AIRscoot.co.uk

I couldn’t believe it when I read this tonight. While having lunch today with a friend at work we started talking about our employer’s management style and it’s effect on the performance and happiness of those who work for him. By the end of our conversation we’d pretty well figured it out just like Seth. There’s a nice song by The Clash that sums up my thoughts on this! Anyone guess the song?

Anyone who feels Apple’s iTunes DRM seriously affects users ability to listen freely to their music on whatever device they want should read this article from Steve Jobs. He lifts the lid on some very interesting statistics which show that the DRM mechanisms that they were contractually obliged to put inplace in order to be licenced to sell music online for the BIG FOUR music companies has really had no effect on users ability to copy music. Since it looks like 97% of the music that’s listened to on digital players seems to be produced from CD’s which the music industry continues to be happy to sell DRM Free!

I guess the “Music Industry” will be the ones to decide whether they want to really take avantage of the substantially reduced distribution costs and reduced time to market that online sales can offer.

Will it be that new artists become harder to “hook” into contracts and choose to control their music distribution themselves? Will the BIG FOUR have to rely more and more on revenues from their back catalogues? Are those back catalogues diminishing every year as material goes out of copyright? Would it make sense for them to embrace new technology in a way that consumers are demanding them to? I say get rid of DRM on online sales of music, make it easier to distribute so that everyone can see where the true demand is.

Tsshh!

BTW. Leaving the “Power to the Artists!” bit aside. I think this statement is very much in the interests of Steve Jobs and Apple to make at this point in time. It shows a clear indication of the direction in which Steve Jobs wants to steer iTunes. Will we also see iPods sold pre-loaded with songs? How about a “Beatles Shuffle” collector’s edition! It would make a nice gift for someone!