Forget MP3 - The future is WMA with Digital Rights Managment

[eyes without a face]

i think if this was to work it would be alongside the vinyl, multi-format release with the online distributors offering the WMA file for download instead of the mp3?

not sure tho really!

[tocsin]

i dont understand what it would actually do?
does it mean you buy a WMA file and and you can only play it back on the pc you bought it on or somthing?
if so that sounds wank, if not then what does it do?

That's basically the jist of it.

[Antinoise]

i dont understand what it would actually do?
does it mean you buy a WMA file and and you can only play it back on the pc you bought it on or somthing?
if so that sounds wank, if not then what does it do?

With Napster tracks for example you can register 3 PC's to work with the WMA's that you buy. You can unregister and register new computers as your computer setup changes...

And look, regarding all the posts to this point…….. the original point of this thread is not to turn it into a Microsoft sucks post or to debate weather WMA will ever be cracked... The point is that it’s a strong format that is safe to the average user. The "MP3" name alone just has too much bad blood associated with it, it scares everyone. WMA is a welcome coming. Soon every new online retailer of mainstream music (Napster, Yahoo, Rapsoity….. everyone except ITunes) will use WMA. It’s not going to be an obscure format any longer. I imaging in the next release of windows or further updates to WMA it will only get stronger.

[j_s]

i dont understand what it would actually do?
does it mean you buy a WMA file and and you can only play it back on the pc you bought it on or somthing?
if so that sounds wank, if not then what does it do?

With Napster tracks for example you can register 3 PC's to work with the WMA's that you buy. You can unregister and register new computers as your computer setup changes...

what about burning discs, using on mp3s players etc?

[schlongfingers]

And look, regarding all the posts to this point…….. the original point of this thread is not to turn it into a Microsoft sucks post or to debate weather WMA will ever be cracked... The point is that it’s a strong format that is safe to the average user. The "MP3" name alone just has too much bad blood associated with it, it scares everyone. WMA is a welcome coming. Soon every new online retailer of mainstream music (Napster, Yahoo, Rapsoity….. everyone except ITunes) will use WMA. It’s not going to be an obscure format any longer. I imaging in the next release of windows or further updates to WMA it will only get stronger.

There's an awful lot of assumption going on here.

It may be a 'strong' format now, but only to those who dont know how to record their output to their input, and within no time at all the format will be hacked and even that small amount of technical knowledge will not be necessary to rip the audio.

People aren't scared of MP3, it's a pretty established format, it's players are ubiquotous, people are at home with handling MP3's and are very very unlikely to start dumping it in favour of MP3 becauuse it offers no benefit to them, the end consumer. In fact it is a hindrance, it's difficult to transfer to their preferred listening format, suffers in its native state from a lack of playback methods, is incompatable with DJ tools and portable players and most importantly offers no improvement in sound quality, in fact it degrades to many ears.

Download centres aren't going to succesfully force a format on its consumers, they will just lose business. It's like Blockbuster ripping all its DVDs and videos off the shelves and stocking only Betamax.

[dirty_bass]

What`s a video?

[tioneb]

The thing making you think the DRM wokrs is that the software you are using to convert WMA to mp3 doesnt work. Fair enough.

BUT :

1) You want to transfer your music from your PC to your mp3 player. Hopefully it should work (otherwise, why purchase digital music?).

2) You want to play your file on another PC or mp3 player. Hopefully you can (otherwise, why purchase digital music? a legally bought CD can be played in every CD player on the earth).

So either these two points do not work and then this new format is totally unusable, otherwise it means these files can be exchanged and playe do,n every PC / mp3 player on the earth so i dont really see how can illegal copies could be avoided.

[Komplex]

The thing making you think the DRM wokrs is that the software you are using to convert WMA to mp3 doesnt work. Fair enough.

BUT :

1) You want to transfer your music from your PC to your mp3 player. Hopefully it should work (otherwise, why purchase digital music?).

2) You want to play your file on another PC or mp3 player. Hopefully you can (otherwise, why purchase digital music? a legally bought CD can be played in every CD player on the earth).

So either these two points do not work and then this new format is totally unusable, otherwise it means these files can be exchanged and playe do,n every PC / mp3 player on the earth so i dont really see how can illegal copies could be avoided.

Exactly. Its just microsoft being idiots and trying to buy into the whole digital music thing while pretending to offer piracy protection.

[420gang]

now its cracked.................

and u can compress to mp3 easily,......................bye

[dirty_bass]

now its cracked.................

and u can compress to mp3 easily,......................bye

Great, more free downloads for you then ey?

[Apex Beat]

Hmm, I suppose I pick and choose when it comes to piracy (I guess thats the consumer in me hehe) but I hope I'll always support the small techno and electronic music lables (I dont really care about downloading the latest chemical brothers album however, although thats gone in the recycle bin much faster than it took to download). It kinda annoys me to see kids rocking laptops and not paying for anything they're playing, considering I've spend a few thousand on vinyl in the past three years... Which I'm glad about, I dont mind knowing my money is making glenn wilsons toast in the morning or paying for Paul baileys electricity bills, as long as they keep banging out mental shit.

[tocsin]

Can someone please explain to me this concern about piracy? I never remember this being a concern in techno. Did you feel guilty when you got a mix tape from a DJ? Have you included full set lists with every mix you've ever done? Have you contacted and negotiated a price with artists for any materials you've sampled (there is no five second rule)? Have you contacted every artist who's track you used on a mix and paid appropriate royalties (giving the mix away for free doesn't change this requirement)? I never ever saw this shit come up until people thought they could be rockstars with techno. At one point, it seemed that techno damn near prided itself on how fast and easilly it could take rearrange the sounds of others, often within the genre. Seriously, how many of you get burnt if you see some kid with your tracks on Soulseek? How many of you get pissed if you hear someone playing a digital copy of your music? Hell, when's the last time you saw royalties for a DJ playing your track publicly
anyways? Hell, how many people here have paid for all the tools they use to right music? What's arguably worse? Downloading a $0.06-$0.10 for listening purposes or downloading $500+ software to write music and sell it? I can understand not approving of piracy. But, it seems people have gotten a little overly anal about it.

Something to ponder. Considering how many people here probably share the opinion that techno is saturated with crap releases because of kids with software who rightly believe that they can learn to produce the music themselves, is adopting a similar tired stance of the RIAA, or making it increasingly dificult through technology for people to hear music, going to do anything but encourage people to give you 2 middle fingers and possibly ram them up your ass as they get more proficient with their own music? Those of you who have legally purchased everything you use to cut a track and get high and mighty on me. The rest of you, however, are pretty much hypocrites if you'll scold others who, when it comes to the royalty payments one would earn from sales, have stolen les money with their entire digital music collection than a number of producers have stolen by just downloading one effects plugin pack.

[TechMouse]

Well said that man.

[OriginalTechnobastard]

Really? Don't you think once we see the music get better, that he has a point? Its easy writing replies, but when you got nothing out with nothing to backup your yap, its pure nonsense to me. Again I don't see his point.

[OriginalTechnobastard]

Can someone please explain to me this concern about 2 middle fingers and possibly ram them up your ass .

Your business is your business. No need to tell us all about it m8! :lol:

[OriginalTechnobastard]

Again, why don't people just do their music and stop moaning about people's opinions. If anything, it should encourage you to make better music. Correct?

[Dave Elyzium]

havent read the replies so sorry if someones mentioned this already but whats top stop recording the mp3 as audio and rippiong to cd, mp3 etc?

[SlavikSvensk]

The rest of you, however, are pretty much hypocrites if you'll scold others who, when it comes to the royalty payments one would earn from sales, have stolen les money with their entire digital music collection than a number of producers have stolen by just downloading one effects plugin pack.

you make a good point, but there are two issues here, that i see a big ethical line between. the first is grabbing something for personal consumption (e.g. a dj set off soulseek), the other is grabbing something to profit off of (e.g. an mp3 used in a dj set). i can't imagine too many people on here being upset about the former, but the latter is a different story...and it's not like sampling, unless you are sampling a large chunk of a tune and not changing it...but this is techno we're talking about, not house... as for using cracked software...that's another story..i'd also be curious to see how people view that...

the bottom line, though, is that techno, like everything else in life, is ruled by the cruel math of economics. when you rip mp3s and use them in paid dj sets, you are ripping off the producers, who should be compensated for their work, and unlike 50 cent or metallica or another RIAA pet, techno producers aren't really asking for much.

[tocsin]

I just see it as small potatoes. A lot of DJs charge money for their mixes to cover the costs of tapes, CDs and other miscellaneous expenses. But, I've never heard anyone bitch about not getting paid royalties for their track being on some DJs mix. I've never known any techno producers who, upon hearing a DJ play one of their tracks publicly, going up to that DJ to make sure they'll be reporting their setlist to ASCAP or something similar. And, to be honest, I don't know a soul getting paid DJ bookings who is using stolen music. Most of the people I know who can demand good money for spinning a set are sent the tracks for free via promo. As I said earlier, for the producer who has done everything square, they can get high and mighty and I'll respect their opinion. But, for those who pirate themselves, whether through software, sampling or both, they feel the same to me as a politician with a junk habit pushing for harder sentences on junkies. It gets hard to take after awhile.
"Do as I say, not as I do!" ;)

[Komplex]

very well said tocs.