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Wal-Mart Relaunches Online Music Store

Posted by timothy on from the 88-cents-a-song dept.

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."

42 of 413 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Did that yellow happy face fly by and knock the price from 99 cents to 88 cents?

    1. Re:Hmmmm by skinny.net · · Score: 5, Funny

      It was the Zorro-like smiley.

      The prices are cheap because they put the $.88 songs right there by the checkout button and you have to sift through piles of the exact same drivel to find a keeper down at the bottom and even then the box is torn.

  2. woohoo by negacao · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bargin Britney! yay!

    *kills self* :)

  3. Censorship by stephenisu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great, now I can buy all of my favorite death metal online, with all of the swear words censored by traM-laW. /ex Wal-Mart electronics employee

    --
    Sigs? We don't need no stinking sigs!
    1. Re:Censorship by Cruciform · · Score: 5, Informative

      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.

    2. Re:Censorship by Neil+Blender · · Score: 5, Funny


      So if you like bubblegum pop, hiphop, and country, Wal-Marts the place to shop. Otherwise, no dice.
      Very true. I went to Walmart once. Turns out they don't sell asyncronous laser diode current controls either.

    3. Re:Censorship by bigman2003 · · Score: 5, Informative

      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.
    4. Re:Censorship by gcaseye6677 · · Score: 5, Funny

      When you go to their online store, will they have simulated sound effects of kids crying, video games, awful country music, and in store pages all playing through your speakers? You know, so that you get the genuine Wal-Mart experience. Now they just need to find a way to simulate that horrible smell of cheap plastic shoes.

    5. Re:Censorship by nelsonal · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you are willing to settle for syncronous laser diode current controls they have those in hardware next to the sandpaper (Usually Aisle 20 or 21).

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    6. Re:Censorship by gUmbi · · Score: 4, Funny
      Very true. I went to Walmart once. Turns out they don't sell asyncronous laser diode current controls either.

      Do you know where they sell those? I need one for my time machine!

    7. Re:Censorship by MikeXpop · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't know personally, but I've got an old flux capacitor you can borrow.

      --
      Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
    8. Re:Censorship by MikeXpop · · Score: 4, Funny

      First they censored the music
      and I did not speak out--
      because I did not like music.
      Then they censored the movies
      and I did not speak out--
      because I did not like movies.
      Then they censored the video games
      and I did not speak out--
      because I did not like video games
      Then they censored the asyncronous laser diode current controls--
      and there was no one was no one left to speak for the asyncronous laser diode current control enthusiests.

      --
      Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
  4. ...but do they censor the online stuff too? by Penguinisto · · Score: 5, Insightful
    After all, Wal-Mart does have a habit of "editing" certain CD's for language content and such... did they do the same to their online versions as well?

    --
    Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    1. Re:...but do they censor the online stuff too? by KingOfBLASH · · Score: 5, Interesting
      After all, Wal-Mart does have a habit of "editing" certain CD's for language content and such... did they do the same to their online versions as well?

      I would hope they would do something like Apple's iTunes -- offer both censored and uncensored versions of songs online. Even better, allow parents to set limits on their kids, so those who want their kids to have censored lyrics can have it, and people can go there for the prices without getting other peoples morales pushed on them.

    2. Re:...but do they censor the online stuff too? by akikage · · Score: 5, Informative

      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".

    3. Re:...but do they censor the online stuff too? by grondu · · Score: 4, Informative

      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

    4. Re:...but do they censor the online stuff too? by dr_dank · · Score: 4, Funny

      I specifically remember Walmart requiring the song list for Nirvana's In Utero to list the song "Rape Me" as "Waif Me"

      I remember that. I hope I'm not the only one who envisioned the sanitized version having Elmer Fudd singing "Wape Me".

      --
      Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
  5. Wal-Mart unfair to small websites by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They build their mega-sized websites and put all the smaller websites in the neighborhood out of business.

  6. Wonderful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now you can wait in line behind 20 300lb people with there kids running around there legs like a pack of wild dogs for hours before downloading your music.

  7. Waiting in line... by franoculator · · Score: 5, Funny

    How long to you have to stand in line to check out?

    If I know Wal-Mart, 400,00 people will want to check out per hour, but their servers will only be able to hadnle 50,000 transactions in that same time period

    For that matter, how do you go about returning the song when it quits playing after a few days?

  8. Sort of remarkable by inkswamp · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Whether you love Apple or hate 'em, you have to admit that it's remarkable that a computer company that is often viewed as a niche player may have actually outfoxed Wal-Mart and has put that company (often viewed as an unstoppable force in business) on a bit of a defensive position. Sort of amusing when you think about it. It would be really amazing to see if Wal-Mart, of all companies, were unable to compete with Apple in this regard (although I have no doubt that this won't be Wal-Mart's last effort.)

    --
    --Rick "If it isn't broken, take it apart and find out why."
    1. Re:Sort of remarkable by afidel · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What I'm amazed at is that Walmart was able to beat enough price out of someone to lower the selling price by 12%. My guess is that the extra is coming out of the credit card companies who were probably told by Walmart that they better lower their charges or Wally World would start issueing their own credit cards that could be used at all Walmart locations, Sam's Clubs, and at the online store. Losing even a couple percent of Walmarts $250 Billion in revenue is enough to scare any corporation. I say this only because I doubt even Walmart could squeeze profit out of the record companies.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
  9. given the power that walmart has... by wankledot · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I wouldn't be surprised if they were paying a LOT less per track to the labels than Apple, etc. are. Walmart is by far the most powerful force in retail, selling more CDs than anyone in the country. They can dictate to their supliers exactly what they want to pay, and they will always play ball. I'm sure they are capable of making more money than most other online stores for that simple reason. For an interesting look at Walmart's pricing, look around on the web for the article on the 1 gallon jar of pickles from Vlassic.

    With $250B in sales, that's $1k for every man, woman, and child in the US. So for the $3k they should get from my family (and won't) some other family is giving them $6k this year to make up for me not giving them a dime. It's staggering how huge they are.

    --
    My sig is blank, I typed this by hand.
    1. Re:given the power that walmart has... by wankledot · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Pretty amazing when you put it in those terms, especially given so many people in the urban centers that don't have a walmart to shop at.

      When a family in Kansas makes $50k a year, and 1/3 of that goes to the mortgage, and another 2/3 goes to general household expenses, that's ... .6 * 50... $30k that Walmart has a good shot at getting its hands on. Food, Clothes, Car parts, you name it, Walmart is the logical place to spend your money, they have the best prices.

      What that family doens't realize is that walmart is the reason that half the small businesses in their little town are gone, and people are out of work. Of course, walmart will be happy to give you a job at minimum wage with no benefits to replace that job they took away from you. And people eat it up because they have a sale on tube socks today. 12 pair for $2.99!@# The price they pay for low priced products is the loss of small business, loss of jobs, and massive cost-saving consolidation across the entire retail sector in the US. Good for walmart, good for the country, right?

      When the supplier goes out of business walmart creates its own store brand and sells that. And that's the stick they can hold above any supplier's head "we'll just make it ourselves." So do you sell at almost a loss to walmart, or lose 1/2 of your sales for the year overnight by standing up to them?

      --
      My sig is blank, I typed this by hand.
    2. Re:given the power that walmart has... by Grishnakh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      One big complaint I have against the smaller businesses, however, is that they're never open when I'm not at work. Wal-Mart and other large stores are. Why should I take time off from work just to buy something?

      If the smaller shops would stay open reasonable hours, maybe they'd get some business back from the megastores. It's not like they actually have to keep the store open that long, either; they could shift their hours to 11AM-9PM.

      This is actually why I try to do as much shopping as I can online; there are no hours of operation there, and I don't have to drive far out of my way.

    3. Re:given the power that walmart has... by nolife · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What that family doens't realize is that walmart is the reason that half the small businesses in their little town are gone, and people are out of work.

      Walmart puts no one out of business, the shoppers that stop going to the little stores does. People can and do choose what store they want to buy from. People choose Walmart over the small stores because of the prices, the hours, the convienence and the selection and who know what else. The people are voting with the dollar. You did not specifically mention it but I've heard an arguement that Walmart lowers prices until local businesses are gone, then raise them. That is complete bull. Walmart has the same prices over an entire geographical region, a car battery costs $39.95 in Charleston SC, Charleston WV, Pittsburgh PA, and Reading PA. Same with apple juice and underwear. You think they are going to raise the price in all of those areas when "Joes Battery shop" in Pittsburgh finally goes under?

      --
      Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
  10. Define "exclusive artists" Please? by Pro_Piracy_Guy · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...other than the addition of exclusive artists.

    You mean Wal-Mart has artists that Kazaa does not?

  11. Woohoo! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    DRM'd AND censored! Now that's how I like my music... limited and g-rated.

  12. Oh, wonderful! by Scoria · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Wal-Mart customers that are sufficiently technical already possess iPods. The Wal-Mart customers that aren't sufficiently technical are "wondering what this newfangled MP3 thing is."

    What a niche!

    --
    Do you like German cars?
  13. I wonder if they can make change... by The+I+Shing · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wonder if the Wal*Mart music store can make change for one of these million-dollar bills I've got here.

    At the same time, I wonder if Wal*Mart will make musicians perform for 18 cents an hour in sweat-shop conditions in China in order to keep costs down.

    I respect Wal*Mart for being the wealthiest and biggest company in the world in the same way that I respect tobacco for being the #1 preventable cause of death.

    --
    You are in error. No-one is screaming. Thank you for your cooperation.
  14. Failure! by Prince+Vegeta+SSJ4 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Maybe, Maybe not. OK, I downloaded the 'sample' song, "What's you name" by Damian Anderson. Anyway, the file is encoded as WMA and does allow burning to a CD, although I haven't seen an option to convert to MP3 or another format. Further, if they are all going to be WMA, wont that allow for different Labels adding their own DRM into different files? In other words, you can burn some, but not others.

    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.

  15. Wow - look at the usage policy by IamGarageGuy+2 · · Score: 4, Informative

    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...
  16. My prediction? by Aslan72 · · Score: 4, Informative
    They'll be out of business again in 3 months. People try and compete with apple only to go to the same miserable mistake: militant DRM.

    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

  17. SO let me get this straight by computerme · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If i want to save 12 cents i get to:

    a) use a browser instead of the top class itunes store.
    b) i get to use some handcuff microsoft monoply DRM schema instead of the aptly named "Fairplay" DRM from itunes.
    c) I don't get to use their music with the number 1 (and coolest and functional) selling mp3 player in the world.
    d) i can't buy music if i use a mac.
    e) I get to add the to the walmart-fication of american which in my opinion is a mindset is destroying the quality of life in america?

    I'd rather spend the 12 cents....

    and BTW i have bought about 250 songs from the itunes music store....best music experience online...

    1. Re:SO let me get this straight by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 4, Informative

      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?

  18. As I've said at the original launch by Anita+Coney · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wal-Mart could make a killing if it offered kiosks in its stores where you could download and burn music. There are a lot of people who don't use computers, are ignorant about computers, who don't own burners, etc, but would LOVE to buy various CDs of their favorite songs.

    And Wal-Mart could force the music industry to go along with the deal. If some label refused, Wal-Mart could simply refuse to stock their entire catalog. No label could survive being shutout by Wal-Mart!

    --
    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
  19. Amazon Free Music Downloads by Archalien · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Its kind of weird how I haven't heard anything yet about Amazon's Music service.

    Everything is free (legal, but selection isvery limited, no uniform media-format) and they allow anyone to upload their own music to be downloaded by others.

  20. Walmart's Power by D-Fly · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

    --
    \
    1. Re:Walmart's Power by llj555 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Except that the woman in the DVD incident was a "frequent faller." She had nine "accidents" in Wal-Mart stores, and has filed personal injury suits against six stores. From Gizmodo.

  21. Sample song works on a mac by nattt · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "Note: Music downloads from Walmart.com will not play on the Apple Macintosh or Linux operating systems." according to the Wal mart notice on their sample download. So I tried it anyway. The wma file downloaded and played straight away in MPlayer. I'm on a mac. Are they lying, or is MPlayer magic or what?

    --
    -- oldthinkers unbellyfeel ingsoc
    1. Re:Sample song works on a mac by FlashBIOS · · Score: 4, Informative

      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.

  22. TERRIFYING DOWNSIDE by StefanJ · · Score: 4, Funny

    When you click the "Accept these Terms" button, you agree, if you share your downloaded files, to be hunted down and slashed to bloody bits by that floating yellow price-cutting happy face.

    Those things are the real secret behind Wal-Mart's success. They lurk behind the shelves looking for shoplifters*, and God forbid employees even whisper "union" within a hundred feet of a SmileBot.

    Stefan

    * You know that weird-tasting fatty meat served on top of the Wal-Mart lunch counters? Ever wonder where it comes from?