MySpace Music brings unlimited online listening

Stephen Withers
Friday, 26 September 2008 11:05

Business IT - Networking

A breakthrough new advertising-supported service from MySpace allows unlimited listening to a catalogue of millions of tracks. But as always seems to be the case with online media, there is a catch with MySpace Music.

The arrival of a legitimate, free and on-demand music service represents a significant change for the music and Internet industries.

Previously, Internet users have had the choice of buying downloadable music from online retailers such as Apple's iTunes Store or Amazon, or listening to 'Internet radio' streams which operate under strict rules and are subject to relatively high licence fees, or short clips intended to serve as promotional tools.

Or there was always unauthorised file sharing using software such as BitTorrent, or tracks added to otherwise trivial videos and uploaded to YouTube.

MySpace Music is a joint venture between News Corporation's MySpace and the big four music companies: EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music and Warner Music. It allows users to stream full-length tracks from a huge catalogue at no charge.

Independent labels have not been given the opportunity to participate on similar terms, although distributors The Orchard and Sony ATV are onboard.

Martin Mills, chairman of the UK's largest independent distributor Beggars Group, has been quoted as saying "It is both disappointing and astonishing that MySpace, built on the music of independent artists and labels, should, now it has the majors as partners, choose to launch without those that have been at its heart, and whilst treating independents as second class-citizens."

Performers handled by Beggars Group include Beck and Radiohead.

If the music's free, where will the revenue come from? Please read on.