Why Rent The Cow When You Can Get The Milk For Free?
Written May. 28, 2008 by Tom Webster in with 3 Comments
Michael Robertson (of MP3.com and now MP3Tunes.com fame) tips us to this new scheme from LaLa.com (and backed by Warner Music Group) to let us 'rent' music files for one thin dime. Of course, they use the term "buy," since you can listen to the song an unlimited number of times--as long as those times are on your desktop-based online locker. But if I want to move them to my car, my phone or even my iPod, no dice. There are now so many sources of free music online with similar restrictions (legally, with one of the subscription-based music sites) or even fewer (The Pirate Bay, baby) that the genie well and truly left the bottle on this one some time ago. If I had true portability with this service, I might consider it--but I am rarely tethered to my desktop, and I don't want my music to be shackled either.
When your business model is based upon the premise that people will pay to listen to music without owning that music, you are just not paying attention. Amazon.com is steadily gaining on iTunes for its no-strings-attached MP3 download model, and the average customer (not just the early adopter) is becoming more and more aware of the limitations imposed upon them by DRM requirements. As Robertson notes, if Mighty Microsoft can't keep its DRM-enabled store afloat (it shutters on Aug 31st, taking all your music with it), who can?
Reader Comments
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I thought that last month Amazon dropped to 4th in the rankings. Also, many of us who LOVE Internet Radio love it because we DON'T have to own the songs. I don't have time to diddle around looking for the newest music, I'd rather freeload :) on my fellow listeners to find the good stuff for me and get it streamed. With Flytunes.fm on my iPod touch and my slacker I can take tons of fresh new music with me anywhere I want and not spend a dime.
Rental? Are you serious? Am I the only person who realizes that if audio exists, it can be recorded and duplicated an infinite number of times?
I wonder what these people will do when there is no more recorded music due to the pirating? If no one is paying for it, where is the money going to come from to keep recording companies in business and artists motivated to record? They can write and perform and still make money without ever setting foot near a recorder. Come on people! Wake up and realize there is no free lunch. Entertainment cost money to create and distribute. If you don't support the people involved in the process now, you'll be listening to yourself whistle instead of your favorite songs on your mobile listening device.