Quakester2000 reports us that the Coca-Cola
company is planning to launch an online music download site in January 2004.
This can be read on the myCokeMusic.com website which
is aimed at residents of Great Britain. On the website we can
also read that the service will offer a music selection of 250,000 tracks by
8,500 artists. Songs can be purchased for 99p. The Register adds the following:
Microsoft, Dell, HP, Napster, Pepsi, Coke and maybe even Wal-Mart hawking songs online. All of these companies are rushing to enter a business with atom thin margins at best and business sinking losses at worst. In almost every case, the motive is to link to a larger sale be it pricey iPods or placing a brand in the consumer's face for other, profit-making goods. You have to wonder if the music industry is longing for the day when they had the entire online music populace collected in one, illegal place - Napster. A direct link to tens of millions of users would seem to suit the monopolistic music industry far more than divvying up sales across computer makers, retailers and soft drink makers. At the same time, the record labels must be overjoyed at the fact that so many companies are willing to associate their precious brands with DRM technology. What says, "Family Values" more than Coke - the trusted hand that keeps your children happy and alert at night. We should probably stop before getting into some serious trouble but let it be said that tough to open CDs had their merits. You can't order them up on demand and actually have to leave the house to get them, but at least you can play them whenever you want. |
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Source: The Register
