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Island tries to make USB sticks story stick again
Last year, Keane released a single on USB stick; now, Island are trying to push the novelty again with a Fratellis single on USB. Island are still trying to suggest it's exciting:
Lee Jenson, head of marketing at the Fratellis' record company, Island Records, said: "The success of the Keane single last year convinced us that music fans would welcome more audio releases on this format.
"If demand really does start to take off, it may well become viable to think about releasing selective albums on USB as well, especially if they were to become eligible for inclusion in the chart."
"If demand really does start to take off, it may well become viable to think about releasing selective albums on USB as well, especially if they were to become eligible for inclusion in the chart."
But, aside from novelty value, what's the point? You can't play them on standard CD players, but you still have to go down a shop to buy them. They're much more expensive to produce than standard CDs, record shops have no way of displaying them easily and they burn through more resources than proper records. Why do we need a pointless format?
4 comments:
Love the first line of the quote.
Lee Jenson, head of marketing at the Fratellis' record company, Island Records, said: "The success of the Keane single last year convinced us that music fans would welcome more audio releases on this format."
Eh? Wasn't the 'success' of the Keane single mainly down to the fact that it was the first (and only) single released on USB stick, and also put out as a limited edition? The thing might as well have come with instructions on how to put it on ebay. I'm no expert, but I'm fairly sure its success wasn't down to the fact that once you'd bought it, you couldn't listen to it until you were back at your computer.
Going by Lee Jenson's logic, I could hire top petomane Mr Methane to fart the next Jamelia single into a jamjar, sell it in a limited release of two copies and then, when both have been sold, proudly hail it as the next big music format.
I suspect the innovation comes in the fact that the content on USB sticks can be DRM-locked; either the files are locked to a hardware serial number attached to the USB stick (or perhaps an integrated iLok-style copy-protection dongle) or the files are wrapped in an installer that binds them to the user's hardware and/or Windows serial number.
If the format involves running an installer, it could even phone home to the RIAA, grassing the user out for any illicit-looking MP3s they may have, further contributing to the RIAA's revenue stream.
I could hire top petomane Mr Methane to fart the next Jamelia single into a jamjar, sell it in a limited release of two copies
and when will this be available? will i be able to purchase it at woolworths?
and the madness begins...
a day to go and already up to about £7 incl. delivery... and there's completed listings of people who've paid £12... what is wrong with people? seriously? starving children anyone?
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