Washington State is downright hostile to corporations... and most of the cities are even worse than the state. Those little orange and white tax forms give me hives. At least where I am there is no B&O taxes to figure out.
I went to check this out and it is very neat. One minor problem though: Microsoft Virtual Earth shows Guam as being in the Panama Canal (http://www.santanorad.com/en/map/index.php). Very, very odd that.
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the risk . But don't believe us ! Mrs Simpson of South
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Your point is valid to a certain extent but the problem I have is the after-the-fact reaction by the majors. It's like they are saying "Wait! We didn't think of that potential revenue so let's change the rules!". As a whole, the majors would be much better off if they collectively pulled their heads out of their asses and actually were proactive about the future instead of spastically reactive.
Hint to the Majors: Start thinking about your contracts carefully and maybe spend an hour or two with some technologists. It'll save you a lot of floundering.
Everyone is pretty much equal. But don't forget that Apple spends tens of millions of dollars a year on advertising for iTunes/iPod. They barely break even. No one is making a killing in the DMS space.
In order to be fully effective this question needs to be superceded by:
Can you run Linux on it? Is the source available?Is the code under the GPL? (see question above) Is the firmware open?
Potential Follow-on questions include:
Does it play FLAC? Does it use DRM? (Note: this is a *negative* question) Did MS have *anything* to do with its creation? (Negative question, see above)
I think either I didn't explain myself correctly or you misunderstood me. I am in no way, shape or form advocating a service like AllOfMp3.com. What I was trying to say is that a DMS is in no way responsible for how an artist is paid.
I don't have a problem with.99/.88 a tune and 9.99/8.88 an album. As long as the artist gets a cut of it that's fair.
It doesn't matter if you spent $99.99 for the album... what the artist receives is 100% up to the label. A label is like a bank in that they essentially loan an artist money to create an album. Every time the album is sold the label takes its cut. The artist usually doesn't make anything until the label has been repaid. After that they might make royalties anywhere in the 0-25% range (it varies wildly depending on the complexity of the contracts and the status of the artist). This may not be the "best" deal for the artists but the labels do (in many cases) perform services that many artists are in desperate need of: marketing, packaging, distribution, and tour support. FYI: not all labels are "evil"... even those who are members of the RIAA. It's really a matter of perspective.
Actually having been in that situation I can tell you that they will attempt to get you to pay the longest fare for the line you are on. That's all well and good on the Yamanote-sen but can seriously suck on the Hibiya-sen. I, of course, was coming off of the Hibiya-sen... It wasn't long after that I finally broke down and got one of those stupid plastic ticket holders instead of shoving the ticket in my pocket.
As for playing the oblivion route... that can work some times, but you never know when that baffled looking Japanese guard will suddenly lapse into perfect English.
Maybe it shouldn't be a free download then, but they should be demanded to ask a fair price which resembles the cost of making WMP.
Wait a second... are you saying that MS should be forced to charge and Linux distributors should not be? And before you say "yes, because MS is a monopoly", stop and think about it. Microsoft became a monopoly, in part, because of the hidden charge of MS software (eg, OEM bundling deals) which made the software seem "free" to consumers. The companies that distribute Linux also allow for free distribution of their product. How, exactly, is this different?
I can tell you why it is different: MS, love them or hate them, was able to convince OEMs that paying for Windows licenses was in their best interest. This is called "business". While MS most definitely used some underhanded and ethically (and legally) questionable tactics, they still succeeded in having massive market penetration.
Secondly, while I don't know you or your beliefs on the "freedom" of software, it does strike me as odd that someone on/. is advocating the forced charging for a piece of software. Isn't software supposed to be free like the birds? Or, if you do have to pay for it, can you not at the very least download the source code and immediately create your competing product, if you are so inclined?
I guess the whole concept of a monopoly to me is absurd. In a free, open market people are able to choose which product they want to buy. This applies to the OEMs as much as to the home consumer. It's not about stopping a behemoth like Microsoft, it's about creating a compelling product, marketing said product to the consumers, and ultimately taking a leading market position... not bitching and complaining that your competitor is cheating. If Netscape had put 1/2 as much effort into creating a compelling product as they did into litigation and bickering with MS, we might not be seeing server logs with 95% Internet Explorer.
You must not have ever gotten a quote from Loudeye on what they want to be the backend for a music service...
Loudeye fills some definite needs within the industry, but being a fulfillment partner for a company with a non multi-million dollar budget is not one of them.
As someone in the DMS business, let me tell you that it is *much* easier to deal directly with labels and/or content aggregators (CDBaby, the Orchard, etc...) than it is with hundreds and thousands of individual artists. First of all, dealing with labels/aggregators means a single point of contact. It also means one check to be sent out. Finally, it means that I do not have to worry about royalties being paid to the artists... that is up to the labels/aggregators. It makes my life easier.
That being said, it would be nice to be able to guarantee that artists are actually making money when their product is sold on netmusic.com. We did look into a mechanism to accomplish this, but there are several barriers to entry. The most important one has to do with the relationship between an artist and a label. Labels generally loan money to artists (the advance) to allow the artist to record, tour, etc... The record label then takes that money back from sales (recoupment). So, if we started sending money directly to the artists (assuming even that is possible... how do you find the addresses for every artist?), we would be circumventing the label and denying them access to their funds. Remember the artist receives a loan against future royalties and won't see a penny from the label until that loan is paid back.
My advice to bands, for what it is worth: either find a smallish label and convince them to sign you, or utilize a service like CDBaby or The Orchard. You will find it much easier to sell your product that way.
By the way, we *do*, on occassion, sign one-off bands/artists. We prefer not to due to the overhead, but if an act is truly special we will.
Storage. Any idea how much drive space it takes to store 750,000 FLACs/WAVs/etc? Also, don't forget you need multiple copies for backup, fail-over, etc.
Bandwidth. Not quite as large of an issue, but bandwidth costs are going to be higher for a 30MB file than for a 5MB file.
Costs of re-encoding. This isn't the same as re-ripping your CD collection. Even a mass-encoder like Loudeye would take a fairly significant amount of time to encode 750k tracks. Oh, and it is wickedly expensive as well.
Lack of DRM. Yeah, yeah, I know... DRM is teh sux0r. Unfortunately, labels (majors and indies alike) still want DRM. You want to sell their material? Gotta have a format that supports DRM.
Trust me, we (NetMusic) have looked at this from every conceivable angle, and while lack of DRM is not currently an issue for us (we only sell VBR MP3s), the other three make it extremely unattractive from a financial perspective.
In the meantime, I suggest audiophiles visit the handful of sites that do offer FLAC, such as Magnatune.
The promotion is offset by the 9.95/mo users have to pay to be a member of Rhapsody. This works well until a user buys more than about 50 songs in a month.
Slashdot Mirror
Normal Person: "Have any tats?" Moron: "Yeah. I have a tattoo."
Normal Person: "Can I see it?"
Moron lifts up sleeve to show a goddamn WINDOWS LOGO
Normal Person: "What are you... some kind of fucknut?"
Normal Person kicks Moron in the nuts
Your code has a buffer overflow error at byte 12.
Washington State is downright hostile to corporations... and most of the cities are even worse than the state. Those little orange and white tax forms give me hives. At least where I am there is no B&O taxes to figure out.
I went to check this out and it is very neat. One minor problem though: Microsoft Virtual Earth shows Guam as being in the Panama Canal (http://www.santanorad.com/en/map/index.php). Very, very odd that.
Dear Friend ; Thank-you for your interest in our publication . If you no longer wish to receive our publications simply reply with a Subject: of "REMOVE" and you will immediately be removed from our club ! This mail is being sent in compliance with Senate bill 1626 ; Title 3 ; Section 306 ! This is not multi-level marketing . Why work for somebody else when you can become rich within 45 days . Have you ever noticed more people than ever are surfing the web & people love convenience ! Well, now is your chance to capitalize on this . We will help you SELL MORE and sell more . You can begin at absolutely no cost to you ! But don't believe us . Mr Ames who resides in Nebraska tried us and says "Now I'm rich, Rich, RICH" . We are a BBB member in good standing . You have no reason not to act now . Sign up a friend and you'll get a discount of 30% ! Thanks ! Dear Colleague ; This letter was specially selected to be sent to you ! We will comply with all removal requests ! This mail is being sent in compliance with Senate bill 1622 , Title 6 , Section 304 . This is different than anything else you've seen ! Why work for somebody else when you can become rich in 42 months ! Have you ever noticed people will do almost anything to avoid mailing their bills and how long the line-ups are at bank machines . Well, now is your chance to capitalize on this . We will help you turn your business into an E-BUSINESS plus use credit cards on your website . You are guaranteed to succeed because we take all the risk . But don't believe us ! Mrs Simpson of South Dakota tried us and says "I've been poor and I've been rich - rich is better" ! We are licensed to operate in all states . You will blame yourself forever if you don't order now ! Sign up a friend and you get half off ! Thank-you for your serious consideration of our offer . Dear Internet user ; We know you are interested in receiving red-hot news . We will comply with all removal requests . This mail is being sent in compliance with Senate bill 1620 , Title 6 , Section 304 ! THIS IS NOT A GET RICH SCHEME . Why work for somebody else when you can become rich within 68 days . Have you ever noticed nearly every commercial on television has a .com on in it and people are much
more likely to BUY with a credit card than cash ! Well,
now is your chance to capitalize on this . WE will
help YOU sell more and decrease perceived waiting time
by 180% . The best thing about our system is that it
is absolutely risk free for you . But don't believe
us . Prof Ames who resides in West Virginia tried us
and says "Now I'm rich, Rich, RICH" ! This offer is
100% legal ! Do not go to sleep without ordering !
Sign up a friend and your friend will be rich too !
Cheers . Dear Salaryman , Especially for you - this
red-hot information ! If you no longer wish to receive
our publications simply reply with a Subject: of "REMOVE"
and you will immediately be removed from our mailing
list . This mail is being sent in compliance with Senate
bill 1621 ; Title 6 ; Section 304 ! This is a ligitimate
business proposal . Why work for somebody else when
you can become rich within 57 WEEKS . Have you ever
noticed more people than ever are surfing the web plus
society seems to be moving faster and faster . Well,
now is your chance to capitalize on this . We will
help you process your orders within seconds plus process
your orders within seconds ! You can begin at absolutely
no cost to you . But don't believe us ! Prof Jones
of Nebraska tried us and says "I was skeptical but
it worked for me" . We are licensed to operate in all
states . Do not go to sleep without ordering . Sign
up a friend and you get half off ! Warmest regards
.
Hint to the Majors: Start thinking about your contracts carefully and maybe spend an hour or two with some technologists. It'll save you a lot of floundering.
Everyone is pretty much equal. But don't forget that Apple spends tens of millions of dollars a year on advertising for iTunes/iPod. They barely break even. No one is making a killing in the DMS space.
-
-
-.01 (bandwidth -- high figure)
---------
anywhere between
It's *not* the retailers that make money.
Your plane and/or train.
Note to self (and any employees who read this): this is a joke.
Christ... a language that makes perl look like a Hemingway novel. I wouldn't have thought it possible.
Can you run Linux on it?
Is the source available? Is the code under the GPL? (see question above)
Is the firmware open?
Potential Follow-on questions include:
Does it play FLAC?
Does it use DRM? (Note: this is a *negative* question)
Did MS have *anything* to do with its creation? (Negative question, see above)
I think either I didn't explain myself correctly or you misunderstood me. I am in no way, shape or form advocating a service like AllOfMp3.com. What I was trying to say is that a DMS is in no way responsible for how an artist is paid.
It doesn't matter if you spent $99.99 for the album... what the artist receives is 100% up to the label. A label is like a bank in that they essentially loan an artist money to create an album. Every time the album is sold the label takes its cut. The artist usually doesn't make anything until the label has been repaid. After that they might make royalties anywhere in the 0-25% range (it varies wildly depending on the complexity of the contracts and the status of the artist). This may not be the "best" deal for the artists but the labels do (in many cases) perform services that many artists are in desperate need of: marketing, packaging, distribution, and tour support. FYI: not all labels are "evil"... even those who are members of the RIAA. It's really a matter of perspective.
No no no. Apple does not pay the artist... the label pays the artist.
Actually that is a perl interpreter in obsfucated brainfuck... and if you couldn't tell that then you are *obviously* not a real programmer.
Spilling a whole cup of coffee on the post-it works as well.
As for playing the oblivion route... that can work some times, but you never know when that baffled looking Japanese guard will suddenly lapse into perfect English.
Wait a second... are you saying that MS should be forced to charge and Linux distributors should not be? And before you say "yes, because MS is a monopoly", stop and think about it. Microsoft became a monopoly, in part, because of the hidden charge of MS software (eg, OEM bundling deals) which made the software seem "free" to consumers. The companies that distribute Linux also allow for free distribution of their product. How, exactly, is this different?
I can tell you why it is different: MS, love them or hate them, was able to convince OEMs that paying for Windows licenses was in their best interest. This is called "business". While MS most definitely used some underhanded and ethically (and legally) questionable tactics, they still succeeded in having massive market penetration.
Secondly, while I don't know you or your beliefs on the "freedom" of software, it does strike me as odd that someone on /. is advocating the forced charging for a piece of software. Isn't software supposed to be free like the birds? Or, if you do have to pay for it, can you not at the very least download the source code and immediately create your competing product, if you are so inclined?
I guess the whole concept of a monopoly to me is absurd. In a free, open market people are able to choose which product they want to buy. This applies to the OEMs as much as to the home consumer. It's not about stopping a behemoth like Microsoft, it's about creating a compelling product, marketing said product to the consumers, and ultimately taking a leading market position... not bitching and complaining that your competitor is cheating. If Netscape had put 1/2 as much effort into creating a compelling product as they did into litigation and bickering with MS, we might not be seeing server logs with 95% Internet Explorer.
Loudeye fills some definite needs within the industry, but being a fulfillment partner for a company with a non multi-million dollar budget is not one of them.
That being said, it would be nice to be able to guarantee that artists are actually making money when their product is sold on netmusic.com. We did look into a mechanism to accomplish this, but there are several barriers to entry. The most important one has to do with the relationship between an artist and a label. Labels generally loan money to artists (the advance) to allow the artist to record, tour, etc... The record label then takes that money back from sales (recoupment). So, if we started sending money directly to the artists (assuming even that is possible... how do you find the addresses for every artist?), we would be circumventing the label and denying them access to their funds. Remember the artist receives a loan against future royalties and won't see a penny from the label until that loan is paid back.
My advice to bands, for what it is worth: either find a smallish label and convince them to sign you, or utilize a service like CDBaby or The Orchard. You will find it much easier to sell your product that way.
By the way, we *do*, on occassion, sign one-off bands/artists. We prefer not to due to the overhead, but if an act is truly special we will.
I would *hope* he wouldn't post 1500 pictures of his tool.
Over 30 comments and not one referring to the hygiene habits of computer geeks. That was the *only* reason I even read this. :-(
Trust me, we (NetMusic) have looked at this from every conceivable angle, and while lack of DRM is not currently an issue for us (we only sell VBR MP3s), the other three make it extremely unattractive from a financial perspective.
In the meantime, I suggest audiophiles visit the handful of sites that do offer FLAC, such as Magnatune.
The promotion is offset by the 9.95/mo users have to pay to be a member of Rhapsody. This works well until a user buys more than about 50 songs in a month.