Bono to co-develop new iTunes music format w/ more control (DRM)

[FlameOn]

Fresh off of forcing every iTunes account to download his album, Bono now says he's working with Apple on a new audio format that will force people to pay for music again.

Bono's already inserted himself into everyone's iPhones this week, but now he wants even more control over the way you enjoy music. The Irish singer says that he's been working with Apple on a new audio format that'll get people paying for music once again. In an interview with Time magazine, which won't be published until September 29th, it's said that the band has been working on a secret project that's "so terribly exciting to music fans that it will tempt them again into buying music." It's all part of U2's noble cause to see that songwriters and, especially, artists who can't recoup lost earnings through live gigs - like U2 - are properly compensated for their labors. Of course, given Apple's historic preference for secrecy, we can't imagine it'll be too pleased that Bono's running his mouth off in public. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time that a musician has blown one of Tim Cook's future announcements.

New format, more control.... Likely new DRM incoming.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/18/b...-piracy-music/

[PsYcNeT]

I hope this turns out as hilarious as Sony's rootkit debacle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BM...ootkit_scandal

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

I hope this turns out as hilarious as Sony's rootkit debacle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BM...ootkit_scandal

Considering how he gifted everyone with his album, I think everyone is in for an unpleasant surprise.

[undercoverbrother]

oh no Bono........U2 has jumped the shark.


Sad because they were so tight on Joshua Tree.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Fresh off of forcing every iTunes account to download his album, Bono now says he's working with Apple on a new audio format that will force people to pay for music again.



New format, more control.... Likely new DRM incoming.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/18/b...-piracy-music/

Not a new story. This was something Jobs was working on before he died. It's about Hi def digital music not DRM or more control. That ship has sailed.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/..._music_format_

[Looch City]

This will flop even faster than iTunes Ping.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Not a new story. This was something Jobs was working on before he died. It's about Hi def digital music not DRM or more control. That ship has sailed.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/..._music_format_

That's different - Neil Young is still going and it is called Pono. http://www.ponomusic.com/

There is a thread about it.

[calgarygeologist]

"so terribly exciting to music fans that it will tempt them again into buying music."

Will this revolution only be exciting for Apple and iTunes users?

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Not a new story. This was something Jobs was working on before he died. It's about Hi def digital music not DRM or more control. That ship has sailed.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/..._music_format_

As bobblehead stated, that is Pono...

This is specifically "to fight piracy"

Bono says he's working with Apple on a new music format to fight piracy

That can only mean DRM and the gifts the come along with that.

[corporatejay]

Do people still steal music?

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Do people still steal music?

Apparently, because it doesn't seem like people buy music.

[polak]

Open google, type "*artist* - *song name* MP3". You probably won't even have to go past page 2 as long as the song has been released by a real label. Doesn't have to be a major, just an actual label.

Until Bono figures out a way to make it harder than that to download music, you're not revolutionizing anything. I doubt very many people care about what features or add ons you could possibly throw on there, people want the song and they want it for free.

The music industry needs to get over the notion that the majority of people will pay for music ever again. If EDM artists can make money off live shows without the ability to actually perform live then I really think you're SOL if you're a band that can't get by playing shows...

[SuperMatt18]

I used to pirate music (and purchased a bunch of CDs in addition pirating) but haven't downloaded an album since I signed up for Rdio.

$8 a month and I get every album at midnight on release day.

No change to iTunes is going to make me go back.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I used to pirate music but haven't downloaded an album since I signed up for Rdio.

$8 a month and I get every album at midnight on release day.

No change to iTunes is going to make me go back.

Same goes for me. I use Google Play Music All Access.

[Hack&Lube]

Bono: "I don't believe in free music. Music is a sacrament"

None of the artists I listen to regularly sell commercial music. They are on Youtube or Soundcloud and give all their stuff away for free. You sometimes have the option to buy tracks or LPs or whatever but it all streams for free in the first place to get you to listen and to share the music. They seem to be able to make this economic model work just fine.

Bono / Pono high quality formats won't catch on simply because the average lowest common denominator consumer can't tell the difference between a 64k Mp3 and a lossless FLAC on their crappy iPhone speakers or stock earbuds and don't care. Audiophiles on the other hand, who do care about quality, probably don't want to listen to mass market commercial music most of the time.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Bono: "I don't believe in free music. Music is a sacrament"

None of the artists I listen to regularly sell commercial music. They are on Youtube or Soundcloud and give all their stuff away for free. You sometimes have the option to buy tracks or LPs or whatever but it all streams for free in the first place to get you to listen and to share the music. They seem to be able to make this economic model work just fine.

Bono / Pono high quality formats won't catch on simply because the average lowest common denominator consumer can't tell the difference between a 64k Mp3 and a lossless FLAC on their crappy iPhone speakers or stock earbuds and don't care. Audiophiles on the other hand, who do care about quality, probably don't want to listen to mass market commercial music most of the time.

Who are these artists and what kind of living are they able to make? I'm curious what the impact not being able to sell albums has had on bands who are somewhere between U2 and being a hobbyist on youtube. What's it like for an emerging band that has a bit of a following online, but can't sell albums and can't finance a massive tour?

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

As bobblehead stated, that is Pono...

This is specifically "to fight piracy"


That can only mean DRM and the gifts the come along with that.

Yes I am aware of Pono. I am saying they are working on something similar to Pono.

Only Engadget's headline says it's specifically to fight piracy. Nowhere in any of the quotes or the actual Time article preview does it say this is "to fight piracy". It says it's a new Hi fi/def technology to entice people back to buying full albums. Something that has eroded BECAUSE OF piracy, streaming, YouTube, single song purchases, etc.

From Time:

Bono, Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr believe so strongly that artists should be compensated for their work that they have embarked on a secret project with Apple to try to make that happen, no easy task when free-to-access music is everywhere (no) thanks to piracy and legitimate websites such as YouTube. Bono tells TIME he hopes that a new digital music format in the works will prove so irresistibly exciting to music fans that it will tempt them again into buying music—whole albums as well as individual tracks.

It will be a high bitrate loss-less file format from Mastered for iTunes submitted files with some stupid digital booklet and video clips of band members and their dogs for 4 x the money.

It's not $#@&ing DRM.

Will I buy it? No.

Will anyone buy it? No.

[SebC]

And here I thought DRM increases piracy.

[Hack&Lube]

After Guardians of the Galaxy, I made this for fun and rediscovered the joy of actually physically interacting with music and working to make something and having the visual part of it (spinning reels, VU meters). It beats clicking on a mouse, logging into a website, or navigating a tactile-less touch menu.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Who are these artists and what kind of living are they able to make? I'm curious what the impact not being able to sell albums has had on bands who are somewhere between U2 and being a hobbyist on youtube. What's it like for an emerging band that has a bit of a following online, but can't sell albums and can't finance a massive tour?

Many are definitely hobbyists but that's part of this generation. The internet age has empowered people to become fully fledged artists with lots of production and following and still have day jobs or another life. People don't have to be full time music superstars or sell out stadiums. They can be regular folk who make music on the side.

There are still full time musicians of course. I just bought a CD from this group out of Vancouver when they opened for another act at a Banff Festival.

http://rococode.com/

All the tracks stream for free on their official website with no fuss. There was no reason to buy the actual album but many people still did because they want a physical connection to the music. They seem to be pretty successful and make money from shows, concerts, and festivals travelling around Canada and the world. They sounded much better live. Many good bands do.

That physical connection is what is driving the resurgence of vinyl. All the audiophile rants about analog superiority might have had some weight in the CD age but don't really match up to the science when today's digital formats are so advanced and carry a dynamic range far superior to anything that could be etched into vinyl. Still, you are starting to see it everywhere because people like that physical connection to music they appreciate.