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The New MP3.com: 3rd Time a Charm?

macdaddypunk writes "Two weeks ago, CNET unveiled Download.com Music (mistaken by some for the new MP3.com). A week ago, they told the press that the real MP3.com was open for business, yet the site itself still said "coming soon." Today, MP3.com is finally live, and off to a sputtering start. It's a combination of tech articles and a meta-search for major-label downloads. For example, with a single search you can find that 'Abbey Road' by the Beatles is not available for legal download at iTunes, Napster, or anywhere else. The tech content includes such gems as 'how to copy your old vinyl records onto CDs.' The real news is what it does NOT include: no free downloads, and no indie artist community. (As reported earlier, the former MP3.com archive of 1.7 million songs was instead resurrected by another independent music community). The new MP3.com's search results don't even include the 3,500 indie artists from Download.com Music."

6 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. All we need is Netcraft's confirmation. by grub · · Score: 5, Insightful


    For example, with a single search you can find that 'Abbey Road' by the Beatles is not available for legal download at iTunes, Napster, or anywhere else. [...] The real news is what it does NOT include: no free downloads, and no indie artist community.

    This submission sounds less like a news item and more like a proactive obituary. It's "mp3.com" in name only.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  2. indie artists by Shakrai · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Perhaps this is more properly a subject for a JE but does anyone have any forums/websites with a list of Indie artists that aren't signed to a RIAA member (and not just the RIAA members that aren't on the board -- i.e: the big 5)?

    I don't think I (or most people) can cut RIAA completely out of my life because I do like a few of the artists (though I'll be damned if I'm going to buy a DRM'ed file from any online source -- used cds rock) but it would be nice to expand the horizons and check out some indie artists in the genres that I and my family/friends like.

    --
    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  3. Too many cooks in the kitchen by ax10m5 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why are so many hopping onto this downloaded music craze. I thought Apple Itunes, which looks like the field leader, was not making any profit at all, and was just using it as a tool to boost thier ipod sales. Does Walmart and mp3.com really think they fare much better?

  4. Supporting Independent Music by lotsofno · · Score: 4, Insightful

    really, the best route for anyone wanting to listen to music is to stick to more independent material--there's enough good stuff out there to last you several lifetimes.

    that way, when you buy a song from Magnatune, Bleep, or Audiolunchbox, you WON'T be:

    1.) sending your cash to the RIAA
    2.) attributing to the success of a service that fronts the RIAA, supporting the operation of tyrannous record labels with your cash
    3.) supporting propietary DRM
    4.) locking yourself into using iTunes or an iPod as your portable player

    by opting for other services that aren't iTunes/Walmart/Sony/Rhapsody/etc.., you WILL be:

    1.) sending more cash to the musicians you like
    2.) attributing to the success of a service that better represents and compensates the musicians you like, without restricting how you listen to your music
    3.) free to listen to your music however you want, whether it be with winamp or foobar, linux or whatever OS you use, ipod or rio karma

  5. Re:Screw pay-to-download mp3s by Kenja · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dont forget to send money to the sound engineers, the studio managers, the musicians, pre press engineer, factory workers and everyone else involved. Or do you think that Madona just grunts and craps out a pile of CDs?

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  6. then you don't need it... by xedd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When I bought my car the dealership tossed me the keys for a test drive. Not being able to test drive a damn 2 dollar song is beyond reason.

    [beyond reason]? Not really.
    The car in question cost quite a few thousands of dollars. It makes sense to accomodate test drives, and show rooms, etc.
    Do you really insist on getting a free test of anything before you spend 2 dollars on it?
    For a $20,000 ITEM, hell yes.
    But for a $2 item? Personally, I don't waste 5 seconds deliberating over such trivia. If I need to 'test' a $2 item before I am convinced I want to buy it, I DON'T FREAKIN NEED IT!

    Meanwhile, I agree with the sentiment that what the music industry has let itself evolve into deserves to die a painful death, since technology has made them little more than unnecessary middlemen, and they should go the way of the buggywhip.

    But your logic is faulty.

    Ever wonder why gasoline costs so much now? Take a look at all the SUVs.