Quote Originally Posted by Ajani
RE my music industry conspiracy theories: perhaps the real question is why so many persons (myself included) have such a dim view of the industry?
Perhaps because you read too many opinions of the online press, especially from computer based pundits who believe that everything on the web should be free. Their non stop assault on DRM, and the music industry going after pirates(which seems like David versus Goliath) both contribute to the poor rep the industry has gotten lately.

If the view is both unfounded and wrong (as you believe) then clearly the industry is in dire need of doing something to boost its public image...
The only thing that will boost its public image is to give songs away for free. Until they do, they will always seem like demons to you, and everyone else.

All we see (regular consumers) are insistence on heavy royalties and DRM schemes - both of which only punish legitimate purchasers of music... So we have no reason to believe the industry has any interest in doing anything other than screwing us.
This is BS. Regular consumers don't have an issue with DRM, because there is no DRM on CD's. There is a ton of downloadable music out there with no DRM. This is a red herring point you continue to raise over and over, and it really is a non issue these days.

Also the service sounds like more Pandora style nonsense rather than truly giving you freedom to listen to exactly the song you want, when you want:
Itunes already covers that area and has a lock on it pretty much. There is no point when you come this late in the game to try and compete with Apple, you will lose your shirt if you do. This makes good business sense, and I am sure that you know this.



http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20...?tag=cnetRiver

I'm sure the Pandora style approach is based heavily on a survey of customer wants and not on what the music industry will allow
No you are not sure of this, as you have nothing to support this surety. Sony made this decision themselves(if you read the article), because they saw no point in trying to compete with Apple who has control of 70% of the market. Between Apple and Amazon, 79% of the market is basically wrapped up. Why spend a ton of money rolling out a itunes style business just to capture 20% or less of the market? Combine that with a market that is been totally flat this year, and has not shown significant growth in the last two years. It just does not make sense to open a music store in this kind of environment.

One thing is for certain Ajani, you don't understand how the music industry works, and it certainly does not work like you think it does. The music industry does not stop anyone from opening a online music store, but the business environment certain can. Your continued parroting on what the music industry doesn't allow is not going to make a mis-truth suddenly become a truth.