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Napster Launches UK Music Service

Posted by michael on from the all-jethro-tull-all-the-time dept.

amichalo writes "Napster just went multi-continent with the surprise announcement of a Napster UK on-line music service. From the website, singles at 1.09 British pounds, albums start at 9.95 pounds. Availability for other European nations not available. Apple has previously announced they would be entering the European market by the end of the year with rumors of singles priced at 1.49 Euro."

14 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. No iPod support by Phantom69 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Only secure WMA downloads available. Not the greatest idea IMHO bearing in mind the popularity of the iPod.

    1. Re:No iPod support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Huh, Apple does not "hold" AAC.

      AAC is *not* an Apple format.

      AAC is *not* proprietary, contrary to WMA. It has designed and put out by the same people that brought you MP3, as a improved replacement for MP3, IIRC.

      The only thing Apple "holds" is the AAC+FairPlay combo, or, if you want, they seem to have some sort of exclusive license for FairPlay. I say "seem to have" because the exact origins of FairPlay seem to be nebulous (sp?).

    2. Re:No iPod support by Killer+Napkin · · Score: 3, Informative

      Nebulous? They own FairPlay. There's no ambiguity there. The grandfather post was basically saying that Apple isn't going to give up their hold on the AAC+FairPlay combo.

      To clarify, the RIAA is not going to allow any store (whether it be iTunes or Napster) to release songs without have a form of DRM. Since the AAC format is basically off-limits*, the only other viable alternative is DRMed WMA files.

      Also, don't pretend like AAC is some free format. It is patent-encumbered just like MP3 before it. As far as desktop is concerned, there will always be some guy who will write a decoder for free use. However, people who design hardware are not afforded these luxuries. The patent-holders WILL come down hard to collect their share of the royalties.

      For hardware developers, the choice is paying to use AAC and paying for some other non-FairPlay DRM or using WMAs with DRM and paying Microsoft. Either way, they're going to pay. Right now, WMAs are going to look the best. Maybe Ogg Vorbis and FLAC with some cheap DRM method will catch on, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

      Still, this industry is still a baby. Apple leads today, but WalMart, Napster, Microsoft, or anyone can basically take over.

      * Apple thinks that they can basically lock everyone else out of the market by being the only AAC+FairPlay vendor. Right now, they're using iTunes as a way get people to buy iPods, which is a HUGE money-maker for Apple. I'm not so sure this is a good idea, but that's the way it is.

    3. Re:No iPod support by Phantom69 · · Score: 2, Informative

      While I appreciate your point, I must point out the following:

      1) The latest market share information is as follows:

      Jan 2003 iPod 27% market share
      Nov 2003 iPod 31% market share:
      http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.c fm?NewsI D=7609

      May 2004 ? Unknown yet, but Apple have recently talked about the 800,000 iPods they've sold.

      But yes, 31% is still less than 69%. I don't know if all the other 69% are capable of playing DRM'd WMA's either, and if this market share is global or UK only.

      2) We are only talking about the UK Napster service here, and the iPod is undergoing a massive TV advertising campaign, something no other MP3 player manufacturer is currently doing in the UK. I would hazard a guess that the iPod is the player of choice of UK consumers, simply on this basis, and we haven't even got the iPod mini yet (and bearing in mind there were 100,000 on pre-order before it launched in the US...).

      3. What can Apple do to stop them distributing DRM'd AAC files anyway. They don't own the format do they?

  2. No link? by Mz6 · · Score: 4, Informative
    Seems the poster didn't want to include any links. For your reading pleasure..

    Napster beats iTunes to Europe with U.K. launch

    --
    Hmmm.
  3. Not that much cheaper.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    That's really not that much cheaper than a "real" single... and you only have to look at a site like to see that pricing for "real" albums is already less than 9.99!

    1. Re:Not that much cheaper.... by swright · · Score: 2, Informative

      Everyone I've spoken to who buys from CD Wow these days says there are loads of problems getting a delivery from them - since they were banned from importing CDs from Asia (or wherever it was) and have to source them from within Europe now.

      Of course that might have improved, noone I know carried on trying with them...

    2. Re:Not that much cheaper.... by robbieduncan · · Score: 2, Informative

      I've bought 5 or so CDs since they were forced to source from Europe. 2 or 3 have had slight delays in shipping due to this, but I still tend to get them with 7 days of ordering.

      More annoying is the fact that many of the CDs are copy protected. Still my PowerBook seems to ignore all copy protection and rips them fine :)

  4. pathetic browser support though by Gaima · · Score: 4, Informative

    I went along to the .com site last night, and was promptly redirected to the .co.uk as it has detected I was from the UK. Fair enough I guess.

    The free 11meg download intrigued me, so went to look. Didn't get far mind.
    At the bottom of the front page it does say:

    System Requirements
    PC only, Windows XP/2000, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.1 or higher, Windows Media Player 7.1 or higher, Internet connectivity

    The page I was sent to, as a Konq user, was even worse:

    Napster is currently compatible with Windows XP/2000.
    Windows 95, Windows NT and the Mac OS are not supported at this time.

    They wouldn't have had my custom anyway, but even if they would have had, after that, no chance.
    Get with it Napster

  5. Re:10 quid? Fuck off by Zog+The+Undeniable · · Score: 3, Informative

    You're absolutely right. Of course, the CD version is also uncompressed and sounds better, so you're being doubly screwed.

    --
    When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
  6. Do they have any David Hasslehoof by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    Apparently he's popular in Germany. The song "Hot Shot City" is particularly good

  7. Re:not competitive by anonicon · · Score: 4, Informative

    I could be wrong, and since I'm posting on Slashdot, I probably am, but perhaps the reason why that Canon 300D is so much more in the UK or mainland Europe is because of government import taxes that are attached to it before it goes on sale.

    Every government charges differently, and since Amazon has to abide by their laws, the pre-sales tax cost will be different. Either that, or Amazon thinks UK shoppers are suckers. ;-)

  8. Re:What's to stop me... by GothChip · · Score: 3, Informative
    "As one option is to pay Napster GBP9.99 for a month's worth of unlimited streams, what's to stop me from ripping them with a system sound recorder and making my own MP3s, Oggs etc.?"

    That's what I thought until I tried their free "search engine" on the front page. It only gives an overview of the results recommendations, most of which are completely irrelevent to the search performed.

    eg. A search for the band Seize returned the following. Yes, we have multiple results for Seize on Napster.
    Members who like this artist also like: Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Shabba Ranks, Capleton, Sly & Robbie, UB40, Monica, O-Town, Backstreet Boys

    Not at all similar to a cutting edge electronica breakbeat act.

    Searching for small and exciting acts that have limited availability was part of what made the original Napster so popular. Without a decent and varied catalogue you might as well carry on shopping for cds on-line.

  9. Everything is more expensive in GB by ziffduck · · Score: 2, Informative
    I think factor that is missing from this is that by US standards, everything is more expensive in the UK. If you look at it from the point of view of buying power, $1~=1GBP. Of course, this is always related to the strength of the GBP over the USD with a rate which fluctuated between $1.75-$1.95 when I studied abroad this spring in London (only the world's 7th most expensive city [BBC.co.uk] mind you). The part some US readers might fail to understand is that workers in the UK are paid in GBP and I believe that the miminmum wage is 4.50GBP (for people over 22, inlandrevenue.gov.uk) and salaried employees make a comparable amount.

    Another point in regards to compensation is that healthcare (which has its ups and downs) is "free" to all residents. When simply comparing prices or visting the UK, it does feel like a rip off but in perspective its not as bad as its made out to be stateside. Beyond that, I agree that there will be some turbululence with the rest of the continent if the Euroskeptics do not get their way and the Euro is implemented in GB and one could only begin to imagine the potential economic impact.

    Fun Fact: A mile of travel on the tube (London Underground Subway System) is more expensive than a mile of travel on the concorde [tfl.gov.uk]and is the most expensive subway system in the world.