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."

Comments

Price isn't bad, but...

[chewy_2000]

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.

Nice deal

[Big Nothing]

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...

Re:Nice deal

[julesh]

why only UK, France, Germany and Italy? What about us in the rest of Europe?

Interesting question. Did you know that offering a product with restrictions based on residence in a particular country in Europe is illegal under EU regulations? The EU Ombudsman may be interested in this case.

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...

It seems from the Register's story that they've been operating a service that's co-branded with Coca Cola (I think I remember seeing something about it somewhere before, never paid much attention), so they've probably not used their own name to market it before.

Interesting

[Lord_Dweomer]

I've been doing a lot of work related research into UK/European online music services, and from what I've seen so far, OD2's basic package that they give to people (like MyCokeMusic) is a horrible restrictive service.

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.

Business Model

[IrresponsibleUseOfFr]

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).