Sony to develop DRM-free subscription service

F

FUCK THE POLICE

911 EVERY DAY
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=11241

10$ a month for unlimited downloads of anything in Sony's library.




SonyBMG is working on an all-you-can-eat, DRM-free subscription service, says SonyBMG CEO Rolf Schmidt-Holtz.

In a Monday interview (English) with the German-language newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Schmidt-Holtz discussed the new service and was quoted as saying that the “simplest option would be a flat rate,” offering access to Sony BMG’s catalog for a monthly fee of 6 to 8 euros ($9 to $12). The service will provide downloads in a format compatible with all music players, including Apple’s iPod.

Naturally, unless Apple decides to license its proprietary FairPlay DRM format, Schmidt-Holtz’s announcement means that service will likely offer its music as DRM-free MP3 files – a concession that he indirectly confirms, noting that it is “even possible that clients could keep some songs indefinitely, that they would own them even after the subscription expired. “

Speaking with the Associated Press, a Bertelsmann spokesman confirmed the interview but refused to provide additional details.

Schmidt-Holtz said his company is also in early talks with mobile phone companies like Nokia, in an effort to provide a subscription service over cellular networks: users could pay a one-time fee, he speculated, and then have unlimited access to music downloads over the air. When pressed for details on if his company is working on something similar for Apple’s iPhone, Schmidt-Holtz neither confirmed nor denied the fact.

In fact, Schmidtz-Holtz spoke warmly of Apple – who is reportedly working on its own subscription service – calling the company a “very strong partner” and noting that everyone benefits from Apple’s success in the digital music arena, even if Sony BMG may soon be competing with it.

It is unclear whether the initiative will have anything to do with Platinum MusicPass, an retail-store MP3 download service launched last January that replaced the company’s ill-fated CONNECT service.
 
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uscitizen said:
Hoo Ray! Doesnt sony own the Michael Jackson songs ?
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Yep.

But this was the way I was talking about, the fairest way to distribute copyrighted material. Simply charge a flat rate, reward the artists with that, and allow anyone unlimited access to anything made by any artist. It makes sense, because very few people buy more than 20$ a month in music anyway, and if you can get far more people to do so without expending extra effort, it's a net plus. And it doesn't take more effort to give people all the music ever created than it does to give them one or two albums.
 
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Watermark said:
Yep.

But this was the way I was talking about, the fairest way to distribute copyrighted material. Simply charge a flat rate, reward the artists with that, and allow anyone unlimited access to anything made by any artist. It makes sense, because very few people buy more than 20$ a month in music anyway, and if you can get far more people to do so without expending extra effort, it makes sense. And it doesn't take more effort to give people all the music ever created than it does to give them one or two albums.
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I wish I could buy books that way.
 
uscitizen said:
Yeah but I have a problem with reading a book on a PC. Kinda hard to take to bed with ya.
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I think there will be hand-held devices that you would load the book you are reading onto. They have even begun projects to digitize old books.
 
Damocles said:
I think there will be hand-held devices that you would load the book you are reading onto. They have even begun projects to digitize old books.
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Yep and I like real books though.

Just a true conservative :D

you know the batteries do not run down in a real book.
 
Watermark said:
I seriously doubt they'll allow you to print them. ;)

I dunno, in the future they may allow people to print just one copy.
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yeah at $30 a copy or better for ink and paper.
Even if allowed to print em it is chaper to buy em and have them bound well withought having to use paper assholes and a binder.
 
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