"Is Apple America's Jukebox?"

"Is Apple America's Jukebox?"

Blog 101, By: Adam Albrecht

Source: New York Times, Published: September 15, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/technology/16myspace.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


By a show of hands, how many use MySpace Music as a source to free listening? I won’t lie; I’m in that huge pool of music junkies seeking free downloads and easy access to full songs. The Web offers virtually every notable song ever created, found typically on Apple’s iTunes. But, has iTunes become America’s jukebox monopoly? Some would disagree. Just a few years ago MySpace created MySpace Music, a tangible competitor to iTunes. Free downloads from MySpace Music offers MySpace users a hopeful outlet to both free music and an outlasted CD market. It is no question we’ve entered this digital revolution with new ways in route to pain free access.

This past week MySpace Music joined forces with the major social networks owned by News Corporation, and the major music companies (Warner Music Group, Sony BMG, and Universal) to redistribute its capital by making money by selling advertisements on the site and selling digital downloads through a partnership with Amazon.com (NYTimes). “MySpace Music, which will replace an existing area of MySpace at music.myspace.com, represents an effort to give music lovers the kind of comprehensive online jukebox they could once only dream of. But it is also an effort to solve some of the more pressing problems of the music business” (NYTimes).

So, what’s the big deal, right? Music companies have a clear goal with this venture. They hope this new MySpace Music service will increase the world of online social networking, lending access to online advertisements, and thus weaken “Apple’s dominant grip on the digital music business”.

That’s the scoop. CD’s are gone and digital downloads are in. We’ll have to wait and see if MySpace Music challenges Apple as the new jukebox innovator in music distribution.