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Get your DRM jokes in now; the big four record labels are preparing a new file format for the digital age.
The so-called .CMX file, due in November, is an answer to Apple’s “Cocktail” project, which will fuse traditional music files with liner notes, interactive booklets and possible perks such as free ringtones. Both projects are an attempt to incentivize full album purchases over individual song downloads.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that the labels and Apple were working together on Cocktail, but a story in The Times suggests that’s no longer the case. An unnamed label rep said that Apple actually created Cocktail after hearing about the .CMX format.
“Apple at first told us that they were not interested, but now they have decided to do their own, in case ours catches on,” the rep told the Times.
As The Guardian points out, catching on may have a lot do with iTunes and iPod compatibility. We’ve seen many a music file languish because it can’t be played on Apple’s game-changing music player, and if the two formats are competing I can’t see why Apple would cooperate.
More importantly, I’m leery of any file format that’s being pushed forward by the record labels, who only begrudgingly agreed to let iTunes carry DRM-free tracks if prices were also raised for the most popular songs. The source doesn’t say what kind of copyright protection will go into these files, but I wouldn’t count on a format that allows playback on an unlimited number of devices.
Keep in mind that the stories on both formats aren’t officially confirmed, so there’s a chance one of the sources doesn’t have the facts straight. Still, it does seem that there is a push to sell consumers on full album downloads.
To get me to budge, someone will have to package these interactive perks with a lossless format. If I’m going to pay that much at a time for music, I don’t want it to be lossy and disposable.
12 Comments
Seriously - CDs are still the only way that I will buy music.
DRM is dead, if they *think* they can bait us back into DRM by offering cheap trinkets they have been spending too much time sniffing glue.
I will also stick to physical CD's, because that way I have a "non volitile"
copy of what they are expecting to get me to pay money for.
Not "vapor ware" that they can blow away by simply shutting down their authorization servers.
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Sure, most MP3 players cannot play songs in a zip file, but the same can be said about this CMX format. For PC software (iTunes, Winamp, AIMP, Foobar, etc.), a simple update would take care of handling songs, album art, etc. in a zip archive. Those who want the album on their iPod or MP3 player could simply extract the songs.
But since this new CMX does not appear to be an archive that consumers can export the contents of, I'll not be at all surprised if they're doing this simply to bring DRM back in! Seems like they haven't broken the addiction just yet.
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Originally Posted by Nick.C
DRM, ads and non-portability - oh, and they can probably stop you accessing the content on a whim, should they choose to do so....
Seriously - CDs are still the only way that I will buy music. |
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Originally Posted by Nick.C
Just stating that I personally will not be buying into the new format.
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If the major herd are doing it, so will you. Common psychology. If it becomes a standard enough, you are buying it, with eyes closed and wallets wide open.
Now the next question is... What are we gonna buy? Are we gonna sit there and happily gleefully agree on the companies terms? I can think of several holes in this process in where i can emulate a perfectly correct connection schematic, yet have multiple copies of the information.
You see, we can copy VHS, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, use other means than Gasoline, get cheaper and better deodorant, know where to get Cigarettes cheap, cheaper chewing gum, pirate Microsoft Office, put an R4 card in our DS and tons of other creative ideas with all that consumer junk.
To me music is all the value that is required from the purchase, not useless add-ons and undoubtedly ads / links to "other things you might like". Similarly, I *very* rarely watch any content on a DVD that is not the main movie.
Some of the herd own an IPod - I don't. Some of the herd smoke - I don't. Some of the herd chews gum - I don't.
I will continue to purchase in a discerning manner which is affordable to me and will not tie me in to particular hardware to enjoy the content.
They should definitely be sold somewhere on the highstreet!
Anyway, I dunno if this is gonna take off or not, we will ahve to wait and see what happens.
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Originally Posted by SubZero
What of Walmart and the Amazon MP3 download purchases?
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I've got a few mp3 downloads from walmart.
They are completely fungible mp3 files.
Not that I really care as I've gradually aquired the most of the parent albums those tracks originally came from.
Repeat after me: PHYSICAL COPY.
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Music
- Digital Right Management (DRM), illegal and legal music downloads, the comeback of vinyl, the end of CDs, the start of new distribution methods and all the gossip around music carrying media are in this category. More about this
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