my name is mwd

It’s been a fun week for music and computing. First, the head of the Finnish division of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (an anachronistic name somewhat) pointed out that it’s an “extra privilege” to play you music CDs on a computer rather than a CD player. Apparently there’s now limits set on what you can use your CDs on set by others. Just so you know. They suggested that Mac and Linux users (stinking commie bastarts) that can’t play CDs with copyright protection that only support Windows to “purchase a regular CD player”. Ta. Much easier that, I’ll just not buy those CDs thanks.

Next up, the good old pricing war on the iTunes Music Store. Apple’s COE Steve Jobs has been vocal that he wants iTMS to have a flat price per son, which is currently $99. As far as I understand Apple makes virtually no profit on this, rather seeing it as a way to fuel iPod sales, so most the money goes to the record company. They’re not having to press CDs, print books, distribut records to stores, there’s no store rent to pay, sales people etc., so the price (in the UK 79 pence a track, 7.99 an album) already seems a bit high to me. But the recording industry wants more, oh yes. Earlier this week Jobs complained that if the record companies want to push up prices they’re “getting greedy”. Well, given my thought that we’re already being overcharged based on comparing only the modest drop in price from shop prices to online prices, I’m inclined to agree. Not that I think Jobs motives is my wallet - he’s just trying to protect Apple and the iPod, but it just happens to line up what I want. Wonderfully, in proof that recording industry execs can’t open their mouths without putting their foot in it, the CEO of Warner Music Group first confirmed that they want to put up prices, but also complained they weren’t getting a cut of the iPod profits. “We don’t have a share of the iPod’s revenue, we want a share in those revenue streams.” Noooo, not greedy in the slightest :) I suspect that they don’t actually mean they want a cut of iPod sales (they can’t be that mad, surely?) but rather they see iTMS fueling iPod sales, and they’re providing the driving force for that. But to me that’s highly debatable - most people I know have their iPods full of CD’s they’ve ripped, so they’ve already made their money on most iPods.

Anyway, hats off to the CEO of Warner Music Group - he’s managed to out meglomaniac Jobs - an impressive achievement. I’ll leave you with this recording of his announcement (if you just click on one link in this rant, let it be this one :).