Napster Rises From The Ashes

SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
edited July 2003 in Science & Tech
The peer-to-peer debate has suddenly had to deal with a whole new angle this week, as news hits the world that Naptser (the P2P music service which was closed down in 2001) is to make its return. However, the service which this time will be headed up by Roxio (which bought Napster's assests last year for around £3m), will work on a subscription based system. As of yet there is no information as to how much the service will cost, but it looks set to become one of the largest legal music catalogues in the world.

This news I imagine will only heat up the debate surrounding peer-to-peer services, but personally I feel this is the sort of news both the music industry and the online music lover needs in order to find a middle ground in this continuing battle between the RIAA and non-legit P2P users.

The full report:
http://www.vnunet.com/News/1142656

Comments

  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    I think lower CD prices would be a fine compromise!
  • NixxerNixxer Nottingham, UK
    edited July 2003
    Purchasing MP3's is cheaper for both parties because the need for CD's and sleeves is non-existance. That is until physical substance can be downloaded from the net.
  • kanezfankanezfan sunny south florida Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    whoa, someday maybe we'll have an internet holodeck type thing? maybe that's where fedex and UPS are headed eh?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Purchasing MP3's is cheaper for both parties because the need for CD's and sleeves is non-existance.

    That's not really a big factor. Shipping and handling, whether performed by machine or hand, is expensive. The actual hardware costs of sleeves and the disks is miniscule, as compared to the total cost of mass producing commercially recorded CDs.

    Industry savings potentially could be immense, as server downloads would be the ultimate in efficiency.

    I think eventually there will be a viable online purchase-subscribe-share system that will, for the most part, make retail sales second tier.
  • SlickSlick Upstate New York
    edited July 2003
    As kanez said on one of his shows, cds are old technology. The new technology is mp3s. How many people do you know who still buy casettes or 8-tracks? None, because they are old, and we are moving onto a new technology, they need to get over cds, and think of a way to make p2p work, just like they are trying to do with napster.
  • PreacherPreacher Potomac, MD Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Let me ask everyone this question:

    "What would you pay to have a downloadable, high-quality, total selection music service?"

    I know I'd pay 30-40$ dollars a month which is well more than I ever spent on CDs even when I was buying them regularly.
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited July 2003
    Preacher said

    I know I'd pay 30-40$ dollars a month which is well more than I ever spent on CDs even when I was buying them regularly.

    I'm not adverse to that. That's a reasonable fee.
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