Universal Music Group has decided to stop MySpace from streaming entire songs of artists signed to the label. Instead, UMG is only permitting 90-second samples of songs to stream on the social networking site, according to press reports.
UMG quietly instituted this policy several months ago, but word is only now reaching the media. On Monday, Wired posted a note from UMG's Colbie Caillat to fans, in which she explains the situation. "Due to circumstances beyond my control I have to swap the songs out on my page for 90 second versions instead of full length versions," she writes. She adds, however, that full versions of some songs remain available on her own Web site.
There's been no official statement from UMG -- which is also suing MySpace for copyright infringement -- but it's clear the company fears that free streams are somehow costing it money. Whether this is true or not, UMG clearly is fighting a losing battle if it thinks it can stop free streams of music.
Like Caillat, musicians are taking matters into their own hands and offering free streams of entire songs from their own Web sites. What's more, enterprising Web users can still find plenty of ways to listen to and, in many cases, download music for free.
The record labels would do better to figure out how to court enthusiastic fans -- those who upload an artist's videos or tracks, or seek them out online -- than continue to alienate them with self-defeating policies.
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Universal probably won't try to stop Colbie (because they don't want to alienate one of the few artists on their label that really seems to have some momentum), but I'm sure they're not happy about it. Of course, their 90 second policy may have more to do with Uni's power struggle with MySpace than the actual use of the music.
Howard Koval Managing Partner, Executive Producer Hit Start Howard@Hit-Start.com www.Hit-Start.com