snapshot 9/17/07

Distribution of your content is controlled
One of these days, the music and video content control industries are going to figure out why the barrage of derisive comments a few years ago have turned to consumers' embarrassed glances at the ground when far-reaching claims are made about limiting the spread of music, movies, software or any other data.

So far, the industry has never won a single battle in the content distribution control war; every technological measure has been defeated before the market life cycle of the media expires. And that's when it functions as designed; Microsoft's own Windows Genuine Advantage software control system fell over this past week, resulting in both denied access to purchased software and widespread sharing of information on how to bypass it. If your business model depends on the secrecy of information for more than a few days or weeks, you'd be better off looking at contractual and behavioral curbs rather than playback control or watermarking technologies. Digital rights management will never work.


EMusic to sell audiobooks for download
Digital music download service eMusic said on Monday it will offer audiobooks for download starting on Tuesday. The company, which describes itself as the world's second-largest digital music service after Apple's iTunes, said it will offer more than a thousand audiobooks, with hundreds more to be added each week. eMusic said its customers can sign up for monthly subscriptions priced at $9.99 for one book or $19.99 for two books, and get one book free as part of an introductory offer. New eMusic customers will be offered an audiobooks subscription with one audiobook free if they sign up within 14 days, the company said.


SpiralFrog Challenges iTunes with Free Music Downloads
SpiralFrog.com, an ad-supported, free music and video download site, officially launched on Monday. The site, which was in beta testing for months, allows anyone to access and download files from a library of more than 800,000 songs and 3,500 videos.

BTW, their site doesn’t appear to be able to handle the traffic… Site requires a download manager install and provides a Facebook application of “Top Downloads” The site requires only that users register on the site and log in once a month (otherwise the DRM'd files go belly up). DRM rules are that your tunes can’t be burned onto a CD and can only be placed on two media players at a time, also SpiralFrog's content won't work on your Mac or your iPod.


Sony BMG, Starwood Hotels in harmony on music pact
Sony BMG Entertainment has entered into an exclusive partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to develop uniquely branded music- and entertainment-based programming for hotels that fall under the Starwood banner. Under the long-term deal, Sony BMG will work closely with Starwood to create in-house song playlists, digital music stores, in-room TV offerings, customized compilation albums, live entertainment experiences and more.

Another goal is to create compilation CDs that will be sold at each hotel. At a price of $20, a compilation for W Hotels -- including such acts as Goldfrapp, Nina Simone, DJ Krush and Dirty Vegas -- has already been developed. Sony BMG and Starwood will share revenue on each CD sold. Starwood is also giving Sony BMG a free in-room TV channel that will be looped with approximately 60 minutes of artist interviews, short-form music videos and other exclusive programming. "We'll also have snippets of our long-form concert videos that are sold on DVDs," Rosen said, noting that viewers will be given the option to purchase the full concerts via pay-per-view.


Apple’s Ringtones and Copyright Law
pilsner.urquell writes "Apple's interest in defending the rights of the consumer has cost them a lot of grief in the ringtone market.'John Gruber of the Daring Fireball cites Engadget, which reported that the RIAA wanted to be able to distribute ringtones of its artists without having to pay them big money to do so. It won a decision last year before the Copyright Office saying that ringtones weren't derivative works, meaning they didnt infringe on the copyright of the songwriter.' The piece goes on to explain the tense relationship between Apple content holders regarding ringtones and other pieces of IP, such as in the recent withdrawal of NBC." Via slashdot


Winamp goes where iTunes doesn’t dare
On the 10th of October at 10:10am, Winamp 5.5 (PC-only) will be released sporting two new and potentially controversial features: support for mp3 blogs and the ability to stream your music collection over the Internet (a Beta version is available here).


Microsoft adds Slingbox-like capability to its Media Center PCs
Using the newly acquired (but not new) WebGuide component -- created by a gentleman named Doug Berrett -- you can now tune into your Media Center content from any place you have web access. The software actually goes beyond what Slingbox is capable of, giving you full control over your system remotely, allowing you to set record times, change schedules, and generally go buck-wild, even from a mobile phone or WiFi equipped PDA. Ballmer and Co. also added an ITV function to MC PCs, though apparently all it does is offer C-rate "internet" content for MCE users. Clearly, what's exciting here is WebGuide -- the software is free, and presuming you already have your system up and running, you could be "slinging" video around before you know it.