Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Yahoo! music is purportedly testing out a new plan to sell non DRM MP3's for "double" the price of the DRM version ($1.99, technically that is more than double .99 but I digress). The test apparently involves a Sony/BMG track (isnt it ironic, dont ya think).

This is a start.

I have been ranting for literally years now that music companies are going to be dragged to non DRM and cheap online music downloads whether they like and profit from it, or not. If consumers demand it it will happen, period. What I mean is that consumers will make other content choices completely when they get DRM fed up (and when such choices become more and more available) and either major label content will stick to their DRM guns and make themselves obsolete or they will eventually come around rather than be left out of the party altogether.

There are so many things wrong with all this digital DRM crap on so many levels its just astounding (device control?, long term incompatibilites, fair use, suing customers, rootkits, laws requiring DRM, on and on). We all agree the artists should get paid and piracy is bad, thats not the point. Yet when I buy a piece of content I should be allowed to play it on as many devices as I want (and whatever device type I want). Moreover when I make a piece of content I should be allowed to express the license however I want. DRM does not solve the problem, it just annoys people and begs to be circumvented (and legislation requiring DRM or device control is even worse). People that obtain content should be discouraged from stealing it by CONVENIENCE and FAIR PRICES (and because getting it legally and the artists getting paid is the right thing to do). Once legal non DRM tunes cost 25 cents or so then piracy will evaporate and music companies will make 10 times MORE MONEY.

Offering a double price DRM tune is going to be a flop but it at least proves that "when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around".