformed obliterated all concerns that it cost between £70 and £90 to see them play at Twickenham in September. I spoke to many fans at one of those gigs; not one complained about the ticket price.
In the light of these numbers, the probability is that music fans now are spending more money on their passion than they were in the heyday of the CD. They have rediscovered an ancient truth that music is, at root, a communal experience as much as it is something that goes on between your ears.
Interestingly the band now tolling the death knell of the record industry, Radiohead, seem currently to have mixed feelings about live work.
“They probably will be playing some dates next year,” a spokesman said last week. “But Thom Yorke doesn’t like touring much.”
Steve Jobs' thoughts on the music industry
With the stunning global success of Apple’s iPod music player and iTunes online music store, some have called for Apple to “open” the digital rights management (DRM) system that Apple uses to protect its music against theft, so that music purchased from iTunes can be played on digital devices purchased from other companies, and protected music purchased from other online music stores can play on iPods. Let’s examine the current situation and how we got here, then look at three possible alternatives for the future.
To begin, it is useful to remember that all iPods play music that is free of any DRM and encoded in “open” licensable formats such as MP3 and AAC. iPod users can and do acquire their music from many sources, including CDs they own. Music on CDs can be easily imported into the freely-downloadable iTunes jukebox software which runs on both Macs and Windows PCs, and is automatically encoded into the open AAC or MP3 formats without any DRM. This music can be played on iPods or any other music players that play these open formats.
The rub comes from the music Apple sells on its online iTunes Store. Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it must license the rights to distribute music from others, primarily the “big four” music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI. These four companies control the distribution of over 70% of the world’s music. When Apple approached these companies to license their music to distribute legally over the Internet, they were extremely cautious and required Apple to protect their music from being illegally copied. The solution was to create a DRM system, which envelopes each song purchased from the iTunes store in special and secret software so that it cannot be played on unauthorized devices.
Apple was able to negotiate landmark usage rights at the time, which include allowing users to play their DRM protected music on up to 5 computers and on an unlimited number of iPods. Obtaining such rights from the music companies was unprecedented at the time, and even today is unmatched by most other digital music services. However, a key provision of our agreements with the music companies is that if our DRM system is compromised and their music becomes playable on unauthorized devices, we have only a small number of weeks to fix the problem or they can withdraw their entire music catalog from our iTunes store.
To prevent illegal copies, DRM systems must allow only authorized devices to play the protected music. If a copy of a DRM protected song is posted on the Internet, it should not be able to play on a downloader’s computer or portable music device. To achieve this, a DRM system employs secrets. There is no theory of protecting content other than keeping secrets. In other words, even if one uses the most sophisticated cryptographic locks to protect the actual music, one must still “hide” the keys which unlock the music on the user’s computer or portable music player. No one has ever implemented a DRM system that does not depend on such secrets for its operation.
The problem, of course, is that there are many smart people in the world, some with a lot of time on their hands, who love to discover such secrets and publish a way for everyone to get free (and stolen) music. They are often successful in doing just that, so any company trying to protect content using a DRM must frequently update it with new and harder to discover secrets. It is a cat-and-mouse game. Apple’s DRM system is called FairPlay. While we have had a few breaches in FairPlay, we have been able to successfully repair them through updating the iTunes store software, the iTunes jukebox software and software in the iPods themselves. So far we have met our commitments to the music companies to protect their music, and we have given users the most liberal usage rights available in the industry for legally downloaded music.
With this background, let’s now explore three different alternatives for the future.
The first alternative is to continue on the current course, with each manufacturer competing freely with their own “top to bottom” proprietary systems for selling, playing and protecting music. It is a very competitive market, with major global companies making large investments to develop new music players and online music stores. Apple, Microsoft and Sony all compete with proprietary systems. Music purchased from Microsoft’s Zune store will only play on Zune players; music purchased from Sony’s Connect store will only play on Sony’s players; and music purchased from Apple’s iTunes store will only play on iPods. This is the current state of affairs in the industry, and customers are being well served with a continuing stream of innovative products and a wide variety of choices.
Some have argued that once a consumer purchases a body of music from one of the proprietary music stores, they are forever locked into only using music players from that one company. Or, if they buy a specific player, they are locked into buying music only from that company’s music store. Is this true? Let’s look at the data for iPods and the iTunes store – they are the industry’s most popular products and we have accurate data for them. Through the end of 2006, customers purchased a total of 90 million iPods and 2 billion songs from the iTunes store. On average, that’s 22 songs purchased from the iTunes store for each iPod ever sold.
Today’s most popular iPod holds 1000 songs, and research tells us that the average iPod is nearly full. This means that only 22 out of 1000 songs, or under 3% of the music on the average iPod, is purchased from the iTunes store and protected with a DRM. The remaining 97% of the music is unprotected and playable on any player that can play the open formats. It’s hard to believe that just 3% of the music on the average iPod is enough to lock users into buying only iPods in the future. And since 97% of the music on the average iPod was not purchased from the iTunes store, iPod users are clearly not locked into the iTunes store to acquire their music.
The second alternative is for Apple to license its FairPlay DRM technology to current and future competitors with the goal of achieving interoperability between different company’s players and music stores. On the surface, this seems like a good idea since it might offer customers increased choice now and in the future. And Apple might benefit by charging a small licensing fee for its FairPlay DRM. However, when we look a bit deeper, problems begin to emerge. The most serious problem is that licensing a DRM involves disclosing some of its secrets to many people in many companies, and history tells us that inevitably these secrets will leak. The Internet has made such leaks far more damaging, since a single leak can be spread worldwide in less than a minute. Such leaks can rapidly result in software programs available as free downloads on the Internet which will disable the DRM protection so that formerly protected songs can be played on unauthorized players.
An equally serious problem is how to quickly repair the damage caused by such a leak. A successful repair will likely involve enhancing the music store software, the music jukebox software, and the software in the players with new secrets, then transferring this updated software into the tens (or hundreds) of millions of Macs, Windows PCs and players already in use. This must all be done quickly and in a very coordinated way. Such an undertaking is very difficult when just one company controls all of the pieces. It is near impossible if multiple companies control separate pieces of the puzzle, and all of them must quickly act in concert to repair the damage from a leak.
Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses from the big four music companies. Perhaps this same conclusion contributed to Microsoft’s recent decision to switch their emphasis from an “open” model of licensing their DRM to others to a “closed” model of offering a proprietary music store, proprietary jukebox software and proprietary players.
The third alternative is to abolish DRMs entirely. Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat. If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this DRM-free music.
Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music. That’s right! No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CDs can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player.
In 2006, under 2 billion DRM-protected songs were sold worldwide by online stores, while over 20 billion songs were sold completely DRM-free and unprotected on CDs by the music companies themselves. The music companies sell the vast majority of their music DRM-free, and show no signs of changing this behavior, since the overwhelming majority of their revenues depend on selling CDs which must play in CD players that support no DRM system.
So if the music companies are selling over 90 percent of their music DRM-free, what benefits do they get from selling the remaining small percentage of their music encumbered with a DRM system? There appear to be none. If anything, the technical expertise and overhead required to create, operate and update a DRM system has limited the number of participants selling DRM protected music. If such requirements were removed, the music industry might experience an influx of new companies willing to invest in innovative new stores and players. This can only be seen as a positive by the music companies.
Much of the concern over DRM systems has arisen in European countries. Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free. For Europeans, two and a half of the big four music companies are located right in their backyard. The largest, Universal, is 100% owned by Vivendi, a French company. EMI is a British company, and Sony BMG is 50% owned by Bertelsmann, a German company. Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly.
To begin, it is useful to remember that all iPods play music that is free of any DRM and encoded in “open” licensable formats such as MP3 and AAC. iPod users can and do acquire their music from many sources, including CDs they own. Music on CDs can be easily imported into the freely-downloadable iTunes jukebox software which runs on both Macs and Windows PCs, and is automatically encoded into the open AAC or MP3 formats without any DRM. This music can be played on iPods or any other music players that play these open formats.
The rub comes from the music Apple sells on its online iTunes Store. Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it must license the rights to distribute music from others, primarily the “big four” music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI. These four companies control the distribution of over 70% of the world’s music. When Apple approached these companies to license their music to distribute legally over the Internet, they were extremely cautious and required Apple to protect their music from being illegally copied. The solution was to create a DRM system, which envelopes each song purchased from the iTunes store in special and secret software so that it cannot be played on unauthorized devices.
Apple was able to negotiate landmark usage rights at the time, which include allowing users to play their DRM protected music on up to 5 computers and on an unlimited number of iPods. Obtaining such rights from the music companies was unprecedented at the time, and even today is unmatched by most other digital music services. However, a key provision of our agreements with the music companies is that if our DRM system is compromised and their music becomes playable on unauthorized devices, we have only a small number of weeks to fix the problem or they can withdraw their entire music catalog from our iTunes store.
To prevent illegal copies, DRM systems must allow only authorized devices to play the protected music. If a copy of a DRM protected song is posted on the Internet, it should not be able to play on a downloader’s computer or portable music device. To achieve this, a DRM system employs secrets. There is no theory of protecting content other than keeping secrets. In other words, even if one uses the most sophisticated cryptographic locks to protect the actual music, one must still “hide” the keys which unlock the music on the user’s computer or portable music player. No one has ever implemented a DRM system that does not depend on such secrets for its operation.
The problem, of course, is that there are many smart people in the world, some with a lot of time on their hands, who love to discover such secrets and publish a way for everyone to get free (and stolen) music. They are often successful in doing just that, so any company trying to protect content using a DRM must frequently update it with new and harder to discover secrets. It is a cat-and-mouse game. Apple’s DRM system is called FairPlay. While we have had a few breaches in FairPlay, we have been able to successfully repair them through updating the iTunes store software, the iTunes jukebox software and software in the iPods themselves. So far we have met our commitments to the music companies to protect their music, and we have given users the most liberal usage rights available in the industry for legally downloaded music.
With this background, let’s now explore three different alternatives for the future.
The first alternative is to continue on the current course, with each manufacturer competing freely with their own “top to bottom” proprietary systems for selling, playing and protecting music. It is a very competitive market, with major global companies making large investments to develop new music players and online music stores. Apple, Microsoft and Sony all compete with proprietary systems. Music purchased from Microsoft’s Zune store will only play on Zune players; music purchased from Sony’s Connect store will only play on Sony’s players; and music purchased from Apple’s iTunes store will only play on iPods. This is the current state of affairs in the industry, and customers are being well served with a continuing stream of innovative products and a wide variety of choices.
Some have argued that once a consumer purchases a body of music from one of the proprietary music stores, they are forever locked into only using music players from that one company. Or, if they buy a specific player, they are locked into buying music only from that company’s music store. Is this true? Let’s look at the data for iPods and the iTunes store – they are the industry’s most popular products and we have accurate data for them. Through the end of 2006, customers purchased a total of 90 million iPods and 2 billion songs from the iTunes store. On average, that’s 22 songs purchased from the iTunes store for each iPod ever sold.
Today’s most popular iPod holds 1000 songs, and research tells us that the average iPod is nearly full. This means that only 22 out of 1000 songs, or under 3% of the music on the average iPod, is purchased from the iTunes store and protected with a DRM. The remaining 97% of the music is unprotected and playable on any player that can play the open formats. It’s hard to believe that just 3% of the music on the average iPod is enough to lock users into buying only iPods in the future. And since 97% of the music on the average iPod was not purchased from the iTunes store, iPod users are clearly not locked into the iTunes store to acquire their music.
The second alternative is for Apple to license its FairPlay DRM technology to current and future competitors with the goal of achieving interoperability between different company’s players and music stores. On the surface, this seems like a good idea since it might offer customers increased choice now and in the future. And Apple might benefit by charging a small licensing fee for its FairPlay DRM. However, when we look a bit deeper, problems begin to emerge. The most serious problem is that licensing a DRM involves disclosing some of its secrets to many people in many companies, and history tells us that inevitably these secrets will leak. The Internet has made such leaks far more damaging, since a single leak can be spread worldwide in less than a minute. Such leaks can rapidly result in software programs available as free downloads on the Internet which will disable the DRM protection so that formerly protected songs can be played on unauthorized players.
An equally serious problem is how to quickly repair the damage caused by such a leak. A successful repair will likely involve enhancing the music store software, the music jukebox software, and the software in the players with new secrets, then transferring this updated software into the tens (or hundreds) of millions of Macs, Windows PCs and players already in use. This must all be done quickly and in a very coordinated way. Such an undertaking is very difficult when just one company controls all of the pieces. It is near impossible if multiple companies control separate pieces of the puzzle, and all of them must quickly act in concert to repair the damage from a leak.
Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses from the big four music companies. Perhaps this same conclusion contributed to Microsoft’s recent decision to switch their emphasis from an “open” model of licensing their DRM to others to a “closed” model of offering a proprietary music store, proprietary jukebox software and proprietary players.
The third alternative is to abolish DRMs entirely. Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat. If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this DRM-free music.
Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music. That’s right! No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CDs can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player.
In 2006, under 2 billion DRM-protected songs were sold worldwide by online stores, while over 20 billion songs were sold completely DRM-free and unprotected on CDs by the music companies themselves. The music companies sell the vast majority of their music DRM-free, and show no signs of changing this behavior, since the overwhelming majority of their revenues depend on selling CDs which must play in CD players that support no DRM system.
So if the music companies are selling over 90 percent of their music DRM-free, what benefits do they get from selling the remaining small percentage of their music encumbered with a DRM system? There appear to be none. If anything, the technical expertise and overhead required to create, operate and update a DRM system has limited the number of participants selling DRM protected music. If such requirements were removed, the music industry might experience an influx of new companies willing to invest in innovative new stores and players. This can only be seen as a positive by the music companies.
Much of the concern over DRM systems has arisen in European countries. Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free. For Europeans, two and a half of the big four music companies are located right in their backyard. The largest, Universal, is 100% owned by Vivendi, a French company. EMI is a British company, and Sony BMG is 50% owned by Bertelsmann, a German company. Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly.
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