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If I could pay $5/month for all the music I wanted, DRM free, I'd take that in an instant.

You think this is going to be DRM free? HAHAHAHAHA. this music will be more
locked down and chained than Ann Coulter's chastity belt!

This is nothing more than another pathetic attempt to hoard money before the ship goes down...
 
What the hell does this have to do with the RIAA.... yes, i think they're an evil organization... but this has nothing to do with them....

The RIAA is the lobbying organization for individual record companies. Maybe it's simplistic to associate the actions of individual record companies to the policies and procedures of the RIAA but the person's comment is by no means an apples-and-oranges comparison. UMG is a ginormous organization, one that drives significant influence on both the direction of the RIAA and the entertainment industry. One has a helluva lot to do with the other.
 
The RIAA is the lobbying organization for individual record companies. Maybe it's simplistic to associate the actions of individual record companies to the policies and procedures of the RIAA but the person's comment is by no means an apples-and-oranges comparison. UMG is a ginormous organization, one that drives significant influence on both the direction of the RIAA and the entertainment industry. One has a helluva lot to do with the other.

yes, i understand that... but you have to agree that his comment made no sence... indie labels can have the "protection" of the RIAA too....
 
The more competition, the better... this seems to be true regarding iTunes..

Only if they are pushing things forward. Competitors showing up and sucking only emboldens the market leader to stick to the status quo. iTunes is still the best system around (to me) but doesn't seem to be improving at all. :mad:
 
treat 'em like a prostitute

Radiohead is doing this with their new record as well. And Pearl Jam, even though they made a deal with J Records to distribute their last record, are not under contract either.

This is going to happen. You can bypass the studio now...

Radiohead. Pearl Jam. NIN. Hopefully the list of artists who are in the position to buck the system and still get paid grows. When Prince was going by that unpronouncable symbol and writing 'slave' on his cheek people thought he was crazy, but he was telling the truth. The labels see their artists as slaves or at the very least as prostitutes. And if they're artist are whores and we are their customers, what do you think the labels think about us?

Here's hoping the major labels' latest scheme blows up in their collective faces.
 
Radiohead. Pearl Jam. NIN. Hopefully the list of artists who are in the position to buck the system and still get paid grows. When Prince was going by that unpronouncable symbol and writing 'slave' on his cheek people thought he was crazy, but he was telling the truth. The labels see their artists as slaves or at the very least as prostitutes. And if they're artist are whores and we are their customers, what do you think the labels think about us?

Here's hoping the major labels' latest scheme blows up in their collective faces.

hey... someone who actually understands! congratulations!
 
Just bought Radiohead's In Rainbows

We need to really support these guys in doing so. We need a website that lists these guys going alone to show people like me (even if i don't like their music) how to support them.

[...] We need like a nonprofit organization that people pay member "dues" to each year that works to help artists stay independent and setup a channel for selling their music. with this type of organization [...], people would really be able to take these guys down.
how about a 4-week boycott of major labels? that kind of **** is how to make change happen!!

This all sounds good to me. I just bought the Radiohead record directly from them. (Did you hear that, Universal?) I'm following the Throwing Music / Kristin Hersh developments as well. Good to know about NIN, Prince, and Pearl Jam's plans/efforts.

The coup would be to provide an online store/service for artists to sell their music (like Radiohead have set up), so that each artist doesn't have to spend the overhead to do this themselves. Radiohead should offer their setup to other artists.

iTunes already does this to some extent, right? (Or perhaps CD Baby?) But iTunes won't let the indies sell DRM free music (what gives, Steve?!?!?!), or set their own prices...

I sympathize with indies who don't already have the recognition of Radiohead, et al. But I think the whole business is ultimately going to go to more word-of-mouth based discovery and promotion of artists. And all the better for it. I trust my friends' opinions much more than I do a record exec, or radio station (basically the same guy, right?). Bring on the future.
 
The coup would be to provide an online store/service for artists to sell their music (like Radiohead have set up), so that each artist doesn't have to spend the overhead to do this themselves. Radiohead should offer their setup to other artists.

You can kidna do the same thing from your site...
Offer Links to Download the music and next to it put a donation link through paypal or google money.... The current project I'm involved in is going to set things up like this... "hey, our music is free and under a creative commons copyright, but if you want to support us you can donate some money for your downloads"
 
Doesn't look like the iTunes Music Store has much life left.. Kind of a scary thought.
 
apple should buy universal and have done with this nonsense.

They won't buy UMG....


Doesn't look like the iTunes Music Store has much life left.. Kind of a scary thought.

They still have %70 of the market..... its going to be a while before you can say goodbye to the ITMS... even if it drops to only %30, thats still enough money to make it worth it... hell, most companies are lucky to get %2
 
Big name artists can pull off the self distribution thing because they already have a following.

Indie labels (like mine) don't have the funds to get their product out in front of people to see if they like it. At least itunes kinda changes that. You can go listen to and buy Kyria -Whispers In The Dark (self plug) almost anywhere in the world now (on itunes, emusic, etc. -Amazon soon!).

The trouble is, I can't get radio play for Feeling Good so that enough people will want to buy it that we can afford to do this full time and come up with more good tunes.

I don't have the payola, er marketing money to do this. Universal does have the marketing money and connections to make 'crap' popular.

I fear the music biz either needs the big bad marketing machine, or will be so filled with cheaply produced, blanched music that music will have lost all value (even though there WILL be killer artists out there, finding out about them will be hard).

Adapt Universal et al, or risk ruining everything!

My $.02

Who even listens to radio anymore? It may be difficult if not impossible to become a superstar without big money, but I think it will be much easier for bands to do well enough to make a living, provided that the music is good enough.

No doubt dreams of fame and fortune are powerful motivating factors for a lot of young people who take up music, just as this same fantasy is the hook the labels use to exploit them. A few bands become famous, some very few musicians make it big, but most stick with it out of love, love of the music. Being able to make a living doing what you love, isn't that enough? Or is that just another dream?
 
I suspect this would be more of a "tax" that any type of optional subscription. The industry would LOVE to rake in $5/month for every device sold for as long as it is ever used.

I echo the sentiment of the poster who said we should instead have an artist operated service instead. The record labels are adding VERY LITTLE value at this point, in my eyes anyway. Their major accomplishment is getting the same 5 songs played over and over again on all the corporate radio stations in the country.

No reason why I can't find out about artists online and do business directly with the artist on their web site, or via some lightweight, low-overhead store that is selling their music. I think iTMS would be pretty low overhead if they were dealing directly with artists and no labels.
 
Being able to make a living doing what you love, isn't that enough? Or is that just another dream?

I love producing music for films and video games/software, and make a good living doing it... but I would double love being a rock star (or just make what I make now, performing)! On stage is where it's at for me personally.;)
 
No reason why I can't find out about artists online and do business directly with the artist on their web site, or via some lightweight, low-overhead store that is selling their music. I think iTMS would be pretty low overhead if they were dealing directly with artists and no labels.

The big labels were just a filter up until now... weeding the millions making music down to the few who made relatively good music that lots of people liked.

Now there's more content than ever out there, and they just aren't filtering it like they used to. So you get copies of 'what works now', not 'what will work well for a long time'.

Make an easy to use filter that finds what music someone wants to hear effectively and you will make millions from that program (as long as people are looking, not liking what is fed to them).

There is nothing like turning a dial until you hear something you like! No searching, no key words... instant feedback.
 
Is it really a business thing? Did they really do research and conclude that this business model will kick?

Or is it a personal thing? Are they pissed off because Apple, and not Universal, has control?
 
Personally, there is no way that I would pay $5 or whatever that would end up as in Pounds Sterling, just for the privilege of my own personal radio station. Yes, maybe I could listen to whatever music I felt like at the time, but owning my own copy of an album is a totally different thing.
The people I feel sorry for are the Bands/Artists. If this happens then how could I feel I have properly supported my favourite band? Because a fraction of a penny of my monthly subscription goes to buy them a new pair of shoes or happy meal? Not a chance. Get lost all you Record Company Fat-Cats, and stop draining the life out of people's art! Makes me sick.
[/rant over]
 
Any lawyers in the house

Could this be collusion?

“In the study of economics and market competition, “collusion” takes place within an industry when rival companies cooperate for their mutual benefit. Collusion most often takes place within the market form of oligopoly, where the decision of a few firms to collude can significantly impact the market as a whole. Cartels are a special case of explicit collusion. Collusion which is not overt, on the other hand, is known as tacit collusion.”

Of course with our current Department of Justice I doubt anything would be done.
 
So $60 per year to download all the UNIVERSAL music I want to, rental only. I have a few problems with this:

1. I don't get to keep it if I cancel the subscription
2. Universal is only a small portion of the music I listen to.
3. I don't spend $60 a year on music. I doubt I spend $20 a year on music from Universal.

Not for me, then.
 
A Mentality Built on Ego

So $60 per year to download all the UNIVERSAL music I want to, rental only. I have a few problems with this:

1. I don't get to keep it if I cancel the subscription
2. Universal is only a small portion of the music I listen to.
3. I don't spend $60 a year on music. I doubt I spend $20 a year on music from Universal.

Not for me, then.

It is sad to watch a label put so much capital and effort into launching a service which has already failed miserably. Admire them for taking another stab at re-inventing the wheel? ................. not.
 
Tip Jar

Personally, there is no way that I would pay $5 or whatever that would end up as in Pounds Sterling, just for the privilege of my own personal radio station. Yes, maybe I could listen to whatever music I felt like at the time, but owning my own copy of an album is a totally different thing.
The people I feel sorry for are the Bands/Artists. If this happens then how could I feel I have properly supported my favourite band? Because a fraction of a penny of my monthly subscription goes to buy them a new pair of shoes or happy meal? Not a chance. Get lost all you Record Company Fat-Cats, and stop draining the life out of people's art! Makes me sick.
[/rant over]

And at the other end, of the 99c iTunes song charge, 80c goes to the artist. Universal is a sinking ship, grabbing at yesterday's failed strategies, and blaming internet downloading for their demise. Sad.
 
I don't think they are doing this for the sake of competition or what's best for the consumer. They are doing simply against Apple. What's wrong with the "iTunes Model", none, except its from Apple. And yes iTunes is not perfect, but its the next best thing and Apple simply refused to follow what this Music Industries wants.

One thing for sure, no matter how beautiful a Zune is, I will never buy it, they give USD1 for every unit purchased to Universal because Universal demanded it. And this is the same company that said that most MP3 players contains pirated music.

Funny quote:

"We got rolled like a bunch of puppies," And this presumably is coming from the CEO of a big firm. (Unless of course all along they wanted ....Apple alone should be the puppy).
 
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