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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:56 pm Post subject: Recording industry goes French |
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And surrenders:
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From today, feel free to download another 25 million songs - legally
Adam Sherwin, Media Correspondent, in Cannes
After a decade fighting to stop illegal file-sharing, the music industry will give fans today what they have always wanted: an unlimited supply of free and legal songs.
With CD sales in free fall and legal downloads yet to fill the gap, the music industry has reluctantly embraced the file-sharing technology that threatened to destroy it. Qtrax, a digital service announced today, promises a catalogue of more than 25 million songs that users can download to keep, free and with no limit on the number of tracks.
The service has been endorsed by the very same record companies - including EMI, Universal Music and Warner Music � that have chased file-sharers through the courts in a doomed attempt to prevent piracy. The gamble is that fans will put up with a limited amount of advertising around the Qtrax website�s jukebox in return for authorised use of almost every song available.
The service will use the �peer-to-peer� network, which contains not just hit songs but rarities and live tracks from the world�s leading artists.
Nor is a lack of compatibility with the iPod player expected to put fans off. Apple is unlikely to allow tracks downloaded from its rival to be compatible with iPods, but, while the iPod is the most popular music player, it has not succeeded in dominating the market: sales of the iPod account for 50 million out of 130 million total digital player sales. Qtrax has also spoken of an �iPod solution�, to be announced in April.
Qtrax files contain Digital Rights Management software, allowing the company to see how many times a song has been downloaded and played. Artists, record companies and publishers will be paid in proportion to the popularity of their music, while also taking a cut of advertising revenues. |
http://www.qtrax.com/
Cool. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:50 am Post subject: |
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Can't use it on an iPod, but 25 million free songs is very nice. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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Now maybe I'm cherry picking, but I noticed a lot of people have stopped listening to music and have started downloading podcasts. I used to, for example, exercise to music but now I listen to podcasts during my run. People who used to listen to CDs now listen to podcasts during their commute.
The music industry is going to have to deal with that.
And maybe the TV industry too in the near future. I have seen the future and the future is Yacht Rock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTI8vg7A5U |
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Justin Hale

Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Location: the Straight Talk Express
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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I don't understand how bands and artists make money these days. Not that I particularly care either, mind. Yeah, I feel sorry for smaller acts who are outstanding but don't make much, but free music for me me me? Bring it. Can't go much wrong with Soulseek and Limewire. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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Justin Hale wrote: |
I don't understand how bands and artists make money these days. Not that I particularly care either, mind. Yeah, I feel sorry for smaller acts who are outstanding but don't make much, but free music for me me me? Bring it. Can't go much wrong with Soulseek and Limewire. |
Tops acts are still selling 7 million CDs. Of course bands also get royalties from radio air play. And now there are cell phone ring tones, inclusions in video games, soundtracks, etc. Youtube now pays the record companies a fee for all the music uploaders include in their vids.
I think the music industry needs to deal with the fact people just aren't sitting around their stereo these days. And people aren't really keen to rebuy their music every time the record companies come out with new formats. The record company counts any music download as a lost sale. They also used to count people making themselves a mix tape for their car as a lost sale, even if you own the LPs. The music industry really wanted you to buy an LP for home and a tape for your car. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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mindmetoo wrote: |
Now maybe I'm cherry picking, but I noticed a lot of people have stopped listening to music and have started downloading podcasts. |
I'm totally addicted to podcasts. Slate, Dogma Free America (unfortunately defunct), strafor, BBC, NPR, CBC. NPR's Intelligence Squared is awesome and the spoken word edition of The Economist fills my walk home. But I still listen to music and am a digital kleptomaniac. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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Justin Hale wrote: |
I don't understand how bands and artists make money these days. Not that I particularly care either, mind. Yeah, I feel sorry for smaller acts who are outstanding but don't make much, but free music for me me me? Bring it. Can't go much wrong with Soulseek and Limewire. |
They will have to focus more on touring, selling their music to ads/movies ect and merchandise. I figure cutting the record firms out of the equation is likely too. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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Looks like it was too good to be true anyhow:
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world's biggest music companies, including Warner Music Group Corp and Sony BMG, denied that they have agreed to license songs for a free download service that was launched by Qtrax on Monday.
Qtrax told Reuters and other media outlets last week that it had deals with the major labels representing about 75 percent of all music sales, to let users download songs for free in a new service to be supported by advertising revenue.
But by Monday, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner had publicly denied that they had agreed to back the new Qtrax service.
A source close to Universal Music, the largest of the group, said it also had not signed a deal for the new Qtrax service and is still in discussions.
And a source close to EMI Group said that while its song publishing unit has an agreement with Qtrax, its recorded music arm, EMI Music, does not.
"Sony BMG can confirm it has not signed a deal with Qtrax for the ad-supported service," said a spokesman for Sony BMG, a joint venture between Sony Corp and Bertelsmann AG. |
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2844446320080129 |
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