Comments on: Is DRM finally going away for real? http://dossy.org/2008/10/is-drm-finally-going-away-for-real/ Everything that comes out of Dossy, from the strange to the banal. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:30:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Dossy Shiobara http://dossy.org/2008/10/is-drm-finally-going-away-for-real/comment-page-1/#comment-2323 Dossy Shiobara Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:37:00 +0000 http://dossy.org/2008/10/is-drm-finally-going-away-for-real/#comment-2323 Joe: Thanks for providing historical detail from your point of view. I'm guessing the experience from all aspects were pretty similar. Joe: Thanks for providing historical detail from your point of view. I’m guessing the experience from all aspects were pretty similar.

]]> By: Joe Manna http://dossy.org/2008/10/is-drm-finally-going-away-for-real/comment-page-1/#comment-2322 Joe Manna Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:08:07 +0000 http://dossy.org/2008/10/is-drm-finally-going-away-for-real/#comment-2322 I totally agree. At the time, I was in the premium service support queue, handling customer concerns revolving around MusicNet. Even when we had our MusicNet account's comped into an overhead status, I couldn't help but strongly dislike the experience. I eventually found a method to convert my DRMed (RealPlayer encoded/enforced) music into MP3s; but it was a sincere frustration which I would only expect to do if it was completely free. No, it wasn't, it went for between $10 and $15 monthly. Many customers frequently called in and rhetorically ask, "Wait. So I can't just move this music to my iPod?" We, like competitors, said "No, we don't do that; you can burn it to a CD however." Oh, and the business model was insane. Charge a subscription and then charge PER SONG burned. Ridiculous. I have no problem monetizing music, just do it in a fair and reasonable way. I'm quite thankful AOL failed miserably in the music business. AOL could have done many things, but as you know, there is not an ounce of execution or advocacy for users left. All the best and have brightest have been squeezed out of the sponge. ~Joe I totally agree. At the time, I was in the premium service support queue, handling customer concerns revolving around MusicNet. Even when we had our MusicNet account’s comped into an overhead status, I couldn’t help but strongly dislike the experience.

I eventually found a method to convert my DRMed (RealPlayer encoded/enforced) music into MP3s; but it was a sincere frustration which I would only expect to do if it was completely free. No, it wasn’t, it went for between $10 and $15 monthly.

Many customers frequently called in and rhetorically ask, “Wait. So I can’t just move this music to my iPod?” We, like competitors, said “No, we don’t do that; you can burn it to a CD however.”

Oh, and the business model was insane. Charge a subscription and then charge PER SONG burned. Ridiculous. I have no problem monetizing music, just do it in a fair and reasonable way.

I’m quite thankful AOL failed miserably in the music business. AOL could have done many things, but as you know, there is not an ounce of execution or advocacy for users left. All the best and have brightest have been squeezed out of the sponge.

~Joe

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