Like the TSA, where everybody is treated like a terrorist, Universal Music Group is now treating their customers like pirates by embedding tracking information in downloadable music...
As somebody who makes a living from intellectual property, I'm all for wanting to get paid, but I also recognize that...
1. It's better for somebody to have my music than not have it, even if it's stolen. This is especially true for new acts, who can really benefit from the word-of-mouth that comes along with friends sharing music with each other.
2. It's bad business to treat honest people like criminals. The people on who buy your music on Amazon, which is where this warning was taken from, or anywhere else, are the people allowing you to stay in business and they deserve better.
Well, that just seals the fact that I won't be buying any music through Amazon. Or from Universal any more, for that matter. This amounts to essentially the same thing as DRM. What happens when someone buys one of these songs, loves it, and wants to share it with a buddy? Because the file has your info attached to it, is Universal going to let their lapdogs loose on you for trying to get their acts more fans? NOT Cool, UMG.
Posted by: Karol Thor | January 20, 2011 at 10:21 AM
When the hell are they finally gunna get it? So glad that I only got as far as an internship at a major label.
Posted by: Chris Bracco | January 20, 2011 at 02:06 PM
Have to say, this sounds realy short-sighted. The watermark (as it is called) is ment to track people how are selling the music in an illeagel way. For instance, if someone buys a track on Amazon and than sales it on some exotoic download site, he is selling it illegally. You can than track the seller faster with a watermark.
The watermark can also be used to track the artist down. Here in the Netherlands the bigger radio stations work with a music fingerprint system. The system not only scans the track to figure out who the copyright holders are, but also uses the watermark for this.
So, watermarking is not all that bad if you ask me.
Posted by: Peter | January 26, 2011 at 02:32 AM
Go figure... a record label that can't quite figure out how to market in today's music industry. Their execs should pick up the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People". They might just realize that their giving us, the consumer, too much credit for their downfall. Go indie!
Posted by: Duss Rodgers | January 26, 2011 at 09:44 AM