Communiqué received earlier this morning from Waste:
THE ALBUM WILL COME AS A 48.4MB ZIP FILE CONTAINING 10 X 160KBPS DRM FREE MP3s.
Thank you.
160kbps is a bit low for a static bit rate, particularly for an MP3, however if that is a VBR (variable) rate, then all is forgiven. Later today, I hope to be moshing out to IN RAINBOWS.
This is how music should be. We pay a small fee for the music, be it via a pressed plastic-and-silver disc or via an electronic package, that is unfettered by DRM or restriction. It is up to each individual as to how ‘involved’ they wish to be in a bands performance, up to and including merchandise and concert tickets1.
The music becomes the voice, not the will of an industry that is caught in a 1970’s LSD trip, fearful of change and fearful of losing their grip on all they have accumulated. And whilst the executives rail on about how evil we are, they use us as the reason for their lack of vision and lack of understanding. It is our fault they have not evolved.
Times can change2. If more bands take the same road as Radiohead, making music truly inexpensive3 and unrestricted, then we as consumers will prove the point. People are prepared to pay a fair amount for a fair product. We illustrate that every single day.
So lets support bands, main-stream or alternative, that dare to try something new. That dare to free their music. It’s in our best interests.
Make it so.
- which is where, by far, the most money will ever be made.. bands tour for a reason and it’s not just to see fans (↩)
- they aren’t yet changing.. there has been no real quantum shift in thinking (↩)
- or even free (↩)
≡ This is a journal entry relating to the topics of drm, music, noteworthy.
Brendan Borlase is a Systems and Network Administrator living in Adelaide, Australia, having lived, worked and breathed Information Technology for over 12 years. Learn more.
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