Yahoo has taken its first big step in trying to change the online music industry. The Web giant will sell Jessica Simpson's new single "A Public Affair" as an MP3 without piracy-protection software,
reports
Variety. Users will be able to share the new single as they please. They can upload it to peer-to-peer networks or burn countless CDs. Why would Yahoo do this? iPod compatibility.
Apple's iPod plays MP3 files. It is perhaps ironic that illegally downloaded music is playable on an iPod, whereas users of Napster, RealNetworks' Rhapsody, and Yahoo Music are out of luck. It's no
surprise that these music firms are envious of Apple's success and its ability to set music prices. Ian Rogers, director of product management for Yahoo Music, says the company would like major labels
to sell music with no copy protection. "Our position is simple," he writes. "DRM doesn't add any value for the artist, label, or consumer; the only people it adds value to are the technology companies
who are interested in locking consumers to a particular technology platform." Nevertheless, Yahoo is doubling the price of Simpson's single to $1.99 in exchange for its media freedom, although Rogers
says the price increase is due to a feature that enables users to personalize the single. If the labels allow other music stores to do the same thing, we could soon see a crumbling of the iron wall
surrounding Apple's music empire.
Read the whole story at Variety.com »
