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Amazon and Wal-Mart Push Labels to Ditch DRM Once and For All
Posted by Adam Frucci at 1:54 AM on December 4, 2007
Even if the remaining major labels who have yet to ditch DRM are dragging their feet on the road of inevitability, major online retailers don't feel like waiting around for them to finally do the deed. Wal-Mart has reportedly made an ultimatum of some sort to major labels demanding that they start selling in MP3 so the retail giant can add them to their upcoming MP3 store, which, coming from a retailer of that size, should get their attention. And as we reported on Friday, Amazon plans to give away one billion MP3s with an upcoming Pepsi/Super Bowl giveaway.
That's a lot of MP3s, and it sure would be a better giveaway if more tracks were available. And with Sony rumoured to be close to making the plunge, that leaves stodgy old Warner remaining, stubbornly clinging on to a dying technology.
Good plan, Warner! I'm sure that your forward-thinking (in)actions will only make more and more sense with time and eventually everyone will see that things were better in the good old days, dismantle the Internet, and all go laugh about it at the local soda fountain. Also, you will be out of business. [Ars Technica
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
DJJS
Posted 2:46 PM 3/12/07
YAYY!!.. for the evil one.. but the more companys Join in.. the more we win..
DJJS
Oneon1isto
Posted 2:32 PM 3/12/07
@RalphWiggum: I think I just might. And I'm not kidding either. I'm heading there now.
Oneon1isto
RalphWiggum
Posted 1:06 PM 3/12/07
This is fan-frickin-tastic news. Evil or not, Walmart dominates the CD-sales world and will be able to exert quite a bit of pressure on the major labels.
For anyone who hasn't tried Amazon's online mp3 store, they really should. For all of those pirate types saying "Arrrr. I'll pay for music again when it's affordable, convenient to get, and well-encoded", it's time. Aside from the lack of a few major labels, the Amazon store is awesome. 256k or higher DRM-free mp3's for $9 an album.
RalphWiggum
Kaiser-Machead
Posted 11:59 AM 3/12/07
@hughjass: I think part of the problem with subscription in a store like iTunes is that the labels may want a piece of the iPod profits, which has a snowball's chance in hell of happening, so will likely never happen.
Kaiser-Machead
hughjass
Posted 11:57 AM 3/12/07
@typoink:
Agreed. Music should be DRM-free for outright purchases, but DRM makes perfect sense for subscription services. Now if we could only get all MP3 player manufacturers to agree on a standard subscription-based format... *le sigh* Or at least get Apple on board with subscription-based music via iTunes.
hughjass
hughjass
Posted 11:52 AM 3/12/07
@ImTheKing:
And yet, you probably shop there just like the rest of us. ;-)
hughjass
typoink
Posted 11:51 AM 3/12/07
DRM isn't evil, but bad implementations are. It should never be stapled on to media that the user is legitimately purchasing.
At the same time, however, DRM is what allows the music subscription services to work, and those services can be fantastic and are, in my mind, a very consumer-friendly approach to music.
People often chant for the death of DRM, but I'd hate to see that -- I just want to see it limited to places where it makes SENSE.
typoink
rususeruru
Posted 10:49 AM 3/12/07
Amazon has 3% of the digital download market share, WalMart 2%.
That's not bad at all for a store that launched with little more than a murmur outside of geeky tech blogs.
High bit-rate DRM free tracks ftw!
rususeruru
Kaiser-Machead
Posted 10:47 AM 3/12/07
DRM is the core of Satan's scrotum, the RIAA is the sack, and the parent affiliates are the pubes, and humanity gets teabagged! Time to break out the Holy scissors and neuter the Beast once and for all.
Kaiser-Machead
gokor
Posted 10:27 AM 3/12/07
DRM is part of the devil, RIAA is another part, FCC is the head and heart of the devil though. The cold, black, burning heart.
gokor
CarbonatedWater
Posted 10:05 AM 3/12/07
Gotta love illegal music downloading. I sure do.
CarbonatedWater
ImTheKing
Posted 10:05 AM 3/12/07
Wal-mart is evil but I <3 Amazon and DRM free music!
ImTheKing
Joseph
Posted 10:02 AM 3/12/07
HAHA Remember a few years back when they had all those kids who were charged with illegal mp3 downloading on TV?
Joseph