Wal-Mart, Amazon ratchet up anti-DRM pressure

Both Wal-Mart and Amazon have already made their positions on DRM pretty well known, but it looks like each are now taking some further steps to ratchet up the pressure on the remaining hold-out record labels. For its part, Wal-Mart has reportedly told the record labels point blank that they must offer DRM-free MP3 versions of all their music, a matter that Sony BMG is apparently still the biggest hold out on. Amazon, on the other hand, is looking to give its download service (and, in turn, DRM-free downloads) a boost by giving away up to a billion free downloads in a promotion with Pepsi that's its set to launch during the Super Bowl in February. You'll need to guzzle quite a bit a Pepsi if you want to get your quota of those MP3s, however, as you'll apparently need to collect five bottle caps for each download. According to Billboard, Amazon has approached all the major record labels about participating in the promotion, but some are apparently balking at the 40 cents per track Amazon is willing to give 'em, which is a sizable cut from the 65 to 70 cents they currently receive.

[Via Gadget Lab]

[Wolfticket @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:05PM]

Gotta love Amazon's DRM free e-books for kindle /sarcasm

[Jon @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:08PM]

For once Walmart is using it's power for good!
Stick it to the man!

[tekdemon @ Dec 4th 2007 1:50AM]

The end results will be good, but I suspect Walmart is doing it since they sell a lot of regular ole mp3 players that don't work with any kind of DRM at all-so if they want to sell music to the same customers that just bought an mp3 player they can't do it right now since most of the players they sell are the $30 variety that has no DRM support.

[Rob @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:09PM]

I love it when two retail giants tell the labels what to do. They should try that with Hollywood too. After all, Wal-Mart and Amazon are probably two of the biggest DVD sellers and that's got to have some pull. Now, where's Best Buy and Circuit City on this one? We're waiting.

[rTwelve @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:51PM]

They're far too involved with Rhapsody and Napster, respectively, so they probably could care less.

[Kurtis @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:43PM]

@rTwelve

If they could care less, then they care at least a little and possibly a lot. What you meant to say is, "they couldn't care less".

[rTwelve @ Dec 3rd 2007 10:54PM]

Or maybe I didn't! haha [twirls mustache]

[Mike @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:14PM]

Who gets suckered into buying five $1.00 sodas in order to get one free $0.80 song?

It's mind boggling.

[weg @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:19PM]

Well, at least that's better than mycokemusic, there you need to drink between 8 and 150 bottles to get a free iTunes song (which is DRMed, unless you choose one of the few DRM-free songs that iTunes offers).

[insertAlias @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:30PM]

How about the people who already drink it? Or, more importantly from a marketing perspective, people who don't care which cola they drink. They might choose the one with an incentive. They were going to buy a soda anyway, might as well buy one that gives something back.

[Mike @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:31PM]

Do people really drink that much soda?

[Dale @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:39PM]

Not even free music would make me choose Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke.

[JBo @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:43PM]

I heart Amazon download service. Not only are they without silly DRM nonsense, they are CHEAPER than iTunes! I'll never buy an album crippled with DRM again.

[Big Sam @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:10PM]

Me too. I had never paid to download music until Amazon went DRM-free. Now I'm more likely to buy it than pirate it. If its any good that is. I still don't pay for crappy music.

[Eric @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:14PM]

I would not take it as fact that Amazon is cheaper. I actually looked over my iTMS history ( 95% iTunes plus tracks ). For me iTunes was still cheaper the majority of the time, in second place was Amazon's physical store, and cheapest the least percentage was Amazon's MP3 store.

This will probably be different depending on listening habits.

[tekdemon @ Dec 4th 2007 1:57AM]

The funny thing is that if the labels had just pushed DRM free mp3 music sales to start with, they would probably have saved themselves a lot of headaches over the years (and pocketed a lot more money).
Ah well, too bad the RIAA are a bunch of morons.

[Vasisht @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:56PM]

You people need to realize that it's POP. Not Soda ;-)

[Reginald @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:04PM]

Actually here in Texas we call everything "Coke" regardless of the actual brand and flavor.

[Big Sam @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:07PM]

LOL very true

[simon @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:10PM]

got that right, eh

[jus10 @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:19PM]

Depends where you are: http://popvssoda.com:2998/countystats/total-county.html

Apparently I live in a swing state although my county and I are solidly "soda".

:P

[Mike Botros @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:24PM]

I've recently been converted from saying pop to saying soda since i moved from MI to PA. I used to always say, "Pop er soda." Now when I go back home to visit I find myself saying, "Soda er pop."

[tekdemon @ Dec 4th 2007 1:55AM]

Heh, that pop vs soda map is pretty good...I just moved back to the battle zone of Western New York, to serve another tour of duty for the Soda warriors.

Sadly, I am losing badly, because when you start to get close to the midwest you find yourself calling it pop when shopping at the supermarket. *sigh*

[WTF @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:49PM]

I dont understand. I looked at jus10's comment and that popvssoda link. How in the heck can so many educated (albeit public school) people call every carbonated beverage a Coke. How in the F does a waitress bring you the right drink? It's not like Kleenex where it doesn't matter what brand...I am going out of my mind right now.

[Josh Marshall @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:31PM]

You don't order a coke, you buy a coke. You order a Dr. Pepper. It makes sense, just believe me. :) Though what this has to do with DRMed music, I've forgotten by now...

[Derbeste @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:34PM]

It always works when I tell the waitress to bring me a smurf.

How the smurf do you not get that?

[WTF @ Dec 3rd 2007 7:02PM]

Thanks, that smurfed it right up. I'm off to go drink a lemon-lime carbonated caffeine free coke.

[Susan @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:29PM]

The phosphates in soda leads to osteoporosis.....maybe instead save those points to get a new hip, you'll be needing that for sure.

[Ryan @ Dec 3rd 2007 6:31PM]

THANK GOD!! I had sooo many problems with DRM with the sansa e200 (DO NOT BUY THIS MP3 PLAYER unless you want a lot of trouble)!! finally somebody gets the idea that DRM is REALLY annoying

[WTF @ Dec 3rd 2007 7:10PM]

Does it work with all Pepsi products? Like can I drink Mountain Coke?

[granny down east @ Dec 4th 2007 1:10AM]

Only if you live in New Bern NC, birthplace of Pepsi, where most people still ask for Coke when they want a soda.
I'm so confused.