Sony BMG drops copy protection for downloads

[Berek2000]

FYI if anyone is interested...

NEW YORK - Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the world's second largest music company, will this month become the last of the big four majors to drop copy protection software on music downloads, also known as digital rights management (DRM).

full story on MSNBC.com...

[Diamond45]

But, from what I read, you still have to go to a "brick and mortar" store to purchase these DRM free music files. WTF?

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

Couldn't find anything on MSNBC.com (Not sure why. I searched several different ways.), but I did find this on Reuters:

Originally Posted by Reuters

Sony BMG to drop copy protection for downloads
Mon Jan 7, 2008 9:16am EST
By Yinka Adegoke

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the world's second largest music company, will this month become the last of the big four majors to drop copy protection software on music downloads, also known as digital rights management (DRM).

Sony BMG, home to artists including Beyonce, Britney Spears and Celine Dion, said on Monday it will launch a gift card service on January 15 called Platinum MusicPass that will feature digital albums from its artists in the MP3 format. The format does not use DRM protection.

Fans will be able to buy the digital album cards in stores and download full-length albums from a MusicPass Web site after they type in an identifying number. The cards will be available at U.S. retail outlets such as Best Buy and Target.

"The introduction of MusicPass is an important part of Sony BMG's ongoing campaign to bring its artists' music to fans in new and innovative ways, and to develop compelling new business models," said Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG president, global digital business & U.S. Sales.

The music industry posted a 15 percent drop in album sales in 2007 as fans bought fewer CDs. Digital music sales did not make up for the revenue shortfall, forcing executives to explore new business models and ways of attracting consumers.

One of the biggest issues for music companies last year was whether dropping DRM would help drive digital sales.

In February, Apple Inc founder Steve Jobs called on music companies to stop requiring retailers to use DRM for services like his company's iTunes Music Store. Jobs said dropping DRM would help boost sales.

Digital music buyers have been frustrated by the limitations imposed by DRM, prompting industry analysts to support the call to drop copy protection. Music companies had required DRM to prevent users from making multiple copies or sharing songs with friends for free.

EMI, the number four music company in market share became the first major to drop DRM in April and was later followed by Vivendi's Universal Music Group. Last month, Warner Music Group said it would start selling its music in MP3 format through Amazon.com.

(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

Diamond, can you explain what a "brick and mortar" store is? I'm not familiar with that term.

[rms]

Do people download alot of Britney Spears' albums?

[Stingray11214]

Originally Posted by BlackRoseMetalHeart

Couldn't find anything on MSNBC.com (Not sure why. I searched several different ways.), but I did find this on Reuters:


Diamond, can you explain what a "brick and mortar" store is? I'm not familiar with that term.

A free-standing record store. You know: The ones where you have to open a door and walk in to enter. A few aisles. A few racks. Maybe a listening post.
Cash Registers with knowledgeable (?) personnel. You know, a record store.

[eaeolian]

Originally Posted by Stingray11214

A free-standing record store. You know: The ones where you have to open a door and walk in to enter. A few aisles. A few racks. Maybe a listening post.
Cash Registers with knowledgeable (?) personnel. You know, a record store.

Those still exist?

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

Oh, I see, as opposed to an inter-web-store. Gotcha. (I've just never heard it phrased that way.)

Fans will be able to buy the digital album cards in stores and download full-length albums from a MusicPass Web site after they type in an identifying number. The cards will be available at U.S. retail outlets such as Best Buy and Target.

Why the hell would anyone go to a store to buy a card so that you can go home and buy/download music online?! That seems like a waste of time. Why not just save the step and stay at home and pay to download online? This seems like a really stupid marketing method, but I never download music anyway so what would I know.
I do know that it pisses me off when I want to upload a CD I've purchased to my laptop (so I can store it there and/or add particular songs to mix CDs) and can't because it has some sort of copyright protection on it. Grrr...

[Diamond45]

Originally Posted by BlackRoseMetalHeart

Why the hell would anyone go to a store to buy a card so that you can go home and buy/download music online?! That seems like a waste of time. Why not just save the step and stay at home and pay to download online? This seems like a really stupid marketing method, but I never download music anyway so what would I know.

That's why I said "WTF". A "brick and mortar" store is a real physical store, not an Internet website. You have to physically drive (or walk, if you're lucky) to a store to purchase a card to buy the MP3 files. Sort of defeats the purpose of online purchasing?

[Magius]

Sony BMG, home to artists including Beyonce, Britney Spears and Celine Dion, said on Monday it will launch a gift card service on January 15 called Platinum MusicPass that will feature digital albums from its artists in the MP3 format. The format does not use DRM protection.

.

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

Ahh ... So what you are saying is that if I want to buy an album - digitally - as a gift for someone else - I can go to the store and buy this gift card thingy for them to use to download the album online. So it's basically like one of those iTunes gift cards, but only for a specific album.

I still think it sounds like a dumb idea, but I don't download, so that honestly doesn't say much. I'm sure the kiddies (and kiddies parents) with their iPods will love it.