Radioheads flicks the iFinger to iTunes (1 Viewer)

[nlgbbbblth]

erm..it was Ben Drury in 7digital who issued that press release...not the Radiohead team. That's not really their style.

There was a rumour floating around that they were going to give the CD away for free in the UK as a cover mount....on Pigeon Fancier Magazine or another suitably obscure publication.

that discrimates against people like me who buy Radiohead on vinyl.

double 10" gimmicks like they did for Kid A and Amnesiac are annoying. Stick to normal LP size.

 

[Popeye]

FWIW, it's the majors that force Apple to use DRM

That's actually not true.

Initially, 4 years ago, some majors insisted on copy protection DRM, but, for a few years now, major labels have been screaming at Apple to drop their APPLE IPOD ONLY DRM.
BPI urges Apple to open iTunes
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/07/bpi/


In other words, it took the labels a while to twig that the DRM apple implemented protected the Ipod. Not Music! i.e. Itunes purchases will *only* work on Ipods, but, the copy protection is a piece of pee to work around, as we all know now.

As an aside, Apple have until October 1st to drop or license their apple ipod only DRM or face closure in Norway (the apple ipod only DRM was declared illegal there).

And don't get me started on the itunes plus files. They have your personal information and contact details embedded in them, there for all to see...so if you lose your ipod or it gets stolen and someone decides to share all your music online..or if you aren't aware of it and decide to email a pal a nice song, because you think it's DRM free, you can expect IRMA/BPI/RIAA to send you a nice letter somewhere down the line.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Ever been to the DM bar in tallinn? Weeeeeird place.

DM bar?
sounds cool. What's it like?

 

[Lili Marlene]

That's actually not true.

Initially, 4 years ago, some majors insisted on copy protection DRM, but, for a few years now, major labels have been screaming at Apple to drop their APPLE IPOD ONLY DRM.
BPI urges Apple to open iTunes
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/07/bpi/


In other words, it took the labels a while to twig that the DRM apple implemented protected the Ipod. Not Music! i.e. Itunes purchases will *only* work on Ipods, but, the copy protection is a piece of pee to work around, as we all know now.

As an aside, Apple have until October 1st to drop or license their apple ipod only DRM or face closure in Norway (the apple ipod only DRM was declared illegal there).

And don't get me started on the itunes plus files. They have your personal information and contact details embedded in them, there for all to see...so if you lose your ipod or it gets stolen and someone decides to share all your music online..or if you aren't aware of it and decide to email a pal a nice song, because you think it's DRM free, you can expect IRMA/BPI/RIAA to send you a nice letter somewhere down the line.

Do the BPI explicitly represent the major labels?

I ask cos I don't know

 

[RSJ]

DM bar?
sounds cool. What's it like?

Creepy. Down a long corridor, small bar at the front with pics of the band in the bar all over the walls. Room down the back covered in TV screens showing some DM live gig (sound up really loud). I was there on my own and it was just me in one corner and about six 14-15 year old estonian guys in the other coked off their heads smoking cigars. Weird place.

 

[Popeye]

Fine, just wondering. I think you're misguided if you think that 7digital are some kind of white knight indie saviour though. They're taking their cut, same as Apple. They have countless "affiliations" with the extant majors. They just anticipated that DRM-free downloads were inevitable a little earlier than their competition.

And you're not downloading the album direct from Radiohead, either. It's just a different big company and a different distribution channel.

I'll do what I always do with Radiohead albums: get an early torrent, then buy the physical release for the lush artwork.

As an aside, I would have recommended artists-first.net instead of 7digital...there are a lot of services like that out there, but, it's missing a very high profile independent artist like Radiohead, to see if fans simply don't want to pay artists for their music.

While you maybe right, maybe I am misguided, but, I disagree with your other point...it's not really about 7digital (who provide a free service to indies on the indiestore.co.uk site)..it's about whether music fans who were happy enough to rip of labels, ripping off their favourite bands.

In other words, when kids pinched a cd in a shop, there was the layer of the shop and the label in between the band and them. Everyone knew that very little if any money from the CD price got back to the artist..so it was sorta okay...fuck the corporates/majors and all that..

But what I find interesting about the Radiohead album launch is whether fans would pinch an album, in the full knowledge that the money is going directly to the artist.

My guess is that they won't...and in the same breath, I think it's okay to download a torrent for free *and* buy the CD...


PS. 7digital aren't a big company. But unlike itunes, they are run by humans and they provide a great free service for indies/unsigneds.

 

[RSJ]

Dude, you are fully creeping me out the way you talk.

 

[Goodbye]

iTunes staff AGM

 

[Popeye]

Do the BPI explicitly represent the major labels?

I ask cos I don't know

Yes. They also represent a lot of indies (non major associated labels) but the BPI doesn't do anything unless instructed to do so by their bigger members, i.e. the majors. Hence the reason AIM was setup a few years ago...so independents would have an independent lobbying voice.

It's worth noting that the majors started screaming at Apple to open up their Apple Ipod Only DRM on itunes a long time before steve jobs wrote that bullshit essay about the perils of DRM earlier this year.

The fecking iRony is everything Apple does is done on the basis of locking their consumers into a closed apple 'ecosystem'. itunes music downloads will only work on ipods. iphone will only work with one network who you're locked into for 18 months. that is unless you use a hack. they've blocked people making their own fecking iphone ringtones so they have to buy them on itunes!

As you have probably gathered, I love itunes.

 

[nofriendo]

The fecking iRony is everything Apple does is done on the basis of locking their consumers into a closed apple 'ecosystem'. itunes music downloads will only work on ipods. iphone will only work with one network who you're locked into for 18 months. that is unless you use a hack. they've blocked people making their own fecking iphone ringtones so they have to buy them on itunes!

i think we have had this argument before!

 

[Pantone247]

 

[Goodbye]

iHail to the iThief

 

[egg_]

It's worth noting that the majors started screaming at Apple to open up their Apple Ipod Only DRM on itunes a long time before steve jobs wrote that bullshit essay about the perils of DRM earlier this year

Really? He told a bare-faced, easily contradictable, lie in public?
I'm surprised, dude. You sure you've got the story right?

 

[Unicron]

Fair point...I think hardcore fans will probably do both (buy the CD and downloads online), but, Radiohead fans are global, so as soon as the new album comes out...people in Bolton, Beijing, Brisbane, Berlin and Bantry will want it straight away...the costs to p&d on that scale is astronomical...only a major could really handle it. Working with a major is something the band have turned down since parting company with EMI...and fair play to them.

Licensing is an option, I suppose, but, realistically, offering downloads is the only feasible and practical way to reach those people quickly....

I NEVER pay for downloaded music. I'll snatch the leak when it comes then buy a physical copy (probably vinyl) when it's available.

 

[Unicron]

perhaps, just perhaps. radiohead are doing this to make more money and not to make a point against apple/drm. Bigger cut ? Full album download and not just individual songs ?

A combination of both I think, they've never allowed their music to be sold on iTunes IIRC, I think previous to this the only place where you could buy digital copies of their stuff was on a site connected to warchild.

 

[Unicron]

Radiohead aren't with a major label who can stock your local store with copies when it comes out.

Ah c'mon dude, it's not that cut and dired anymore when it comes to distribution. If they do sign to an indie it'll be one of the label's that will have no problems with distro. If it's XL (which I reckon it might be seeing as they put out Thom's solo record) then they've never had issues getting their White Stripes, Devendra Banhart or Prodigy records into the shops.

 

[Unicron]

yep. after the last album...

they were in a 6 album deal with EMI and decided to go it on their own after that (Hail to the Thief) was done

<pedantic>Com Lag was the last release they did with EMI</pedantic>

 

[Unicron]

I just wanted to have 5 consecutive posts.

 

[Popeye]

Really? He told a bare-faced, easily contradictable, lie in public?
I'm surprised, dude. You sure you've got the story right?

Judge for yourself:

Jun 7th 2006: BPI urges Apple to open up it's Apple Ipod Only DRM
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/07/bpi/

January 24 2007: Norway declares Apple’s iTunes illegal (backed by Germany, France and others)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/1fc40360-abe9-11db-a0ed-0000779e2340.html

February 6, 2007: Steve Jobs' Thoughts on Music (and DRM)

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/


April 2nd 2007: EMI launch DRM free music on itunes*.
http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2007/press18.htm

* worth noting that EMI went ballistic about the personal information and contact details embedded in those supposedly "drm free" tracks with no encryption...anyone can see your details with a basic wordprocessor.

What Steve Jobs fails to mention in his "thoughts on music (DRM)" is that the problem is in the apple ipod only DRM design. In other words, they can't license out their Apple Ipod Only DRM. It was designed with the intention of global domination, microsoft style.

 

[Popeye]

<pedantic>Com Lag was the last release they did with EMI</pedantic>

I thought com lag as an EP...didn't realise it was an album...my bad. I was under the impression they signed a 6-album deal with EMI and when they finished Hail For The Thief that was it.