Legal Music Download Market Explodes In 2004

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=424231' target='_blank'>http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=424231</a><br /><br /></div>Well this should put to rest any doubts whether legally downloadable music is taking off. According to figures released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (ok, how many of you thought that said <b>Pornographic</b>? ;) ), consumers in the US and Europe downloaded more than 200 million songs in the past year. Proving what we here already know...digital music is going mainstream. And it's no coincidence that growth parallels the growth of digital audio devices like the iPod and other media playback devices, which continue to proliferate at rapid pace. Demand for digital music continues to grow, while traditional media, namely CDs, continues to decline. <br /><br />However, the report also shows that piracy is a lingering problem which threatens the viability of legal music downloads.

[Tim Williamson]

Doh, yeah I thought it said pornographic... :oops:

I for one will NEVER buy digital music online, I like to have the highest quality and CD is the only way to go right now. In addition, I like to have the ability to play my music when, where, and on whatever device I choose.

[Filip Norrgard]

Well this should put to rest any doubts whether legally downloadable music is taking off. According to figures released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (ok, how many of you thought that said Pornographic? ;) )

Hmm... I read Phonygraphs, though... :twisted: (Anyone else read the same thing? ;) )

[jlp]

Like others suggest, it's NOT so much "piracy is a lingering problem which threatens the viability of legal music downloads", it's rather
the numerous
incompatible
DRM formats that
plague handling of legal digital sound downloads;
the many limitations in how people can use the tracks/albums they buy
and limited time of ownership (in some instances) of the tracks/albums people get

These are the main and very serious problems that keep many people from jumping in; like me.

But in my case, and that's another serious problems too, the fact that I live in a small country in Europe makes it just about impossible to buy online music in the first place. Mine is not at the top of the Majors' country priority list. Licences have to be negociated country by country in Europe.