The UK based record label EMI has had a 5.1% revenue drop as a result of what it calls "tough market conditions experienced in the recorded music market". This was not helped by a plunge of nearly 20% in physical media music sales. On the other hand, when it comes to digital music, it has reported a 26% sales increase in digital sales year-over-year.
So far, while EMI has not provided any figures for its DRM-free music sales, such as how its DRM-free track sales compares with its DRM infected track sales, it claims that its DRM-free music sold via iTunes is off to a promising fast start. The rest of the music industry is keeping a close eye on how well its DRM-free experiment is working out, to see if EMI can increase its market share of digital music downloads. The doubters will be looking out for signs of an increase in piracy, since consumers are not being restricted on what they can do with the EMI's DRM-free tracks. At present, it appears that those who fork out on the higher priced unlocked tracks do so for higher quality music and the ability to play the music on more devices.
Further information can be read in this E-Commerce Times article.
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"Tough market conditions experienced in the recorded music market" = (to Consumers) Sh*t lossy music D/L's, overpriced rip-off CD's (where only 1 or 2 tracks are of value to the consumer and the rest are useless and will never be used). And then you have DRM and copy protections on top of that which takes consumers for a rip-off ride on the corporate money train of greed.
Well I like a lot of other consumers remember the last couple of Legitimate Computer Games/music CD's I purchased and I am sure A lot of people would also remember that when you tried to install/use your legitimately purchased overpriced Game/music you ended up with the Software telling you "there is no CD in the drive etc", or music refusing to play on one or more or ALL devices you try it on despite the fact it was LEGITIMATE LEGALLY PURCHASED SOFTWARE/MUSIC!
And yet I know of People who downloaded pirate versions of the same software/music I purchased and yet had NONE of the problems and hours (or days/weeks) of hassle that I was forced (by the company I had paid to provide me with a service and yet did not) had to go through to get my overpriced legitimately purchased Games/music to eventually work as they stated it would.
What can I say but these fools have done themselves in with their greed and stupidity and now it will take them many, many years to once again regain people's trust of them (if they are still in business then mind you) if they once again start to give the consumers what they want.
Maybe they have already done themselves and their reputations too much damage to actually recover and be a viable business in the future.
But I am sure they will learn in the very near future the customer IS always right and they will not exist at all in the very near future if they do not give the customer what they want (Good product, Good price, Good service, and no hassles or problems, and most of all that they do not treat their legitimate customers as criminals).
And I can honestly say without ANY doubt that it is because of these greedy companies decisions to treat me like a criminal (and a cash cow for the milking) and creating hours/days of hassle for me due to their greed that I will never purchase anything from those same companies now or ever in the future due to their lack of respect for me as a paying customer.
Times are a changing and they will be changing a lot in the next few years for the benefit of the consumer, and ultimately will result in the extinction of greedy companies who provide substandard products to consumers.
Bring it on!!
