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Wal-Mart Relaunches Online Music Store
ack154 writes "The latest competitor in the paid music download business will now open its 'doors,' as Walmart begins selling songs at 88 cents online. It had recently finished a three month testing period and now will open to everyone. According to CNN, however, they don't care so much about selling music, 'Analysts have said the goal for Wal-Mart is to bring more people to its Web site.' Maybe they're taking cue from Apple in trying to sell something (iPod) else by using a music store? Articles can be found at Reuters, CNN and others."
amichalo points out that this is really a re-entry, writing "The service was previously launched last December. No explanation as to the re-launch (cough-poor-sales-cough) other than the addition of exclusive artists."
Doubt it. I just did a quick search for a few bands I listen to.
KMDFM - no songs.
Front Line Assembly - no songs.
Slayer - two songs of some crappy various artists collection.
Revolting Cocks - no songs.
Cat Rapes Dog - no songs.
Noise Unit - no songs.
Rammstein - Three songs, two off the Lost Highway soundtrack, and one off a Depeche Mode tribute.
So if you like bubblegum pop, hiphop, and country, Wal-Marts the place to shop. Otherwise, no dice.
I don't think so. I specifically remember Walmart requiring the song list for Nirvana's In Utero to list the song "Rape Me" as "Waif Me" (Kobain's personal choice as replacement) before they'd sell it, but their online store lists it as "Rape Me".
WALMART.COM may from time to time amend, supplement or modify the terms of this Agreement. It is your responsibility to check these Terms of Service (available in the Music Downloads Help section) periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Service following the posting of changes will mean that you accept and agree to the changes. If you do not agree to be bound by the Agreement as amended, you must stop using the Service.
Also, looking at the useage terms
What are the restrictions on how I can use the music I download? By purchasing a music download, you are entitled to: * Download the music to 1 computer and back up music to 2 additional computers (see instructions below) * Make 10 burns to a CD * Make unlimited transfers to a portable device Microsoft Windows Media(R) Player 9 keeps track of the rights associated with each song. To back up your music, you will need to make copies of 1) the song files, and 2) the license files and transfer these to the new computer. Your song files are available in the place where you download your music. To back up license files, in Windows Media Player go to the Tools menu and click on License Management. You will see a dialogue box asking you where you want to store the license backup files. Click the "Back up Now" button to save the license files to this location. Then transfer the license files to the new computer. Please refer to the instructions in the Windows Media Player's help system for more information on backing up and restoring music to a computer.
Of course you could re rip from the CD's and convert into the format of your choice, but that is an extra step, and I personally wouldn't pay for a service that doesn't allow me to easily do whatever I wish, with the data on my computer.
If anybody sees the usage policy involved, they would certainly think twice. Media Player 9 only, need connection for first time played, must be played within 120 days to activate, can only burn CD's with Media player 9, cannot burn in any other format. Is this the norm? I can't believe people would not be put off by this.
Stay tuned for new sig...
I hate to sound like a broken record, but *if* they were to ever drop their restrictive DRM and go with AAC, or something similar, I would darken their doorstep. Otherwise, I don't care if you offer .wma files for a penny a piece, they're not worth the space on my hard drive.
The only people that will ever succeed in online music stores will be those that offer decent DRM that is fair to both the fan and artist alike.
Get a clue Smiley yellow happy face guy
--pete
From their download site:
What does a song marked "(Edited)" mean?
An "edited" song is an alternate version of a song that has been recorded without explicit lyrics.
I'm the urban spaceman babe, but here comes the twist... I don't exist
I'm a proud user of the Wal-Mart DVD rental service (Net-Flix basically)
I don't have any problem with it at all. The movies get delivered fast, and the one time that I had a problem, I went on-line and clicked the "I did not receive this movie" button, and two days later it was at my door.
So, not everything Walmart touches turns to crap.
Oh- I've also gotten a lot of digital pictures printed by them- they did a great job, and it was cheap and easy...just the way I like it.
No reason to lie.
The LA Times did an excellent series on Walmart's
negative effects on US manufacturers, overseas suppliers, its own workers, and the US economy last year. It was sparked by the impending entry of Walmart into the Southern California grocery market. Which also indirectly caused the painful, drawn out strike by workers at other grocery chains there.
But my favorite story on Walmart I've read so far (other than the lady who was nearly killed last year in the scramble for a cheap dvd player) is Fast Company's analysis of the company's effect on US manfacturers.
It starts, oddly, with a jar of pickles. And talks about how getting a distribution deal with Walmart eventually undermines and nearly destroys the Vlasic pickle company, due to savage cost cuts forced by Walmart, and undermining of the company's brand-image as they moved to selling big, cheap jars of pickles.
Along the way, the article shows how Walmart forces US manufacturers to move overseas, and even advises them on how to do it.
\
b) i get to use some handcuff microsoft monoply DRM schema instead of the aptly named "Fairplay" DRM from itunes.
[from Walmart]
What are the restrictions on how I can use the music I download?
By purchasing a music download, you are entitled to:
Download the music to 1 computer and back up music to 2 additional computers (see instructions below)
Make 10 burns to a CD
Make unlimited transfers to a portable device
[from iTunes]
In a nutshell, your FairPlay agreement entitles you to:
play your music on up to three computers (and enjoy unlimited synching with iPods),
allows unlimited burning for individual songs and
lets you burn unchanged playlists up to 10 times each.
Except for AAC v WMA, iTunes v browser, Apple v Microsoft/Walmart, they sound quite similar.
But we'd never let facts get in the way of a good opportunity to get modded up by slamming MS, would we?
The song you downloaded was not protected with any DRM. That's why it worked. But buy a song (which has DRM) and you'll see that MPlayer isn't so magical anymore.