iTunes Radio, a good idea?
Sunday, May 11th, 2003Slashdot is reporting of a new service on SpyMac that allows iTunes users to share music, and listen for free. A new debate has risen about if this is also privacy or not.
Yes, this is clear piracy. Just because someone bought a CD, didn’t make Napster legal. They tried that defense, it obviously didn’t hold. Distribution rights are very different from playing for a friend. For a friend, you are in a private establishment, playing a song for someone you know. It’s a limited situation. For example, at a party, you can play a song for a group of friends. After that performance it’s over. That’s the end of it. That is part of fair use. Making music accessible for anyone, even if you don’t know them, at any time (as this service does) is piracy. That is where Fair use ends.
SpyMac could be considered facilitating piracy, since that is clearly intentional. Apple’s iTunes was not designed with the capability of search and find, so Apple may not be considered guilty of such an act.
This is all beside the fact that it’s very easy so save a stream as a mp3 and get a free download out of it.
There is a very simple solution. The solution is to update iTunes. It currently costs $0.99 to buy a song (hopefully that price will go down, or discounts will become available in the future). Make it $2 for streaming capabilities. Perhaps even create a service that users can use Akamai’s network as a proxy-like service so that connections are better.
Now a user can buy a song for themselves, or start an online radio service, that’s easy and quick. To prevent people from simply saving the streams, perhaps QuickTime Streaming can be used.
Imagine being able to use your Mac a stereo and allow your friends/family to have you as a DJ in their own home. Fast high quality sound thanks to a good transmission system. Legal and low cost.
An online database of virtual DJ’s would be fun for users to browse through. Web based so without iTunes you can search, browse, and listen. In iTunes for faster access. People listening to the feeds would provide good exposure for musicians. Obviously, when the music plays, a user can be prompted a link to which they can download the music for themselves on iTunes if they like it. Imagine listening to the radio, and the moment you hear a song and like it, you can buy it instantly for your iPod.
Apple benefits from a good online service, getting QuickTime installed on more computers, and much more traffic to the already busy iTunes Music Store. The music industry benefits from increased sales and increased publicity for bands. This is free advertising for them. And they make money throughout the process. Users get a cheap, yet good quality service that we know and love Apple for. Apple could make the process very simple to use thanks to its great UI in iTunes. Apple is known for making everything simple to use. Imagine a young child being able to run a radio station.
Such services already exist, but are slow, costly, and not very user friendly. Just like paid digital music services have existed prior to Apple’s launch.
SpyMac brings up a good opportunity for Apple and the Music industry. Lets take this idea to the next level.
