DRM, which stands for digital rights management, is on its deathbed.
(Also see Slow March To DRM Free Music Becomes A Sprint)
DRM was designed to protect copyright and curb piracy by preventing a user from copying his/her music, even if acquired legally, to multiple devices or computers. But DRM is dying.
You may not be “into” downloading digital music files right now, but you will be. Once upon a time, people resisted giving up those eight track and cassette tapes. They eventually crawled out of the Stone Age and bought compact disks. Now, CDs seem like relics.
(Whenever I’m “forced” to buy a CD, I always end up ripping it to my computer’s hard drive and copying the files to my iPod. Don’t you?)
The digital download is the new paradigm. Pros: There’s no plastic wrapping or case, and you don’t have to buy an entire album. Con: No lyrics booklet or liner notes.
Digital files are available in WMA (Windows Media Audio) and MP3 (Moving Picture Experts Group-1 Audio Layer 3) formats. Some say MP3s offer a “very high sound quality” compared to WMAs, and contain no DRM restrictions. As such, you can play MP3 files are almost any digital music device, including the iPod and the Zune. WMAs, which are compatible with PlaysForSure devices, are not compatible with the iPod or the Zune.
But the WMA format is dying, too. From Reuters/Billboard (emphasis added):
Another factor driving the labels’ decisions [to distribute DRM-free music files], sources said, involves mass merchant Wal-Mart alerting WMG and Sony BMG that it will pull their music files in the Windows Media Audio [WMA] format from walmart.com some time between mid-December and mid-January if the labels haven’t yet provided the music in MP3 format…Though Wal-Mart maintains a modest 2 percent market share in the digital download arena, its market share for physical CDs is considerably larger: about 22 percent, Billboard estimates.
The whole article is worth reading, but I wanted to highlight the Wal-Mart portion. I started buying music from Walmart.com because files were 10¢ cheaper than files in other online music stores. What I didn’t realize was that files were cheaper because they were WMA-formatted and DRM-restricted. When I tried to transfer these to my iPod, I couldn’t. Wal-Mart now offers MP3s, which I can transfer to the iPod, but these cost a few cents more. Hopefully, Wal-Mart’s “ultimatum” to record labels will result in 88¢ MP3s. It’s not about saving a few cents, however; it’s about freeing the music.
With behemoth’s like Amazon offering DRM-free MP3s and Wal-Mart threatening to pull WMA files from its online store, DRM will become a relic of a former age. While DRM’s purpose is to protect copyright, it’s proved to be too restrictive, and users have rebelled. All of this may not interest you now, especially if you’re still wedded to the CD. But it will affect you, and soon.
Freeing the music is not the same thing as free music. Artists and labels have a right to be compensated for their work. Don’t download music illegally!
1) Are you “down” with the digital revolution?
2) If not, why not?
3) If so, how is it changing the way you find, listen to, and buy music/books?
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When the French Revolution was getting started, I’m sure there were some people who opened their doors and asked, “Huh? What’s going on?” That would be me with the music revolution. I bought my daughter an iPod last year for Christmas (she was thrilled), but don’t have one of my own. I listen to CD’s (unripped) on my computer, and my car disappointingly only has a cassette player.
I’m not UN-down with the revolution, just not up with it yet. I’ll probably get on board sometime after it all sorts itself out. Until then, nothing much has changed for me.
I’m not UN-down with the revolution…
I like the way you put that.
I’m still teetering between cd’s and all digital. However, I am on my way to all digital. I’ve been ripping my old cd’s, and the few cassettes I have left, and as soon as I get either my old stereo at my mom’s or a needle for our turntable, I’ll be “ripping” my vinyl.
La Shawn: When I discovered iTunes, I’d thought I’d died and gone to a very shallow version of Heaven. They have a great selection of worship, both from known and unknown groups, and the best thing is, as you said, you don’t have to buy an entire album.
Whenever I have to duplicate a song I do it anyway using Audacity. It’s my music, and I have every right to duplicate it (for legal purposes, of course).
Digital all the way.
The record companies are being dragged kicking and screaming into the digital world. They brought it on themselves by flooding us all with quantity over quality and never lowering CD prices as promised. They were even found guilty of price fixing in 2002 (check out the graphic about how CD fees are divided). To my knowledge, pricing has not significantly changed as a result of this ruling. Why do we need record companies these days?
You’re absolutely right, Nathan. Users can duplicate their own music. It’s not illegal to rip your own CDs or transfer your MP3s from computer to digital music player. And you can copy the files as many times as you want. The problem is that DRM, designed to prevent illegal copying, sometimes prevents legitimate copying. For instance, I should be able to merge my MP3 and WMA libraries, but I can’t. Well, I can always convert the WMAs to MP3s (which I’ve done with a few files), but sound quality is lost.
Well, until DRM dies, you can always burn your downloaded tracks immediately to a CD, then rip the CD you just burned. Takes DRM out of the loop and you can do anything with the files you want from that point. Wastes a disc, especially for one song, but its yours to keep going forward
I’ve done what RW describes, several times — but I’ve found that running tracks through this process seems to make Windows Media Player incapable of keeping the track info straight. And the only way to keep WMP out of the process entirely, if you’re a Windows user, is pretty much to download only .mp3 files.
That’s already become possible; my last batch of downloads — from Wal-Mart, in fact — included some .mp3 options.
One reason I haven’t gone all digital is that I can’t afford an iPod or Mp3 player. Not in a great financial situation right now. But I have a cd plater that will play Mp3 files, and use it, and have downloaded (and paid for, thank you very much) songs as well. I was much less inclined to accept cds–I also still have, and play, my vinyl records. One reason for that is that I have a lot of music that isn’t available any more, and I don’t want to lose it.
I also want to move slowly, because I’ve made some mistakes in the past. The Beta video technology was better than the VHS technology (in my opinion, unchanged in two decades), so that’s what I bought, but it was VHS that won out. Of course, VHS is now going the way of the dinosaur as well.
I also recall that when 8-track came out, THAT was touted as the technology of the future. (Yes, darlings, Grandma Trish really is that old.)
MKAnderson–
You are so right about the record companies. It costs them the same amount of money to make a cd as it did to make a vinyl album, but the price is more than double. I’m all for honest enterprise, but that’s price gouging. Now they’re the ones paying the price, and my sympathy for them is zero.
There’s a freeware program – FairUse – that strips the DRM from files you own, it works pretty good. I personally don’t have an MP3 player of any kind, but my kids do. I burn CDs to listen to in the car. I rarely sit in front of my computer to listen to music.
Someday when I can afford it, I’ll get a car stereo that lets you plug in an MP3 player and then get an MP3 player. It will be great not having cases of CDs in my car.
Transferring files to different places is no different than when we created cassette tapes from albums back in the old days. We wanted different mixes and to listen to them in the car or to share with each other.
Why buy the iPod? You can buy a Creative Zen for somewhat less, and some dedicated MP3/MP4 players (especially iPod knockoffs from China) for ridiculously cheap prices.
Also, WMA should be compatible with Zune, seeing as they are both Microsoft technologies.
Because DRM for audio does not provide a ‘protected digital path’ (aka HDCP/HDMI for hi-def video), you can simply play the music through your S/PDIF output to a digital recorder. Or use a software loopback and save in a lossless format.
McGehee – you the TNR whistleblower? Just curious.
This DRM stuff is killing me!!!
I do not live in the US anymore so I could care less about the breaking US law and removing DRM for personal use.
DRM no DRM…. I just want to be able to play my media on any platform that I choose. DRM is like going into your local stereo shop and having to purchase a DVD player for each movie studio.
So now I found a great decission – MelodyCan converter (http://www.convert-any-media.com/index.php) which helps me to resolve drm-protection problem.
McGehee – you the TNR whistleblower? Just curious.
Is there any money in it if I am?
Ah, I wish… even with the weaker dollar, I earn <USD1000 in Malaysia a month.
Just my curiosity, that’s all. I’ve seen your posts (or well, your nick anyways) on other sites, although I’d be hard pressed to name them. Probably the usual suspects, though – LGF, AosHQ, TH, MM, Insty (well, maybe not Insty, since he doesn’t do comments), HA, CQ, PJM. Do you visit Lex’s site or VC (well, when she was around anyways) or Baldilocks?
(As you can see, I don’t do the left-wing sites much. I can’t stand them. Too much vitriol and non-sense scattered around.)
Well, things could be worse. At least I pull down a regular paycheck and am in no danger of sexual harassment, since my boss is as butch as they come. Eh, she’s got more muscles than I do. Probably more ba… er, guts, too, for all I know. No need to guess who wears the pants in any relationship she takes up.
So, yeah, just out of random curiosity. I *loike* La Shawn’s place. Civil (mostly), thoughtful and with a high regard for others. Plus, we tend to agree on most topics. Not all, but what’s the fun in that?
Anyways, headed off work now. Time to eat, sleep and do stuff, not necessarily in that order.
The German classical label Deutsche Grammophon (under the Universal umbrella) is now marketing its own downloads: MP3s, 320 kbps (!), no DRM (!!).
The walls are crumbling.
Probably the usual suspects, though – LGF, AosHQ, TH, MM, Insty (well, maybe not Insty, since he doesn’t do comments), HA, CQ, PJM. Do you visit Lex’s site or VC (well, when she was around anyways) or Baldilocks?
Of those, CQ, MM and Baldilocks are among my occasional visits. Ace if one of my regular reads links something interesting. And LBC of course. My commenting, though, tends to be concentrated at PW or Dustbury, especially in the last year or two.
I can’t remember the last time I commented at LGF, or even ventured there. When the threads hit 100 comments almost before the post is published, it’s hard to follow what’s being said. Unless one has a dual-core processor for a mind, and sadly I’m still 16-bit.
Heh. Yeah, LGF does tend to get on the wild and wooly side.
Oh, well then. Back to the topic at hand. I never did understand how the Big Bad Wolves ever thought technology was going to be the solution to a social/cultural issue. People have gone used to the ability to copy music from CD to tape (or from tape to tape in those long-ago days), and digital files are even worse in that way. You want to restrict people from doing that? Must be joking. Past time they understood that.
This is very good news. I’ve never gotten into music downloading because of DRM and I was too cheap to buy an Ipod. I finally set up a wal-mart account a few weeks ago and then was disappointed when I couldn’t use the music files in a video I was making.
DOWN WITH DRM!!!!!
-Jeff-
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