7 February 2007, 19:27
Apple speaks against DRM
Yesterday Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive posted an open letter on the company’s site in which he defended Apple and put all the blame for the inefficient DRM system on labels.
Jobs denies that Apple tries to lock customers who bought iPods into using the iTunes store and hasn’t been using its DRM system for that purpose. He argues that on average there’s 22 songs purchased from the iTunes for each iPod ever sold. However, average iPod now holds around 1000 songs. Thus users are not being locked into the iTunes store as 97% of their music comes from elsewhere.
Moreover, Apple sees abolishing DRM as a way forward as neither the current situation with many proprietary music stores nor opening its FairPlay standard will work. “Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat.”
However, labels still have to be persuaded to sell their music DRM-free. Jobs questions why shouldn’t they, as “over 20 billion songs were sold completely DRM-free and unprotected on CDs by the music companies themselves” in 2006. Online stores sold under 2 billion DRM-protected tracks. “The music companies sell the vast majority of their music DRM-free… So if [they] are selling over 90 percent of their music DRM-free, what benefits do they get from selling the remaining small percentage of their music encumbered with a DRM system?”
The letter concludes with an advice for those in Europe “unhappy with the current situation” to “redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free… as … two and a half of the big four music companies are located right in their backyard.”
Read more:
Thoughts on Music, Steve Jobs
Apple CEO Jobs pressures record labels to drop anti-piracy technology, The International Herald Tribune
iTunes declared illegal in Norway, AllofMP3 blogs
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Comments 36
1. by chromeronin, 7 February 2007, 23:53
What a hypocrit. If iTunes wanted to be DRM free, they could be. DRM helped put the ipod and iTunes on th map. Otherwise it is just another MP3 player. People who knew no better just signed up and let apple own their music because it was easy. Apple was able to dictate the price of the songs to the labels, and they still moan that they don't get to charge more for premium bands. What is really annoying is that .90c of your .99c song goes to pay for the DRM systems.
I already buy my music in a form that cn be played on any player inmy house, and I can take my music overseas with me if I move or change my computer more than twice. Oh, and I don't own an ipod 8), my Palm Treo works well as a player for my purposes, hey isn't that just like an "iphone"? I mean, I can run third party software written for a small lightweight OS and make calls all on my mp3 player. hmmmm.
2. by Exactly, 8 February 2007, 00:01
I want it to be MY music if I pay for it.
3. by TheAnt, 8 February 2007, 01:16
If apple really wanted free music, why don't they just use a universal codec? The iPod format can only be played on iPods, as far as I know... What they're really trying to do is to create a new electronic monopoly - like Microsoft.
4. by Paul (UK), 8 February 2007, 02:04
Just another example of the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field....
In other words, his (and Apple's) backs are up against a wall in Europe - and this is basically a 'pass the buck' statement, made to make Apple look like the good guys: (!!Boo-yaa-sucks!!)
"The letter concludes with advice for those in Europe 'unhappy with the current situation' to redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free… as … two and a half of the big four music companies are located right in their backyard"
Apple can afford to drop DRM now that they have created a stranglehold over the iPod owning populous - most of which will be fanboy-loyal / scared / not bothered to shop elsewhere if the DRM policy does get dropped.
Come back allofmp3 payment systems - I know where I want to put my money!
Regards,
Paul. (UK)
5. by burmie, 8 February 2007, 03:51
Apple is basically saying that the Big Four record companies forced it to put DRM on the songs, but they want music to be DRM-free. OK, so
Apple is going to continue to use DRM? Why would they do that, ipod buyers only buy an average of 22 songs(less than 3% of total songs on ipod) (22 wasted dollars for shit sounding not-actually-yours crap). So if apple decides to get rid of the whole itunes selling crap itself, they would only be losing like 22dollars for every sold ipod - a very, VERY minuscule amount of their total profits.And apple says for us (yes us, the small people that get screwed 50 times over by big corporations, and dont get a voice) to speak out against DRM. HMMMMMMMMMMMMM. OKAY!
DEAR APPLE:
The best way to encourage the big four record companies to discontinue enforcing DRM, is for itunes to discontinue selling their songs.
FROM,
Screwed-Over Consumer.
They are only losing 22 dollars per ipod. big whoop, Apple has a bunch of other ways to gouge prices and rip every penny out of the consumer.
6. by nos235, 8 February 2007, 04:13
the iphone certainly has to take the title of 'emperors new clothes' for 2007.
My Hp IPaq does everything it does and I have it right now and it costs less than an iphone - work that out.
Why haven't the music companies setup Digital download jukeboxes in major malls and shopping centres? You just walk up plug in your device - selct your songs (pay for them) and voila straight in your player.
7. by Chris Taylor, 8 February 2007, 11:44
Well that $22 is a distortment. most ipod owners NEVER buy songs from itunes I am better. those ipods sales may not equal itunes sales but those itunes sales CERTAINTLY DO equal ipod sales.
Thats the kicker. One you have a lot of itunes music you are "locked in" and can not switch to another mp3 player without "throwing away" all the music you bought.
Apple would have used DRM even if the labels did not demand they do. it was in apples best interest.
MAYBE now they could survive without DRM but I think its a bit to early yet for apples plans. They would also have to work harder on each new ipod to keep there customers happy if they are not locked in.
also 99cents a song is a raping. thats more expensive than buying the CD even $10 a cd is only a SOSO deal since I can get nearly that or LESS sometimes by buying the REAL CD
with NO DRM and no LACK of case album covers physical disc and ultra high quality (compared to a crummy mp3 or aac file)
I will never buy a DRM'd media file even if it means never being able to listen to or watch one again. (unless its fully cracked off course)
8. by canadian music lover, 8 February 2007, 12:31
Ok people, you can still use your visa/mastercard via xrost (they even give you a bonus). Apple is such a scam, the quality is also low, '.wma' doesnt compare to a song ripped with 'lame.' if it was, it wouldnt be illegal to have a compiler and lame on the same site, i agree with buddy, i pay i will own the music (and i will mass email the new songs just to do so) poor music artists, stuck in the middle
9. by Not Missing The Point, 8 February 2007, 14:40
Perhaps you guys should look closely at what Jobs is saying.
'Open' DRM is laced with problems - you only have to look at the Zune to see that Microsoft has done exactly the same thing that Apple has - their own proprietary player, their own proprietary DRM scheme that runs on their own proprietary software. And what about Sony?
Jobs is saying (rightly so) that the best way forward is for everyone to drop DRM - and you guys all agree with him (that's why you buy your music from AllOfMP3, right?) - calling 'hypocrite' is crap when all Jobs is saying is what everyone else is thinking.
If Jobs and Apple as a whole want to demonstrate their commitment to the sale of non-DRM-encumbered music, then they should approach the countless indie labels who are using eMusic and other similar outlets to sell non-DRM-encumbered MP3s and say "Hey, guys, come on over - we'll sell your non-DRM tracks via iTunes for just the same amount as everyone else's music."
If they did that, that'd be more than a warning shot across the bow of the Recording Industry Ass. of America and it's cronies - it'd be them saying "move to a trust based model instead of your paranoia based model."
10. by Paul (UK), 8 February 2007, 16:27
@ Not Missing The Point:
Yes, what you are saying - and what His Jobbieness has already said, is that to create a environment of interoperability would be a good thing. I agree without fault.
Strange how he never mentioned this before having some weight applied by Norway, and now France and Germany too. This comes back to all of Apple's marketing / defence spin; It's always someone elses fault, never theirs.
Look at their behaviour in the 'iPods shipping with a virus' fiasco..... according to Apple, it was Microsoft's fault for the OS used for programming being vulnerable - and not Apple's fault for failing to implement any useful virus scan procedures.
Anyhoo, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft and Sony do now that Apple are being leant on for interoperability.
Regards,
Paul. (UK)
11. by even steven, 8 February 2007, 17:57
Whatever their reasons, it's good news to see such a large and legitimate force in the world of music downloading backing the abolition of DRM. When pirates scream about DRM being stupid and pointless, the music industry isn't likely to listen. But when Apple starts pointing out the flaws, maybe they will be persuaded to change. Here's hoping!
Then the only problem with legitimate download sites will be the extortionate price. ;)
12. by Will, 8 February 2007, 19:20
Jobs just won a ton of brownie points in my book. I do believe that apple is probably legally restricted by the RIAA as to whether they can sell music without DRM. The ball is in the court of the labels...and by their response thus far, it sounds like they're as clueless as ever. As more and more people come to understand what DRM is, it's becoming more a liability than a revenue booster; why don't they understand this? Still, even without DRM, ITunes' prices are still ridiculous. If I can find a used copy of most cds I want for 6 dollars. Why should I pay more than a few bucks for a lossy digital version?
13. by Mark, 9 February 2007, 00:09
I don't like to think of how I can change the music companies or even apple. The apple format for music is AAC which had the 2 file extensions *.m4a and *.m4p The *.m4a format can be converted into *.mp3 format up to 320kbps. The rub is when you purchase music from itunes. When you purchase and download music from itunes the file extension is *.m4p This format can not be converted into *.mp3 format. However, there is a way around this. As you know you can burn an audio CD from your tunes music. After burning your CD, delete the songs you burned from your tunes and send them to the recycle bin. Then put in your new audio CD and import them into tunes as AC (*.m4a or *.mp3) format and now you have full control over the format you want your song in and can be played on most if not all mp3 players.
You can adjust options in tunes to help with which format you want and what kind of CD you want to burn:
(Edit / Preferences / advanced tab / importing & burning tabs)
here you can make the adjustments you need to import or convert to *.m4a or *.mp3 formats.
Some of you won't like this fix. I fight the fights I can win and this works so I'll take it!
Crawford
14. by giraffa, 9 February 2007, 04:15
Hi there
Sorry Am not in this Forum theme
Anybody can inform me how can I refill my balance actually...
The Xrost is not available anymore?
15. by Aldarion, 9 February 2007, 05:44
For ALL the posters here telling Apple to make the music DRM free... THEY CAN'T! DRM was a condition of them being able to sell the music from the big four. Apple CAN'T remove DRM unless they get a new contract with the record labels.
When the labels let up... so can Apple.
And for the record... I have 0 itunes songs on my iPod and a few hundred from here. So I'm not an apple fan boy. In fact... over half of my music is from allofmp3.
16. by mars7, 9 February 2007, 08:41
you know, alot of people are trashing apple over their DRM. Rhapsody, napster and all the others all have DRM too. those other services only allow you to rent the songs as long as you keep paying monthly bills. i have now complaints with my ipod. i ripped my whole 10,000 song CD library and carry it aound on my ipod. who cares what format its in once its on the ipod. all my songs were ripped in MP3 format and the ipod works fine with that format. i am so against the record labels with their DRM crap. i dont think apple, rhapsody, napster, etc have any choice in the matter.
17. by enga, 9 February 2007, 20:11
HI THERE GIRAFFA.
I have the same problem.Cannot find xrost eiter.
18. by FineArtsGroup, 9 February 2007, 20:30
I agree that Jobs hit the nail on the head. I don't understand the animosity towards him and/or Apple at all. He make legitimate paid-for downloads a succesful reality where any of the prior models had justifiably failed. I don't understand why there is no criticism of the sites where you pay monthly fee, and if you stop paying, you no longer have anything to show for it. That being said, I do think the pricing is too high, but I have felt that for CDs for years - a retail price of $18.98 or 19.98? That even makes iTunes a bargain. I have used iTunes to purchase the single individual songs to avoid paying for an entire album I don't want (like Greatest Hits with one or two new songs). I still prefer to have the hard copy of the CD, including the art/info booklet, and you can indeed purchase them for much less than retail or iTunes. The thing I like most about allofmp3 is the availability of out-of-print or unobtainable recordings, collectible singles, etc.
19. by Me, 10 February 2007, 01:56
Apple had no choice but to use drm otherwise it wouldn't of had any music to put on iTunes at all.
I'm glad they are against drm and so should everyone else!
20. by Learn to read!, 10 February 2007, 02:01
If you morons would learn how to read!! You would understand that Apple had no choice but to use DRM!
The record companies made Apple use DRM or it wouldn't be able to sell any music at all! Apple didn't want to use DRM the record companies made them!!!!!!
You people busting Apple's ball would know that if you knew how to read, idiots!!!
21. by the old pioneer, 10 February 2007, 02:45
If you're having trouble converting iTunes songs for use with mp3, there's another way to make the switch, if you own a Mac (may work with Windows, too -never tried this on one). In Mac, read the m4p file into either Amadeus or Audacity. Save it as an mp3. Have to do it on song by song basis, but I move itunes stuff from daughter's ipod to son's lyra without problems.
22. by Chris, 11 February 2007, 14:26
PAYMENT PROBLEMS - NOW NO XFROST.
I have no Diners or JCB card, so I cannot see anyway around this. Read via google news that we may be losing this site this time around or it's going to be taken over by a big corporate with their inflated prices.
Not happy!
23. by giraffa, 12 February 2007, 03:32
Hey, CD..
All four alternative sites are working with Visa REALLY?
Thanks
24. by Steve, 13 February 2007, 20:52
What are the four alternative's?
25. by Dave, 13 February 2007, 23:35
Folks, give Apple a break. They're doing what they can to contribute to the advancement of online sales, period. They're currently forced to use DRM which sucks. But don't blame Apple. They use AAC/mp4 because it's a more advanced, better sounding format than the over 10-year old mpeg-1 layer 3 (mp3) format. AAC, like WMA, allows for multi-channel (surround, SAP, etc.), but AAC simply works and sounds better. MP3 will eventually die over time, due to its limitations. Don't think Apple decided on AAC/mp4 to "screw" or "lock down" their iPod customers. PS., iPods play mp3s, too...
As a musician and songwriter with albums out, I can attest that the problem here is the middleman - big labels - and it has to go. Indies like myself can get our music on iTunes for about $35. We also get on Rhapsody, e-Music, and all that other crap. And we get a better profit than if we were signed, and we get more than allofmp3 would pay us, if they chose to. I say, thank you iTunes.
Apple works, Apple makes great machinery, Apple has a great OS. It is in their best interest to make us, the consumers, happy. And they do their best. Give 'em a break. They're not screwing anybody.
26. by ogtay, 14 February 2007, 02:19
dude, i hate to tell you but my lame encoded mp3's sound far superior to apple's "tinty" treble heavy mp4 compression
why should we give apple a break when they are in bed with the riaa ???
th riaa and apple remind me of 2 kids pointing at each other when mother wants to know who was responsible for the broken lamp in the living room ...
27. by JakeVanDamme, 14 February 2007, 02:21
Yea giraffa wat r de other sites???
28. by maceman, 16 February 2007, 14:22
The information below is just what I can recall, I might be wrong on some of it.
The majority of record labels are too paranoid to release their music in a non-DRM format, but it's a start. Kudos to Jobs for making this statement. Just FYI, mp3 is indeed over 10 years old, but it certainly isn't obsolete. mp3 is just as good sounding as aac or wma is at high bitrates. In fact, at around 180 kbps (the point at which 'transparency' is achieved), all the codecs sound almost equal in listening tests. Only below 100 kbps is where the new codecs are competing. In fact, you're always able to hear the sound quality loss at low bitrates like 64 kbps. New codecs are competing for making bad bitrates sound less bad. Higher bitrates sound just as good in mp3 as they do in aac or wma. I'm not trying to put aac (MPEG-4 audio) down, I'm just saying that for full quality (128 kbps) music downloads, mp3 (MPEG-1 audio) works great, and that there is no need to phase out mp3.
29. by ogtay, 17 February 2007, 01:51
i'm with you maceman.
the riaa just wants a new codec/format so they can attempt to sell me the same songs for like the 5th or 6th time in a new format that "sounds better". that my friends , is what should be illegal.
30. by bob, 25 February 2007, 05:47
In eastern Europe, you can't even buy from the itunes store.
The discussion about digital rights management is a joke if you have not the right to buy online music at all.
Millions of people wear ipods in this part of the world. Not one song could have been legally bought at itunes, sony or other online vendors. I greatly appreciate vendors like allofmp3 to enable us to actually buy music. My children know they do not have to steal music but can buy it.
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