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Re: Steve Jobs calling for music distribution without keys
> ----- 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)