Music execs chime in on DRM: it's lame, but it ain't going anywhere - Engadget

To those execs who don't think stripping DRM will boost sales...

let me put it to you this way: As long as tech-savvy individuals like myself cannot transfer our legally bought music (quickly, easily, and without any security limitations) between *all* of our music-playing devices, we will continue to laugh at your pathetic attempts to sell us that DRMed crap and continue to get our DRM-free music from "other sources". You could get my $9.99 for that album, but instead the BitTorrent community will get another seed.

I think a universal DRM is more likely than none at all. If people realize that they can simply copy their files to their friends computer they will, and thats not bittorrent users, thats the average moron. They just need a drm thats enough to deter casual copying and doesn't get in the way of private use.

The picture you show shouting "Down With DRM" looks remarkably like Marxist icons from communist era Russia; it could almost say "Down With Property Rights." Of course, communism's solution to the inequity between rich and poor was to make everybody poor. It would be wonderful if there were no need for DRM just as it would be wonderful if we didn't need locks on our cars and houses.

There will always be people who know how to break DRM, just as there will always be housebreakers, but I'll still lock my door anyway. One of the problems with liberty is that it just takes a few jerks to ruin it for everybody.

Pfff, 72% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Okay, here's my thing. Purchased music currently includes DRM, right? Well, here's the thing.

This DRM is in place to present sharing, right? Well, the people that would BUY music in the FIRST place probably aren't all that into P2P, right? So it kind of defeats the purpose.

Music gets online other ways...

I guess the delusionals at the RIAA think that DRM-free versions of music won't find its way online. I have not bought a single track from the iTunes Music Store since I lost the ability to strip the DRM. I don't buy CDs.

I can assure any exec that if I didn't have to deal with DRM, I would definitely be buying music again. Record labels dont want you to download music, Im sure they see DRM as a way to influence you to buy the CD instead. Theyve proven for years that they refuse to accept the reality that it doesnt work and has only negatively affected sales so I dont think DRM will go anywhere, it will still be around 20 years from now.

And 20 years from now I will still be using P2P until they stop putting DRM on everything. The only possible way we will see DRM be dropped is if DRM stops being supported by distributers, but the RIAA will glady remove online music as a whole than remove DRM. I will never buy an mp3 with DRM.

I dont even rip the cd's I own anymore, these days its faster and easier to just download the mp3's (without DRM) than to actually rip it. I would buy lots of music online if it came without DRM and I was able to buy music from all countries rather than just what the RIAA wants me to buy in the USA.

I always burn my DRM'd Music unto a CD and rip it back into MP3 format.

.. There are ways around it, but it still a hassle that might make less tech savy users not buy music.

I try to whenever buy the real CD as there is virtually no cost difference (yet they don't have to manufacture anything...

) @Chris: Are you saying your statistic is made up on the stop?? I don't ever buy music.

CDs are ridiculously expensive and downloading(legally) is like being handcuffed. If I were to buy a song I would like to listen to it on whatever device I own and whenever. I guess I'll just stick to NPR and forcing all humans who visit my home to bring in their CD wallets from their car.

I got a few tracks from the Apple store during the Pepsi cap promotion and the free tuesday tracks, but I stopped, and ended up throwing them all out and replacing them with non-DRM after a running into the restrictions one too many times. I won't be using any tracks with DRM anymore. I repeat: DRM is such a hassle, it's not worth it even if the songs are FREE.

The last straw was when I was partying with some friends in a nice hotel room after a wedding. We wanted to be able to play some of our music through the rooms stereo. Everyone had iPods and one kid had a laptop and a blank DVD.

The DVD playing hooked up to the TV could play mp3 DVDs. So we all took the tracks we wanted from our iPods, and threw them onto the DVD. Unfortunately the people who had iTunes Music Store tracks couldn't add their music to the mix.

Now I realize that we probably broke all sorts of DMCA laws that night, but we were young and crazy (and drunk), and it was a party. What would you do?

So many people claim if there was no DRM they would buy online music.

I'm assuming they claim that comes from not being able to move their songs from PC, to iPod, to CD, etc. What about a system like this? You sign up for an online shop.

You input the serial numbers of your music hardware (lets say motherboard, external HDD and an iPod). When you buy a new piece of hardware, you simply add it to your profile. Friends could all 'go in together' and add all their hardware under one profile, and even user groups could pop-up where you 'file share' that way, but that is a lot of effort and frankly is happening regardless.

It would still mean legitimate customers could buy their music and use it where they want. And all those people claiming DRM prevents them could find another excuse not to pay for someones work.

a marketplace buying directly from artists, with a connection to an artist, and not some "middleman" corporate suit, will make DRM totally unnecessary.

Sure, you can share it/copy it, and there always will be those that do (just like with CD). But most customers support artists they feel strongly about (who have the means to buy music at fair prices, of course).

I think that buying directly from the artist is going to be the future of music.

The artist will have a site, you buy direct from that site whether it be cd or mp3. That way the artist gets their (much larger) cut and the files are not limited in their use.

It is so easy to download an entire DRM-free album using BitTorrent, put it on any mp3 player, burn it to a CD, and share it with your friends.

I WOULD PAY FOR THIS SERVICE!!!

I will not pay for DRMed music. Buying the CD and ripping it works, but I would buy more music if it was as easy as BitTorrent. I'm already addicted to buying VC titles on my Wii because the service works so well and is so easy to buy a game and start playing.

You're right, and that's where myspace is already starting to come in by allowing you to explore artists, sample, and then go to their website and buy. I envision a system where you find what you want on a site like myspace and then link out to something like amazon or yahoo music to get the non DRM track for a buck. The artist gets 50c, myspace gets 25c, and amazon gets 25c.

Everyone who deserves it makes money, and the people just causing problems ("executives") do not.

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