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EMusic here to stay August
2003
New service finally brings online music up to date
A new service could finally dispel the spectre of Napster
and demonstrate a new maturity in music industry when it comes to distributing
music online.
OD2 (On Demand Distribution), in conjunction with major
service providers such as MSN and Tiscali, will make the back catalogues
of a number of artists - many of whom are difficult to find using conventional,
offline methods - available to users of Windows Media Player 9.
OD2 is not exactly a trailblazer - that accolade probably
deserves to go to Apple, whose iTunes Music Store, launched in April,
first indicated to record executives that there was a legitimate demand
for electronically distributed music, something that was, until that moment,
associated with illegal programs such as KaZaa. Apple sold more than a
million downloads in its first quarter and claimed to nearly break even
in its first quarter. The only problem was that the service was only open
to Apple users.
Hence OD2, which takes advantages of changes made to
the latest version of Microsoft's media player, including much more robust
digital rights management software that prevents further copying or distribution
of a track according to a supplier's restrictions.
Unlike the iTunes store, which charges 99 cents per track,
OD2 makes use of a credit service, ranging from £1.49 for 150 credits
(enough for 150 low-quality streams, 15 year-long downloads or one permanent
track that can be copied), to a £9.99 subscription that buys 1600
credits.
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music experts remark that this finally means record companies are
beginning to see the Internet as an opportunity to do business -
rather than a threat to their profit margins. Rather than simply
seeking to protect their intellectual property, those same companies
are looking to exploit the distributive potential of new technologies.
'We recognise it's in our interests to get as many
of these offerings out there as possible,' said Jeanne Meyer, senior
vice president at EMI US, reacting to news of the launch of OD2. |
Previous
stories
EU Copy Protection
No to Napster
Press Play for MusicNet
Relevant sites
OD2
Apple iTunes Store |
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