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Amazon to finally sell DRM free MP3 to the world

Amazon MP3 store to spread DRM-free love global in 2008 – Engadget

In what could be the biggest threat the Apple iTunes store could face is this announcement by Amazon to be able to sell music anywhere in the world DRM free. But how anywhere is anywhere?

One of the biggest flaws of the iTunes store in my opinion is the limited number of countries who have it. Basically it’s just the US, EU and Japan. Apparently other countries in Asia do not need a store where officials say piracy is rampant. The limited capacity of iTunes to sell music to other countries is based on the limited rights they have with the recording company. This resulted in the varied pricing models seen in EU which practically has separate iTunes stores per country.

Unfortunately the DRM imposed by the music labels on online merchants has caused the dominance of iTunes. They wanted music that is secure enough and one way to do that is to limit the hardware where the music can be played and embed security all over it. They thought it wouldn’t last. They were apparently wrong in their projections.

Now that they want a piece of the cake, Apple will not give in. There is no way that Apple was going to raise prices or even lower prices for songs. So they allowed Amazon now to sell DRM-free music. Just to get back at Apple. Childish.

Consumers hate complicated things. It just used to be a CD from the store that can play in any player. That is the model that Amazon is exploring with their online store. I love music. I buy my music legally. Sometimes it’s expensive but I take the effort to bring it in to my iPod. I buy from the iTunes store because I like it. I like the simplicity that I can buy music and sync it to my iPod. Or even better, buy music from my iPod and play it on my iPod right now.

These are things that consumers want. DRM free music is something that consumers want. But I still want it on my iPod.

2008: 01/28
POSTED BY: mdelamerced
CATEGORY: gadgets
TAGS: amazon
apple
DRM
ipod
iTunes
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Amazon dives into the online music industry

Ten Sentences on AmazonMP3, the Music Download Store | iLounge

After slipping to be the number 4 reseller of music, digital or otherwise the expected Amazon Music store is now online. It is currently restricted to U.S. customers but it boasts 2 million songs. With the recent closure of Virgin Music and Sony’s Connect store, the legal online music downloads is about to begin.

iTunes has dominated online music retail business while it’s competitors have closed shop. DRM or digital rights management drives the digital music industry and long struggled with P2P networks and the move to a digital format. Apple did it’s AAC format and Microsoft with WMA and here comes Amazon with their ZERO DRM MP3 at 256k.

Yes you heard it right. ZERO DRM MP3. Well MP3 doesn’t actually have DRM so there. EMI and Vivendi-Universal Music had announced earlier that they would be selling DRM-free music and it seems that they’ve kept their word.

There are gaping holes in the 2 million catalogue of songs they have but it Amazon redirects you to purchase the actual CD if you really want it. Songs are priced competitively at $0.89 and $0.99 as well as the albums which should really give iTunes for a run for it’s money for the next few months.

Amazon has done it right but for how long? The same could be said of the iTunes store when it started and now after all the money that has been spent on the store we can now see the greedy arm of the music industry coming into play. How long can Amazon keep their DRM-free music as well as the rest of the industry to jump in.

It’s very hard to discuss the future of online music when it’s only been less than week. But we cannot deny that it is welcomed.

What I would want Amazon to would be to tear down the walls of restriction between countries. I’d gladly purchase music from Japan or France but due to the music industry’s restrictions we’ll have to wait on how they will tackle this.

The music industry is sadly lagging so far behind on the digital curve and if they don’t adapt the music industry will be doomed. They attribute their losses to music piracy, but what would lead honest people to pirate their music. Unavailability. By denying or even delaying music releases in other countries and people want to hear it now, would lead people to get their music elsewhere if they cannot get it legally. Those advocating subscriptions for music are out of their minds.

So until I’ve actually bought music off the store, I’ll post again on this topic.

2007: 09/27
POSTED BY: mdelamerced
CATEGORY: gadgets
TAGS: amazon
apple
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It still wont play on my iPod fool!

NBC to offer free “NBC Direct” download service, iTunes competitor – Engadget

NBC counters iTunes in this round by offering their shows for free via their website which should eventually lead to a paid service in the future.

What part does NBC doesn’t understand? TV is inherently free. The said “free” shows are only viewable on your PC and only have a license for 5 days. These cannot be transferred to your portable device and is only compatible with PCs.

NBC joins other networks such as CBS and ABC who also put their shows online. But unlike ABC, it is not mac compatible. All have ads on their website in order for them to show it for free. NBC promises that a paid service will be available (other than their deal with Amazon Unbox).

Sure NBC can charge and bundle whatever they want on their website but one thing remains. It still wont play on my iPod. That is what matters to me. The consumer. My needs. If it doesn’t satisfy my need. Why should I even pay for it? Are they deliberately ignoring the millions of iPod users and mac users with this move? Why don’t they get it that I’ll just TiVO the show, or join others that live on torrents.

We’ll see where this goes.

2007: 09/20
POSTED BY: mdelamerced
CATEGORY: Uncategorized
TAGS: amazon
apple
ipod
iTunes
nbc
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After ditching Apple, NBC opts for flex pricing and more DRM with Amazon

Showing us that it’s not all about Hulu, NBC inks a download deal with Amazon just days after the public spat between Apple and NBC. What’s Unbox got that Apple doesn’t? Flexible pricing and less “flexible” DRM.Now there must be something wrong with this picture. Why would I want to buy my videos from Unbox? Sure I love their “other” business which is selling tangible products such as books and CD’s. But their digital endeavor is somewhat “restrictive” in my opinion. I don’t mind that I can play my content only on two computers but the main fact is that I cannot play any of it on my mac or in my ipod is absolutely unacceptable.NBC isn’t charging more for their shows on Amazon (although they must be getting a bigger cut) they apparently prefer it because there’s “more DRM” than Apple. I must admit it’s still a flaky argument in their leaving the iTunes store.Most digital providers out there (other than iTunes) do not work on macs let alone the ipod. iPods account for more than 70% of the digital handheld market. The whole thing still doesn’t make sense to me.It must be frustrating to be in the movie studio/ music label industry right now that the very business model that they’ve been hanging on to since forever was turned upside down by the internet and digital conversion. And now one of the easiest ways to merge the two together was thought out by the Apple brains in Cupertino and not by them. Originally thought that it would fail they agreed to put their content on and now over 2 billion songs later, it’s not much of a struggle as it was five years ago when anarchy ensued in the digital market. If things stay the way they are now the same environment five years ago will come back much stronger.And why are we still paying for television? Why are we even having this argument? Fire up the TiVOs everyone!