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> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matthias Grob" <matthias@grob.org> > >> http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/ I'm finding this very interesting and for the indie artists a good sign for the future. What it all about, is the will to distribute music digitally without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Typical ways of managing digital rights are to lock files into only being playable on a certain computer etc. I've always thought that sucks. Last MIDEM some prominent record labels were discussing the eventual scenario of going digital without DRM, so Steve Jobs is by no means "a pioneer freedom fighter". He's just saying loudly what is already whispering in the wind. The labels can't say it loud yet, because of their investments and all kind of legal agreements that have to be reworked before even starting. But the brutal truth, that we can all see by now, is that DRM is not increasing sales in any way. DRM just doesn't work! So if a new wave comes soon - where record labels give up to lock their digital products - Apple will be in a good position to make great business. Remember, Apple sells the mp3/AAC player that dominates the market by 70 percent. So even in a future where all record labels are bleeding out money Apple will still make big bucks selling the portable players that can play all kind of (eventually formerly) illegal music files. The reality which the record labels have traditionally based their actions on simply does not exist today, because it was a market they created with their own promotional and marketing work. This market relied on thousands of people sharing the same major taste for the same major products. Today the culture is more multi faceted, so it's simply not possible to reach the volume in sales needed to support the production and marketing costs needed create that huge market etc, etc. You see, the evil spiral is broken ;-) And this happens at the same time as the business model of selling music attached to physical media is growing obsolete. In that old business model the labels had set the rules (huge volumes, high costs as the entering threshold) that made it difficult of indies to compete. But now, when that's history, independent players have a fair chance. I welcome Job's statement as an ear opener for those who might not yet have had the chance to realize what's happening. Greetings from Sweden Per Boysen www.boysen.se (Swedish) www.looproom.com (international) http://tinyurl.com/2kek7h (latest music release)