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OD2 Launches Penny-Per-Song Streaming Jukebox
securitas writes "BBC Technology's Darren Waters reports that UK digital music service OD2 launched its 350,000-song SonicSelector streaming 'digital jukebox' for a penny per song a day ahead of the iTunes Europe debut. The service (co-founded by Peter Gabriel) is available only in 'UK, France, Germany and Italy and will only work with users of Windows Media Player' 9. NewsFactor and The Register have descriptions of the pay-per-use / a la carte service. More at the Financial Times and Reuters via ZDNet UK. You can also read the previous OD2 Slashdot discussion."
To see Brian Eno on the side of the borg. What is the world coming to?
sod using WMP9. No way I could live with that. I'm not even asking for non-DRM'd files (although that would be ideal), but something a bit more cross platform is a pre-req for me. I should be able to play it on what software on whichever OS I choose.
A penny per song is a nice deal, and the 350.000-track database should contain something for most people's taste - but why only UK, France, Germany and Italy? What about us in the rest of Europe?
The article states that OD2 is "Europe's leading music download firm", and I've never heard of the company - which might explain why the service will not be available in my country...
SIG: TAKE OFF EVERY 'CAPTAIN'!!
Seriously, does anyone have experience with trying to use MPlayer on the site with the windows codecs installed?
Ask 8 slackers a question, get 10 awnsers (a citation, but I can't remember from who)
...and will only work with users of Windows Media Player' 9.
:)
Any idea whether this'll work with the MPlayer Win32 codecs?
Karma: Segmentation fault (tried to dereference a null post)
This new service package sounds interesting, but honestly, all it seems like to me is an extended preview that you pay for.
Granted its only 1P, but their ultimate goal is to get people to buy the whole song...and this sounds like kind of a scummy way to do it.
Unfortunately, this may be the only way they are ABLE to do it because I'm sure they have to pay the labels for the streaming rights to the song, so they couldn't just offer up a whole preview for free.
I'm curious though, can anybody spot any difference between the sites that use OD2's main product other than the brand name/images/colorscheme slapped onto the webpages?
As far as I know they all use the same catalogue, same terms, and same price, so I can't see how they are differentiated at all other than by Brand.
Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
I don't know. I mean, a penny-a-song is pretty cheap. But, something about me wants to pay once and be able to play a song as much as I want.
If I kinda of only liked the song and wanted to hear it only once in a while. I'd probably wait for them to play it on the radio. If I really liked a song, I'd pay a buck so I could listen to it when ever I wanted and be done with it.
The only time I see this as useful is if you are playing a song that you don't like that much, but somebody else would. For example, hosting a party or you have a date at your house and you figure Wierd Al isn't going to set the mood you want.
I just don't see those situations of use setting up a sustainable business model for the costs they are going to endure. Of course, if it becomes _the_ method for DJ'ing. You might get the volume you need, but I still doubt it.
Of course, this is just my opinion and I could be wrong (and frequently am).
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -Homer Simpson
I agree .. even despite the fact that the author "guesses" that there will be gateways written between the 2 DRM systems.
... they work so hard putting patents on everything they develop, I can't see how that fits into the plan (especially with Apple).
Do you really see microsoft playing nice in the DRM market? I just can't see them voluntarily building a gateway from their software so that users can use anything but Windows to listen
I agree that the cost of music needs to approach this cost, and as soon as that happens, I'll likely ditch the cds permanently. It's too bad that the music industry has this perspective that we need to own the music. Like every other commodity, costs decline as distribution increases. That said, I'm not holding my breath for wide distribution of songs via this method. iTunes really has a great model, although I wish that albums could be downloaded multiple times. I want to own the license not the data.
Good idea, but its only accessable with Microsoft Internet Explorer. WTF? I use Firefox and am not going to switch back ;-)
Of course, ripping songs from this service could eventually become rampant.
_____
Thank you.
Excuse me?
What Apple has done in the US is to prevent/delay Microsoft from extending its monopoly into audio. Apple's success can only help competition by promoting another format to WMA, which is shoved down the throat of the unwashed masses by M$ through its illegally-gained tight-fisted control of the desktop.
It pains me each time I hear that there is "competition" when some oblivious sod points to, say, 30 different WMA players, players who'se format is controlled by a convicted monopolist hell-bent on using any means possible to destroy competition and limit choice. People just don't realize that PROPRIETARY FILE FORMATS ARE A TOOL, A WEAPON that can be used to CONTROL AND LIMIT what people can hear, where and how. Think: how many open-source WM{A|V} file players have you seen recently? How many times have you seen sites that say ~"you can only play this with a MS/Media Player running on this version of MS/Window or better"?
AAC, MP3, FLAC, OGG Vorbis et al are all open *standards* which can usually be played on anything you can think of. It's only the DRM that complicates file portability, and I hope we all know who imposed DRM. Don't blame Apple or the Fraunhofer institute, look more at the RIAA and Microsoft!
How and why would they limit this to some countries only?
Physical location is just about meaningless within the internet.
This is whats gving governments like China headaches because they can't control the propaganda anymore. Why should the record comapnies think they can control it?
---everyone is running scared right now trying to prevent Apple from doing in Europe what they have done in the US---
What exactly has Apple done in the US, other than offering the most compelling service that customers seem to prefer over the competitors?
OD2 has actually had this feature for a while (streaming a song for 1p) and I think it's hideous. Forget the WMP stuff, and forget that it demands Internet Explorer... the tracks only play at 32kbps! I thought it was some sort of big joke (or malfunction) until I searched the Net and found out that, indeed, 32kbps was the order of the day. 32kbps? I'm willing to bet my almost-deaf grandmother could tell how poor the quality is at 32kbps in WMP compared to even a 128kbps MP3. Steer clear!