Apple Get's its Sh*t Together and Dumps DRM

Boom!

Here's some pretty sweet news:

Mr. Steve Jobs has just announced that Apple will join up with EMI to offer the entire EMI catalog on iTunes music store....

DRM free!

The announcement was made today and the new 'free tunes' will be available for download in May. The new music prices will increase 30% to $1.29 per song, but the quality offered will be upped to 256 kbs in AAC format. Interestingly, iTunes will continue to offer the DRM music as well at $.99 per track, giving music listeners a choice. (not sure about the thinking on this, but whatever...)

So the price goes up, but the quality's better and there's no DRM to contend with. The hike in coinage that it will take to buy the DRM-free music from iTunes has another benefit too, as it will give a more even advantage to smaller distributors.

Another cool little tidbit is that (as near as I can tell) full albums will remain the same price (!) and you can 'upgrade' any previously purchased iTunes DRM music in your library by simply paying the $.30 difference. That's cool. Also from what I understand DRM videos can be stripped of their DRM for free.

Apparently, back in February, Steve Jobs actually sent out an open letter to record companies encouraging them to dump DRM restrictions. Mr. Jobs stated in the letter that the only reason iTunes implemented DRM in the first place was because the major music labels wouldn't distribute music through iTunes Music Store without the DRM restrictions in place.

I know that this won't mean anything at all to many people who get their music from eMusic or elsewhere, but the fact is that this is a huge (although inevitable) step forward for the world of music. As long as the concept doesn't bomb (and why would it?), then everyone else will very quickly jump on-board and the DRM monster will be effectively slain.

Great work, Apple!

P.S.- In case you're wondering (and why wouldn't you be?) The Beatles' music, which EMI owns the rights to, will still not be released along with the rest of their catalog as of yet.

***********Dr. Confusion jumping in here********
I think this is great news. But, I worry. I'm worried that, in pricing the DRM free tracks higher, the sales will be lower. So, in the future both Apple and EMI can say "Look at the figures...there's no demand for DRM-free music." If they priced the non and the with DRM tracks the same, the ideological argument would trounce the economic for doing away with DRM. If feels weird, a a little bit galling to have to pay to remove the noose you didn't ask for. Like, how unrefined brown rice costs more than processed rice. Knamean? There's less labor involved in the process so why do I have to pay more? On the whole, this is a very encouraging sign!


****a Myku Update*****
Yes, indeed, it is a backwards way of doing things. I can only imagine that it's because they're (for some reason) trying to "phase out" DRM instead of doing away with it altogether. I truly hope that it doesn't backfire, but for some reason, I don't think it will. Maybe because there's such an overwhelming populace of people who want DRM to die. We'll see what happens. I think, though, that the new DRM-free tunes are of a higher bit-rate than those currently available on iTunes Music Store.

Another Apple update here too: I just read that iTunes Music Store will now give you credit towards the purchase of a full album if you've previously purchased tracks from that album. They'll just subtract what you've already paid from the album cost. I think that's really sweet.

Deerhoof @ Rolling Stone

Deerhoof is so much fun. They were recently here in tha "C," but I was unable to attend.

*Sadness floods my drab southern room; the flowers wilt; goldfish hold their breath in sorrow; somewhere in the distance, a clown is crying.*

Oh well, I'll just have to console myself with the new video for "The Perfect Me" available at Rolling Stone's site. There's also a vid for "Dog on the Sidewalk" on the same page.... Off the chizzain.

Also, for more of Rolling Stone's Deerhoof coverage/support check out their Deerhoof Page, ripe with articles, album reviews, photos, videos, and a little audio player that lets you tune in to 'Deerhoof Radio' and/or listen to the 5 most popular Deerhoof tracks on Rhapsody.com.

Love ya, Deerhoof. Catch you next time around....

Byrne Speaks on the Future

Mr. Doctor Confusion sent me a LINK to this little snippet in Boing Boing about a presentation by David Byrne where the music icon muses that record labels will soon be obsolete and that he currently gets all of his music from eMusic or via illegal download. Mr. Byrne quotes issues with DRM for his not purchasing music online from distributors like iTunes. Very interesting indeed. I might try to dig up more on this, but thanks for now to Dr. C for catching this cool piece of info!

Behold, the Declining Empire

If you haven't heard the hoopla regarding the newest bit of battling over musical content on the internet, check THIS out.

I am more or less outraged by the RIAA's push to suck internet radio stations dry by imposing ghastly royalty rates on them, but this post is not entirely about that; it is about the fact that I feel that this a pristine example, an uncomplicated omen, another point of light in a constellation spelling ultimate doom for the record industry as it has existed and been known to us in our lifetimes. There is a new direction on the horizon; a cultural revolution involving artists, society, and the corporations that have traditionally linked the two.

What, then, will the new direction be? I will not (and can not) offer speculation- I can only say that it's an exciting time. It is my hope that artists continue to push the envelop, inventing new means of circumventing the powers that be in order to see a more direct flow of revenue straight from the hands of the listeners into the pockets of the creators- middleman be damned. We need to realize as a society of music listeners and music makers that we exist at a point in time that is unique in the fact that we no longer need record companies to act as brokers in what could be an extremely beneficial relationship between artist and public; so, why don't we start dealing directly with the artists whose work we love instead of with the record companies and groups like the RIAA whose work is becoming an increasing intrusion, as well as an assault, on our personal sensibilities and listening liberties? We don't need anyone telling us what music we should or should not be listening to, what we should or should not be buying, and overtly attempting to corral us all into some sort of top-40 vacuum that profits only a few to the detriment of music as a whole.

I believe the problem, however, is that too much of what would be called the 'opposition' to the aforementioned Goliaths is comprised of a largely disjointed populace, yet without singular vision, not united and, therefore, still without the power to invoke necessary change. The internet, for sure, is full of independent music, but a large chunk of it is made by people like me. So? What's the problem? I think a lot of artists like myself are just looking to put their music out there and get heard. We've been making music for years at home, with friends, in private, and at drunken parties; we've been lucky to scrape together enough dough to dip into a studio and cut a demo of blandly produced snippets of our 'best stuff,' or to have a friend with a four-track we could use to record a few extremely questionable, quality challenged opuses that would largely be considered unlistenable to most people. We are the huddled masses finally breathing free via the conduit of affordable home-recording software and the ease of making digital media available on the web, the everyman (and woman) who once stood mute behind an invisible podium now handed an open-ended ticket for a center-spotlight performance and top billing at an online 'open-mic night' that at any given moment might play to one solitary listener or to an audience of thousands. Because we are basically 'weekend warriors' and so have minimal expectations and no power or pull within the 'industry,' the question of the future of music only lies with us as much as we can become united under one flag.

Likewise, a great deal of the responsibility for change rests on the shoulders of professional artists. It is for those intent on making a living in this crazy business to forge new means of contenting all of us who have been so accustomed to the ease of getting new music online (often, ahem, for free) while somehow simultaneously turning a profit. I am not trying to pass the buck here, either. I believe this is a natural progression that will inevitably be felt out anyway as artists seek to rectify the gross inconsistencies plaguing their profession of choice and attempt to take advantage of a changing marketplace that will not continue to play by the archaic rules of an obsolete game. How this will come about is not clear. Maybe it could be from artists using the internet for self-promotion (MySpacers do it all the time) and making the actual scratch from live shows and merchandising. Perhaps, the biggest hit and the scariest prospect to artists who decide to cut out the middle-man 'play ball' with internet users is not the lack of revenue from CD sales (since most of that goes to the record companies anyway), but it's the absence of that old cliche of getting 'discovered' and being offered a 'big record deal' and a gargantuan fistful of cash.

However, as times change, more and more brave souls will just wing it and work the system as best they can. Plus, a new generation of artists are emerging who have known little other than the market that now exists and will no doubt bring about innovations in the way that music is thought of and handled, innovations that for now are just barely beyond visibility out there on the horizon. I, for one, am hanging on the edge of my seat waiting to see who comes out and turns the industry (and the world) on its ear.

Bye bye, Evil Empire. It's only a matter of time.

Podcast Fever

So, I've lately begun to seriously enjoy listening to podcasts as opposed to music on my way to school. I'm swiftly becoming addicted, in fact. Why?

Well, in some cases, I believe there's a certain quaint enjoyment to be found in listening to the personal podcasts of individuals as it is much like listening to someone's blog. As can be expected, this experience may bring a certain feeling of being connected to a greater community, creating a web of "friends" that you don't know and who don't know you but will nevertheless air their life's dirty laundry and their innermost hopes and fears for you to connect-with/laugh-at. But it may also, at times, become brutally laborious, as you careen through the average Joe's pensive recounting of his/her daily banal minutia of why they chose a certain brand of toothpaste or why why they decided to rent "Brokeback Mountain" instead of "The Devil Wears Prada" at the video store. J. Michael Haas puts a nice twist on his personal podcast, "The Daily Purge," by including excepts of his writings at the start of each installment. After his readings, however, the podcasts often degenerate to him talking about his cats.... This is the reason that I don't listen to podcasts like this too often. So what, then, do I listen to?

Mostly, I've found myself listening to podcasts like Boing Boing's new one, Penn Jilette's "Penn Radio," "Democracy Now," "Real Time" with Bill Maher, etc. These (and like a gagillion others I've recently decided I can't live without) sit in that greyish news/current events/editorial/entertainment zone that helps career underachievers such as yours truly feel connected to what's going on in the world. Of course, this feeling comes largely from listening to others rant and rave about how our society is coming apart at the seams. Oh well, it's better than not being informed at all.

On another note, Indie Feed has a collection of podcasts that are seriously cool and fun give you a little taste of various artists and whatnot. Likewise, KEXP is rocking my world lately too, injecting my earbuds with all kinds of new artists and sweet live performances.

Let us also not forget discipline specific podcasts like "Inside Home Recording" and the many Photoshop Podcasts out there. What better way to stay ahead of the game?

If you're not yet "into" podcasts, I guarantee that once you start searching, you'll find a plethora of casts that fit your individual tastes. Recently, I'm listing to/watching (ipod video, ya'll... holla!) audiobooks, radio shows, poetry readings, personal blogs, political debates, news, new music releases, etc, and finding myself absolutely thrilled with the wealth and variety of information that can be carried with me wherever I go. Maybe this is a passing thing for me; I can't say for sure. But with so much quality content out there.... how could it be?

MySpace, 'Hustlin'

MySpace to block illegal use of copyright music | CNET News.com

So MySpace is finally 'putting it's foot down,' implementing new technology that will allow them to stop users from posting unauthorized copyright music. Supposedly, they've been getting flack from some of the 'giganto' record companies (and who hasn't) and have decided to cave to the pressure.

This may be more strategic than it seems, though, considering MySpace aims to eventually offer copyright-protected songs from major record companies, and will soon begin selling songs from nearly 3 million unsigned bands. Really quite an ambitious move, if you ask me:

1. Oust the 'music pirates' and appease the major record labels, cleaning-up your image in the process

2. Make deals with said labels to distribute their music on MySpace now that 'everybody's friends again'

3. Begin capitalizing on all the independantly produced music being distributed by the many bands who use MySpace

4. Bask in the glow of an ever-expanding empire

Smart stuff, MySpace. I just hope that those who've been posting their own original music for free will be allowed to continue if they so desire.......

For Those About to Mix.......

Booyah!

It's never too late to start treatin' yourself right with some free music. I just came across Basic.ch, a site that boasts internet radio as well as live & archived dj mixes. The archives actually look quite huge too...... Wicked.

The Constantines Rebuttal Rebuttal Re..... oh Whatever.....

Yeah.

I sort of read that write up of the show and was wondering if I'd missed something. However, as I usually DO miss something, I just kept my pie hole shut. :)

Oh, um, stirring things up again.......

I really like Chad VanGaalen. I hope he didn't ruin the Constantines show, but I have his "Infiniheart" album and it's pretty sweet.

The article IS, in my opinion, a little lacking concerning the actual performance by the Constantines, though. Not enough coverage/info for my tastes, considering that's what the article's supposed to be about.

-Love,
.m

"My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" + Creative Commons = 2 Free Classics + Hundreds of Remixes!

I just heard!!!

If you dig the 1981 David Byrne - Brian Eno release "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" (and if you don't dig it, probably some of your favorite artists do), then you'll be as erect as an exclamation mark to hear that the Byrne - Eno team have re-released the album with 7 new tracks, AND AND AND AND AND (!!!!!) two of those tracks, "A Secret Life" and "Help Me Somebody," have been offered-up online under a Creative Commons license!

AND, for those who haven't heard, it gets betta, kids. The two tracks have been made available in their ORIGINAL 24-TRACK FORM. Byrne and Eno have set up the site bush-of-ghosts.com to allow common peasants such as we to download the original pre-mixed album tracks, mutilate and/or remix them to our heart's content, then UPLOAD the remixes back onto the site where they will be available for the public to vote on, share, laugh at, etc.

That's right. And, we're not JUST talking remixes either, as you are also free to use samplings of the two songs in your own original compositions. Pretty sweet, especially when you consider that the terms of the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license dictate that all derivative works must also be "share-alike".

This much exstacy may require a mea culpa or two……….