Michael Robertson, former CEO of MP3.com and owner of MP3Tunes, I service I happen to enjoy quite a lot, writes for TechCrunch on Amazon.com defying the major labels regarding MP3 lockers. For those who don’t know, these lockers are a source where purchasers of MP3s can store their purchases and play them back in a number of devices and locations.
Many good people are working on their own alternatives to Amazon’s proposed locker service (Michael Robertson, for example), but it’s nice to see a heavyweight take on the music industry regarding lockers, places where one can store their music and access it at any location they wish to. The music industry, record labels especially, will either have to get on board or watch their sales plummet due to continued piracy. The rip-off game is stopping, whether they like it or not.
Billboard Magazine’s Ed Christman discusses the topic further here.
In a case of absolute hypocrisy, Michael Robertson and MP3 Tunes makes the allegation that EMI, who breathe fire on upload services like Rapidshare, are using Rapidshare to to give away music themselves. Read the full article at P2P.net.
Of course they are. Google is about to raise the stakes in the digital downloads game and finally give Apple a run for its money.
A few tunes to keep you lot busy these days!
Kathy Sandler of the Wall Street Journal reports that Virgin is working on a partnership to try to end music piracy. Good luck. At least they can be commended for trying out new business models, because, let’s face it, the old models are dead.
Zack Whittaker of ZDNet points out the RIAA’s atrocious behavior in harassing kids who download music. It’s getting so bad that some of the targets of this treatment are contemplating suicide.
Gogoyoko posts a link from Digital Wire on the common sense that was shown at Midem this year. The indie labels get it. They’ll be the ones with the future. If the majors wake up, they can stave off their own extinction.
Paste Magazine links to a BBC article on a very promising phenomenon occurring in the UK. British bands have decided to embrace not only technology but fan access. This will do wonders for their sales.
HT: Daily Swarm.
