MP3.com--R.I.P.

[TDOL]

Hi Everyone,

This morning I received an email from MP3.com that a majority of their assets have been acquired by CNET, thus ending MP3.com as we know it. So, I'm curious, are y'all gonna jump to the new CNET service or just let it pass? The reason I ask is because I was on the fence with keeping my MP3.com account anyway, so this may be a good time to focus on my own site. Your thoughts?

Cheers,

Kirk

[~KissTheStar]

Well MP3 dot com did say the accounts would not be effected. But we will see if that truely comes to pass or not.

[Synthpopalooza]

this was lifted from mp3.com's message boards:

"Your personal information, music, images, related content or other information will not be transferred to CNET Networks, Inc. or any other third party."

"MP3.com's content administration tools will remain available until the site is redirected on December 2, 2003. Please note, however, that promptly following the removal of the MP3.com website, all content will be deleted from our servers and all previously submitted tapes, CD-ROMs and other media in our possession will be destroyed. We recommend that you make alternative content hosting arrangements as soon as practicable"


The above was cut and pasted from http://msg.mp3.com/artistforums/liststory/?topic_id=164614&month=200311&category_id=3009 ... it looks like it's being quite affected to me. :(

[~jag]

i'm very interested to see what follows the apparent disolution of mp3.com; i think there are a lot of us that knew this was coming.

who will the artists adopt next? anybody care to jump in and offer reviews on other music hosting websites?

[~jag]

Brand New Idol has had an immediate response to this news ... both the Joy Machine and Brand New Idol CDs are at bare bottom prices until sales cease on MP3.com (which i think is November 17)

Also, relative to another news link I posted somewhere else, where the labels are compiling information on downloading in P2P networks for use in marketing and promotions .. i couldn't help but think perhaps P2P would be an easy way to make music available. There are details that would have to be paid attention to, but that source might be useful to alot of artists, and who knows if the labels gather that your band is being searched, it may peak some interest ... (am i being niave?)

[NoirTech]

Another .com going down. This has been in the making for awhile now. In the early days, mp3.com used to spend lots of money. Especially giving their artists freebies. I knew someday the money was going to run out. I remember when their IPO came out. It reached slightly over the $100 mark that day, only to come crashing down at the end of the day and all of the next one.
I'm glad to see that CNET will be picking them up at least. I've used several of their other services, including download.com ...etc. I'm sure they will come up with something cool to find new artist. THen again, that might all be wishful thinking.
Anyway,....may mp3.com as we know it,...RIP.

[~Brand New Idol]

It wasn't that mp3.com was losing money, it was that Universal that owns them is losing money and looking to unload high liability business units. mp3.com killed themselves when they defiantely did something that the majors didn't understand the technology(ie didn't realize that it was so way ahead of it's time and actually quite cool) and were firm that mp3.com stop the practice. What was at odds was that mp3.com created the ability to insert a CD into your hard drive to prove that you owned it and then you could listen to the music online via mp3.com(ala goodbye CD's hello digital streamable tunes). In theory a great feature but mp3.com's president when approached by the majors and many independents, I might add, was adamant that it was his right to do this and no law was prohibiting him of course he was wrong. Well we all know the history behind what happened, mp3.com lost the court battle, had to pay out an immense amount of money to the majors, universal was the largest portion of this payout and due to money being tight after they paid out everyone the only asset they had that they could cover their asses was to offer the business to Vivendi. Vivendi could have taken the business as could of mp3.com and realized the greatest asset was the bands it contained. Instead mp3.com focused on major label product, and vivendi didn't realize the awsome a&r opportunity sitting right on their servers. Mp3.com could in theory have become a record label and really pursued that avenue sad to say :(

[~cliffwalk]

Originally posted by Brand New Idol
It wasn't that mp3.com was losing money, it was that Universal that owns them is losing money and looking to unload high liability business units. mp3.com killed themselves when they defiantely did something that the majors didn't understand the technology(ie didn't realize that it was so way ahead of it's time and actually quite cool) and were firm that mp3.com stop the practice. What was at odds was that mp3.com created the ability to insert a CD into your hard drive to prove that you owned it and then you could listen to the music online via mp3.com(ala goodbye CD's hello digital streamable tunes). In theory a great feature but mp3.com's president when approached by the majors and many independents, I might add, was adamant that it was his right to do this and no law was prohibiting him of course he was wrong. Well we all know the history behind what happened, mp3.com lost the court battle, had to pay out an immense amount of money to the majors, universal was the largest portion of this payout and due to money being tight after they paid out everyone the only asset they had that they could cover their asses was to offer the business to Vivendi. Vivendi could have taken the business as could of mp3.com and realized the greatest asset was the bands it contained. Instead mp3.com focused on major label product, and vivendi didn't realize the awsome a&r opportunity sitting right on their servers. Mp3.com could in theory have become a record label and really pursued that avenue sad to say :(

Someone who works and depends for food from the record industry saying this outloud. THANK YOU! MP3.COM was as close to the formula that's going to save the first record label to properly adopt it legally....

Universal may have forked up and CNET may be friggin geniuses. Look at it this way. The future of making money from the music industry, atleast in my eyes, is to be the person who owns the infrastructure that moves tunes to consumers and more importantly (for music's sake): diversifies the pallette and allows lesser known artists in EVERY genre including really really obscure stuff to be available.

Certainly the introduction of online distribution eliminates a lot of things:

-The "rareness"/collectability of music.

-That certain "cultural" allure that the more obscure artists as well as underground pop artists enjoy.

But it wouldn't exactly kill off jobs, it would probably create them, and it certainly COULD upset the balance of control...

...which are good things...

and we don't like good things...

OK, nevermind... it'll end up sucked into some sort of non-functional void just like every other good idea :)

just babbling..

dave