Buying music online, will you?

[soft]

Buying digital download music online seems to be the next big thing. Do you think that it will work? When you can listen to online radio all day or pick up a CD with all the nice nice packaging, what would make you purchase digital downloads?

Price? Exclusive content? Availability?

 

[Guest]

there doesn't seem to be a shortage of availability of songs. but even though it will cost 1 cent per song, my mom will never let me use the credit card.

 

[Cheez]

James, are you thinking of setting up something like that?

 

[JoshuaG]

The usual problems will pop up I guess...

Whats the target market we're looking at....all the secondary school and upwards will have a problem paying for songs in terms of payment mode and why pay when with the right know how, you can get it for free...
How are we pricing the tracks and what kind of catalogue are we looking at?? Just local music or the whole works???

 

[detroit_red]

I'd dig that ... Buying songs are cool .. First thing they help combat piracy in a big way, and another thing is you don't need to buy whole albums ...

 

[lppier]

For me, I still feel that getting album still has the "solid" feel, if you know what I mean.
But from iTune's success, I guess it is viable.

Pier.

 

[xspace]

I thought locally, there's already soundbuzz.com?

 

[mingguan]

I remember there are some websites selling song thru digital download.
If I not remember wrongly, it cost SGD1.00~2.00 per song.
But I can't remember the bit rate, should be around 128~192kbps.

Few points to think about:-

1. Will people pay for digital downloading when where are illigel download available with the same quality (ie. same bit rate) offered.

2. How much should the digital download cost? if i download 10 songs of a album which equivalent to a CD price. Why i go for digital download when physical CD offer me more things (nice packaging, liner notes...etc.)?
Never mention that China manufatured CD (which cost SGD7.99~12.99) are available in Singapore too...

In my opinion, the digital download of song only feasible when there is no other form (CD/VCD/DVD...etc) of the same song available in the market.

Personally,
I still prefer buying CD than digital download.

 

[Poolo]

It depends. Such system may target people who are looking for specific songs, rather than an album.

 

[overcast]

Its only a matter of time when CDs may become what vinyl is today to some. Not referring to the warm analogue sound quality, but the minority in titles released in that format.

Soundbuzz and ;Play has been in SG since 2003 or earlier. I think they work with Pacnet and Starhub so you can pay for your songs through your internet bills or something. No credit cards involved. I will start buying from them only if they fix their idiotic user interface (try doing a song search yourself) and the forgettable catalogue they offer.

The illegal P2P sharing boom period is expected to die down soon, due to ongoing developments around the world where legislators and the industry are evaluating systems on how to make music (and other digital entertainment) truly affordable and widely available (even obscure titles), while fairly compensating the musicians and artists behind the song.

Most likely, we may soon see some form of compulsory low monthly subscription "fee"(tariff) which will be billed through the ISPs (like Pacnet, Singnet), and eventual legalising of P2P sharing.

Meaning for example every internet connection owner will pay additional $2-5 per month. You are allowed to share till the cows come home. Systems will implemented in all P2P software to trace which songs have been shared in a particular region and how many times the song was copied. The tariff $ collected from the ISPs will be distributed to the rights owners (songwriters, performers etc) based on how many copies of their songs were downloaded.

Far fetched as it may sound to you, but it may happen very soon. They call it the "music like water" concept. Everybody uses it, everybody pays for it, just like a utility bill. This way the cost/consumer is spread out and yet the total amount collected and distributed to the rightful owners is many times more than what it is today (by selling CDs).

Those of you who are interested can go to Esplanade library reference section to read a 2005 book called "The Future of Music".

http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/

 

[DemonOfTheFall]

A couple of things that will convince me to buy digital music:

1) No DRM - and I mean absolutely no restrictions on which player I can play it with, the number of downloads, the number of CDs I can burn

2) Cheaper than the average audio CD - I'm looking at 10s$ max for a disc - roughly 1$ a song. Really there is no reason for the industry to keep the CD prices at the current levels.

3) Back catalogues with the bonus tracks available

4) A reasonably high bitrate - 192 vbr works fine for me

 

[DarknessFury]

I would rather buy the album itself...the lyrics book might be pretty cool...

 

[DemonOfTheFall]

Meaning for example every internet connection owner will pay additional $2-5 per month. You are allowed to share till the cows come home. Systems will implemented in all P2P software to trace which songs have been shared in a particular region and how many times the song was copied. The tariff $ collected from the ISPs will be distributed to the rights owners (songwriters, performers etc) based on how many copies of their songs were downloaded.

I really like this idea - something on the lines of what France plans to do. Just wonder if it will ever happen here - US has far too much of a say and we know how things operate there with the RIAA and MPAA trying to maintain a strangehold.

 

[sycododo]

If I could, then I would.

I would buy the album, if songs from the whole album interests me.
Sometimes I like only one or two songs SO buying the album would be a waste.

That's it.

 

[reyrey]

for me,buying song online is not a prob....but what concerns me is the file format...
whether its mp3 or wma,personally,i prefer wma coz of the sound quality..

for illegal p2p,yeah,you might get it for free,but if the local authority caught you,that's it man...you'll be eating bread and water for months or even more than a year...
the fine is damn" big...so not worth the risk,why not spend 1 or 2 bucks and get rid the risk of being fined...cheers,my 2 cents worth

 

[M]

Well I dont mind. Its not that expensive - about US$1 per song and I get exactly the songs that i want.

 

[xspace]

And for the person who intend to do this, can branch out by providing digital karaoke stuff... 8)

 

[benjaminang]

I agree with Poolo - over new year's eve, I was asked to "DJ" a friend's party, and they wanted specific songs from some albums that I would never buy So I went on soundbuzz and just bought the songs they wanted me to play.

 

[benjaminang]

there is a solution to "guest"'s problem (no credit card) - which is also relevant to the gigantic teen market that doesn't have credit cards to buy on-line: gift cards. Soundbuzz needs to make its gift cards available widely (7-11?) just like Apple sells iTunes gift cards in the USA Mac Stores. I got some with friends who went to the USA, and now I can buy songs from iTunes!

 

[LadyInTears]

[=benjaminang

thats a possible solution.
but the reason digital downloads are favoured today is because its convenient, going out to buy the gift cards would become a chore, personally i would still go down to the cd shop to get my stuff.