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Music Download Service Targets Linux Desktops
An anonymous reader writes "According to DesktopLinux.com, a new music download service was launched recently by theKompany.com that, unlike iTunes and Napster, targets Linux desktops. Mindawn is claimed to provide CD-quality song files and 'virtually no' digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, offer full previews of the entire songs, and provide downloads in a variety of formats." There's also an interview with the founder.
The good stuff is all in the story - a music download service that provides Ogg format music without DRM and a Linux client.
The bad stuff is that there doesn't seem to be much support for big name music. It'll come, and it will only come through sites like this leading the way. But for now, it looks like I still have to get most of my music from iTunes.
On the plus side, things like this do help little known independent bands sell to a much larger audience. And a lot of these bands are really good. The major labels take ages to notice something good. Especially if it's original. We'll start seeing bands become successful through sites like this soon, and when they do and they keep 75% of the profits, that'll be it for the music industry as they know it.
Mighty oaks, and all that...
Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
Really only the big guys are using DRM. There are lots of other smaller independent digital retailers selling music with no DRM at all. We send them the albums in FLAC, MP3, or OGG format.
Check out this list of companies that we distribute to. There's a link to each, and all of them have (or will have) the entire CD Baby Digital Distribution catalog of 30,000 albums (350,000 songs).
I see a lot of comments along the lines of "there's not enough selection", "it'll never work as a business model", "Can't do it without the major labels", et cetera ad nauseam.
I guess I am just starting to get rather irritated with the sense of spoiled entitlement that many in the "open source" linux world seem to have these days. They expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter, free, or else it must be crap and doomed to failure.
Whenever we hear about the latest shenanigans by the RIAA or MPAA, we hear a chorus of shrieks and wails bemoaning the fact that there are no "fair" music services out there that are unencumbered by the DRM mess.
Well, here we are: A guy actually stepped up and started something that seems to provide a very reasonable service: Songs you can download without any restrictions on subsequent use, for a very reasonable fee. And (this is what kills me) he even caters directly to Linux users. But still we hear a chorus of complaints. There isn't enough selection? He just started for crying out loud! Give him a chance to build the thing. I've often wondered myself why someone couldn't do just this sort of thing for the independent artists, just a really straightforward service that charges reasonable fees, doesn't try to screw the customer and rewards the artists. Here it is! He's trying to do it.
Here's an idea: Be grateful, try it, give him feedback, help him make it work. This is what you've been waiting for.
I don't know, sometimes I read Slashdot these days and all I see is people who want everything handed to them on a silver platter. They want everything for free, and if it isn't Open Source then it must be spawn of the devil. Unless, that is, it's Google.
I say, good luck to this guy, he's trying to do something that seems to be very worthwhile.
Just my opinion.