Barenaked and DRM-Free

According to TechCrunch, Amie Street has licensed Nettwerk’s catalog. First to launch will be the new Barenaked Ladies album. Amie Street provides DRM-free MP3s with an escalating pricing scheme: Tracks are initially free and increase in price in relation to download numbers, capped at 98 cents a pop.

I wonder what Dale Dietrich’s take is? He’s much more opposed to DRM than I am, which I see as inevitable, and believes a DRM-free marketplace can thrive. We had quite the stimulating DRM conversation while I was in Toronto. We also speculated on the motivation behind Steve Jobs’ manifesto — Dale believes it was written in response to the European nations clamoring for Apple to open up; I believe it’s a tactic to help keep tracks at a flat rate in response to studio push-back. Both? Neither?

3 thoughts on “Barenaked and DRM-Free”

  1. What would Dale Dietrich’s take be? I think its terrific. Amie Street has been a pet interest of Arrington for some time now. He discusses it, among other places, in his podcast with the FORMER Yahoo! Music exec David Goldberg here:

    http://www.talkcrunch.com/2007/01/10/talk-with-yahoo-music-execs-on-the-fate-of-drm/

    The Barenaked Ladies have long been on record as being anti-DRM. This all makes sense. Every step in the direction of ridding the world of unfair DRM usage by the recording industry is a good thing.

    By the way, if you haven’t yet listened to the TalkCrunch podcast I linked to above, I STRONGLY recommend it. It is one of the best on the topic over the last few months.

    …Dale

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