Schwaltzvald Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/09/25/1951219.shtml For those that do not wish to visit the site... ~~~"Amazon this morning moved their DRM-free music store into open beta. According to the release, 'Since all our digital music downloads are DRM-free, you can play them on anything that plays mp3s including PCs, Macs, iPods, Zunes, Zens, iPhones, RAZRs, and BlackBerrys. Plus, our Amazon MP3 Downloader application makes it easy to add your downloads to iTunes and Windows Media Player, so you can sync up your devices or burn your music to CD hassle-free.' Not to mention Linux."~~~ good or bad...? I say good because it would allow less popular artists get out there and be noticed under a big name shop like Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Can't hurt, really. But the market is pretty saturated with music stores. There are at least 20 that sell downloads, many of them DRM-free. Why start another one? Amazon's general policy for commissions is ass, though; my CD, sold for $13 on their site (physical copy) results in $5.50 of actual money sent to me per sale. Awful. CD Baby pays $9 and other sites are higher still. If their digital money distribution is anything like it, expect artists to get like 20 cents of a $1 sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted September 26, 2007 Author Share Posted September 26, 2007 Moved..? Didn't I post this in Off Topic..? I didn't realize how bad Amazon's policies are when it comes to something like commissions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz the Cat Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 ...or I could just keep using Limewire and not pay anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted September 26, 2007 Author Share Posted September 26, 2007 ...or I could just keep using Limewire and not pay anything... Prefer torrents myself... Regardless, I thought it was rather interesting Amazon's trying it out now after so long, not to mention trying something partially different... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Schwaltz; This is an appropriate Community topic so I figured I'd move it here. Amazon probably does pay more to major labels or bigger clients; I'm talking strictly about their "Advantage" program which is purely commission based. Metatron; or you could not be a dick and support good artists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted September 26, 2007 Author Share Posted September 26, 2007 Schwaltz; This is an appropriate Community topic so I figured I'd move it here. Amazon probably does pay more to major labels or bigger clients; I'm talking strictly about their "Advantage" program which is purely commission based.Metatron; or you could not be a dick and support good artists. That's cool, consider I almost posted the link about it on the musician thread. As for downloading music, my only real issue on buying cds from indie artists is simply not being able to find them physically and have to rely on the few shops that do accept a check or money order... Heck I once tried buying a copy of Quake IV way back and the shop that sold it only accepted credit cards... fuck that. MY CC will be used on important purchases like bills I can pay immediately so they can't bull shit me on "not recieving the check/cash from the mail" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airwalker Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 The more DRM-free stores, the better. Why would people prefer to purchase music that is less functional than the stuff you could steal? Or really anything for that matter. For people like me, the only reason I did so in the past was because I wanted to support the artists. But now I'm only gravitating toward products that don't have artificial barriers. This is great news for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpine Flame Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 I won't lie. I use limewire on occasion to get stuff I usually can't find elsewhere, like a song from an anime or summat like that. But if it's a band that I like, I'd rather have a legitimate copy that helps them keep making music I can rock out to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted September 26, 2007 Author Share Posted September 26, 2007 I won't lie. I use limewire on occasion to get stuff I usually can't find elsewhere, like a song from an anime or summat like that. But if it's a band that I like, I'd rather have a legitimate copy that helps them keep making music I can rock out to. That is a problem I've noticed; in my case, there have been plenty of albums I would have bought but could never find them because either they are "Out of Print" (In bold red letters) or simply be sold on ebay over priced... the money going to the overpriced copy isn't going to go to the artist that's for sure >:{ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpine Flame Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 That is a problem I've noticed; in my case, there have been plenty of albums I would have bought but could never find them because either they are "Out of Print" (In bold red letters) or simply be sold on ebay over priced... the money going to the overpriced copy isn't going to go to the artist that's for sure >:{ Or you have to pay $45 for shipping. It seriously cannot cost that much to ship it from Tennessee to Maryland. After I do the math, I'm guessing the Artist doesn't get his fair share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz the Cat Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Schwaltz; This is an appropriate Community topic so I figured I'd move it here. Amazon probably does pay more to major labels or bigger clients; I'm talking strictly about their "Advantage" program which is purely commission based.Metatron; or you could not be a dick and support good artists. Hey, I don't have to. Can you not be a dick and stop forcing your beliefs on me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nec5 Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 William Perry would be proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Author Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Hey, I don't have to. Can you not be a dick and stop forcing your beliefs on me? I do believe he has a right to do so. Zircon is an artist who is dependent on people purchasing his music for his income. People like you seem to think that all musicians are rich. Downloading music to discover is something, but to steal music and gloat about it is rather assholish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpine Flame Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Hey, I don't have to. Can you not be a dick and stop forcing your beliefs on me? He wasn't forcing his beliefs on you, just stating the facts. And the facts are as follows: 1) The stuff you download on LimeWire you do not pay for. 2)Because you are not paying for it, the people who put the food on their table by making the music you listen to, do not get any money for it. 3)Because they aren't getting money for it, you are taking support from a band or artist you may like. 4) As such, the sad truth is, they may have to stop making music (in an extreme case) to find a job that will put food on the table. I'm not trying to debate the morality of using P2P stuff. As I said, I use it myself. I'm just showing you the logic he brushed over assuming you would be able to connect the dots. And assumptions can lead to misunderstandings, which I hope this is. Also Radical Dreamer is correct in his statements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nec5 Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 I do believe he has a right to do so.Zircon is an artist who is dependent on people purchasing his music for his income. People like you seem to think that all musicians are rich. Downloading music to discover is something, but to steal music and gloat about it is rather assholish. How judgmental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz the Cat Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Oh sure, because I'm paying to download music from here. Oh wait. No I'm not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nec5 Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Oh sure, because I'm paying to download music from here.Oh wait. No I'm not. That's not the same thing. These are remixes and are freely offered from the start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpine Flame Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Oh sure, because I'm paying to download music from here.Oh wait. No I'm not. This site is a conglomerate of people that do this because they love doing it, like Civil War reenactors. This is not their livelihood. But, please, be mature about stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar of Justice Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Can't hurt, really. But the market is pretty saturated with music stores. There are at least 20 that sell downloads, many of them DRM-free. Why start another one? Well, there's a bajillion stores that sell non-digital music. Is there anything inherently wrong with a bunch that sell digital music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penfold Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Schwaltz; This is an appropriate Community topic so I figured I'd move it here. Amazon probably does pay more to major labels or bigger clients; I'm talking strictly about their "Advantage" program which is purely commission based.Metatron; or you could not be a dick and support good artists. I wouldn't complain too loudly about one venue giving an artist less money than another venue, personally. Everyone has different habits when it comes to purchasing things, whether it be online, in-person, or what have you. Some people may not care where they buy the product (sometimes being prompted to buy at a specific place because it has the best deal for them), and others prefer only one or a few stores and if you're product isn't sold there then all parties are outta luck. For every person it's a different scenario, but if you diversify where your product is being sold, you will bring in more money even if some vendors give you a lesser percentage because you'll be hitting that many more potential customers. Pretty common sense (like many business-related things), which is why you already sell Antigravity (and I assume your other cds) through multiple vendors right? To further clarify my main point, I understand that it's desireable to get at least 50% profit (for retail outlets at least [since my hands-on experience was in small retail operation], but that's because of covering overhead etc, so I dunno what the usual targets are for someone in your position), but if the product is sold at 20% instead but that many more units are being bought then in the end it's all good. Plus, the more places carrying your product, the more people are going to not only notice it, but consider purchasing it. (Btw, for the most part really enjoyed Antigravity, and I've since recommended it to several who were at least marginally familiar with your stuff on here) Anyway, back on topic, I agree with Airwalker. I hope that with Amazon's download service being DRM-free will mark a turnaround, and maybe some of these places which aren't getting the sales they'd have liked will revert to DRM-free. I see why places use(d) DRM, but I think it is unjustified. I'd rather do business with an entity that trusts, instead of devaluing, the customer and would be more inclined to have future transactions with them (just like with any business that pleases me). About downloading commercial stuff, I downloaded a ton back when Napster was still good/free, but it also marked a point in my life where I purchased the most music. I bought a legit copy of basically everything I downloaded, but since that golden time I don't as freely discover new stuff that I care to buy. Anyway, like someone before said, I also think it's one thing to download music to find out new stuff, or even try before you buy, but to download just to be cheap and not support the artists you like doesn't help anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Well, there's a bajillion stores that sell non-digital music. Is there anything inherently wrong with a bunch that sell digital music? The difference with physical stores is convenience. You HAVE to have lots of locations, because there are so many locations where people live and may be interested in buying music. Conversely, with the internet, anyone can access the same site at the same speed. No, there is nothing wrong with more music stores online. Just saying there are a lot in existence already, including DRM-free ones, so it's like.. why use Amazon's specifically? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penfold Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 The difference with physical stores is convenience. You HAVE to have lots of locations, because there are so many locations where people live and may be interested in buying music. Conversely, with the internet, anyone can access the same site at the same speed. No, there is nothing wrong with more music stores online. Just saying there are a lot in existence already, including DRM-free ones, so it's like.. why use Amazon's specifically? Probably the same reason someone might use Amazon specifically for any kind of purchase: they're used to it, they like it, or it's "the only online" for them. Personally, I tend to purchase physical items from Amazon instead of other online stores because they're Seattle-based and with the cheapest shipping I get it fast fast fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Yeah, I do a lot of shopping on Amazon also. Physical goods are a whole different story. But it's like... we already have eMusic and others, where buying a song is as simple as adding credit to your account and then clicking "Download". Really, how many ways can you set up the same system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penfold Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Yeah, I do a lot of shopping on Amazon also. Physical goods are a whole different story. But it's like... we already have eMusic and others, where buying a song is as simple as adding credit to your account and then clicking "Download". Really, how many ways can you set up the same system? Point taken, but I doubt there's much to do with innovation (since it doesn't seem like there's really been a shake-up in the digital media download market after iTunes' establishment, let alone an attempt), rather companies just want their piece of the pie. Easier to copy an effective business model than make an original one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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