Yahoo Music continues DRM-free download experiment

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Yahoo put another music track without DRM (digital rights management) on sale through its Yahoo Music service Tuesday. The Norah Jones single "Thinking About You" sells for $0.99, in MP3 format on Yahoo's music store, and in DRM-encumbered AAC format on Apple Computer's iTunes Store. Both formats will play on PCs, Macs, and the market-leading iPod portable music player, but only the MP3 version will play on other portable music players.

DRM technology is used to set limits on how, when, how many times, and on what devices a file may be played. While DRM can be applied to music in AAC, ATRAC, or WMA format, it cannot be introduced into MP3 files.

Yahoo first experimented with selling MP3 files without DRM in July, when it offered Jessica Simpson's "A Public Affair" as an MP3 file for $1.99. While that track was not tied to a particular PC or music player with DRM, the audio track was personalized to contain a first name of the purchaser's choice, picked from a list of hundreds of prerecorded names, limiting its interest to other listeners.

View: Full Story @ InfoWorld

#1 Wolfsglen on 06 Dec 2006 - 16:03

Part of me hopes its an absolute raging success so more stores follow suit and offer DRM-free files as a result.

The other, more cynical part of me knows its wishful thinking at best since the dinosauRIAA's will refuse to accept it regardless of demand.

(2 replies) #2 PureLegend on 06 Dec 2006 - 16:05

How annoying...I'm happy they are doing this, but a pre-recorded name mid-song? Eww.

Guess I can use Audacity to remove it.

#2.1 Corky842 on 06 Dec 2006 - 19:34

That's just on the Jessica Simpson song, but I have no idea why you'd want to listen to it anyway.

#2.2 PureLegend on 06 Dec 2006 - 21:15

Quote - Corky842 said @ #2.1

Same reason I listen to Fergie. Because it's so bad it's good.

#3 Croquant on 06 Dec 2006 - 17:05

I expect the RIAA to be suing Yahoo for music piracy any minute now.

(2 replies) #4 CrimsonKnight13 on 06 Dec 2006 - 17:47

DRM = Damaged Resolution Media... Anti-piracy is a huge headache. I find it humorous how businesses list their imaginary losses from piracy when they've never had the money to begin with.

#4.1 adversedeviant on 06 Dec 2006 - 18:02

exactly.

#4.2 ThaCrip on 07 Dec 2006 - 00:58

your damn right

... cause they tend to count "all" pirated music as "losses".... but in reality if they stoped all those people from pirating it not all of em would have bought it.... sure some would have but NOT all..... so this right there means there figures are WAY off.

(1 reply) #5 Destruction.Thrash on 06 Dec 2006 - 19:13

This experiment is flawed, whos going to buy Jessica Simpson or Noah Jones songs

#5.1 Danrarbc641 on 06 Dec 2006 - 19:59

Heck I can spare the buck just to support the idea :p

Imagine the RIAA's surprise if the mp3 sells better than the iTunes file (it'd be impressive on several levels)

(2 replies) #6 crimsonhead on 06 Dec 2006 - 20:19

This "MP THREE" format sounds awesome! If only I could get these 'Mp3s' on a massive scale for a cheaper price.....

#6.1 Croquant on 06 Dec 2006 - 20:36

I hear there's something called "Pee-Two-Pee" that lets you get music files for free... but of course that can't be true. Can it?

#6.2 Havin_it on 06 Dec 2006 - 20:48

*COUGH* bleep.com *COUGH

#7 Havin_it on 06 Dec 2006 - 21:00

These "experiments" are about as useful as a chocolate toaster. What does it achieve putting up 2 songs a year in MP3 format, both with this wank "add your name" feature that most people who actually *like* the artist (and I/m 0 for 2 so far) probably won't want fscking up the record? My guess is it's the only format they can generate on-the-fly without getting sued by somebody (and Fraunhoffer could still do so, if they care to), and that it has sod-all to do with appealing to the anti-DRM crowd.

If they really were interested in such an "experiment", they'd cut a deal with a right-thinking label (Rough Trade or Domino spring readily to mind) and start selling the darn things. It's hardly a massive startup cost, after all...

#8 HawkMan on 06 Dec 2006 - 21:22

and what's the quality of these MP3's. the AAC files are allready sub par, and they offer a lot better quality for the filesize/bitrate than MP3. I don't think I'd pay for a 192 mp3... if it's mp3 it'd have to be 320 or high quality VBR atr theleast to be worth paying for.

then I wouldn't buy the AAC files on iTunes either ... don't dcare for or against DRM as long as I can play the files on the majority of devices available and wich I use, wich would be windows PC's and probably a playsforsure device, as long as the quality is ok.

#9 ThaCrip on 07 Dec 2006 - 01:03

screw DRM .... anyone who knows anything about DRM obviously aint going to like it since it limits use.... regular MP3's are SOOO much better and less restricted.

#10 onesolo on 07 Dec 2006 - 10:54

Screw DRM digital audio formats, good Analogue CD (without any protection) is the way to go...
Thanks to the vast majority of the bands that I listen, lots of underground heavy metal, that they don't give a **** to this kind of stuff...

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