“Forget WAV, MP3 and M4A – major labels have something new in mind, and it’s called CMX. Sony, Warner, Universal and EMI are reportedly preparing a new digital album format that will include songs, lyrics, videos, liner notes and artwork,” Sean Michaels reports for The Guardian.
“The news comes just weeks after reports of a similar project, Cocktail, being developed by Apple. According to the Times, Apple rejected CMX and instead began work on an in-house alternative. It is not clear how Cocktail and CMX will differ, other than ownership,” Michaels reports. “A label rep told the Times, ‘Ours will be a file that you click on, it opens and it would have a brand new look, with a launch page and all the different options. When you click on it you’re not just going to get the 10 tracks, you’re going to get the artwork, the video and mobile products.'”
Michaels reports, “The major labels plan to launch CMX, which is just a working title for the format, in November. It will reportedly be ‘soft-launched’ with a few select releases. ‘We are not going out in force,’ the industry source said. ‘What you are going to see is a couple of releases thrown out there to see what people like. We are working with the retailers now.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s difficult to overestimate Apple’s reach in this market. Therefore, it’s quite simple: If Apple decides there will be a new digital bundle format, then Apple’s format will be the only format that matters.
Ugh. What can’t we all just get along here?
That’s _exactly_ what I want, more confusion in my digital life.
At least Apple uses open format standards (AAC/mp4). This CMX format reaks of Sony’s crappy ATRAX.
Of course, that should have read:
“Why can’t we all just get along here?”
I’ll wager that the Labels want to put some sort of DRM or time limit or something of the same ilk into this new DMX product. If there has been one consistent marketing line they’ve taken, it is that the consumer should/does/will not own their products for life.
Apple’s Cocktail will have as much of these as possible w/o these limitations, and it will win as an obvious consumer choice — and the Labels will be pissed again and accuse Apple of having too much power.
Sincerely,
Nostrdapplecus
So what MDN is saying is that Apple has a monopoly on music. If Apple wants a particular format to win, then that format will win because of sheer market force that Apple has. That is a monopoly (but it’s NOT anti competitive. There is a HUGE difference).
I love Apple, but they need to be careful when it comes to iTunes and how it does music. With so much market share, its easy for them to cross the razor thin line into anti-competitiveness.
That thundering sound you hear is Target, Walmart, and BestBuy repurposing the floorspace formerly used to sell music.
And just what will play back this new format?
Engadget said it best with this line:
“…Oh, and you can pretty much consider this extra DOA should iTunes not support it; fair or not, that’s just the way it is.”
Isn’t Apple now the largest retailer of music? If so, the cartel needs to pander to Apple.
Personally, went I click on a song, the song is the only thing I want. I could care less about album art, sleeve notes or the words to the music. Give me the music!
Based on previous attempts by the music industry “to go digital”, it will probably be a Windows only format.
Isn’t interesting how the record companies are suddenly interested in adding value? It’s what happens when you get spanked in the market for jacking up prices without improving the product for so long. The market abides!
This is also happening with Microsoft. First a compelling product, then an increase in price without innovation, then the rise of a formidable alternative, etc.
Microsoft is still a long way from looking at their value proposition. That would entail more humility and less voluntary delusion than Microsoft currently has.
The first step for Microsoft is admitting they have a problem. Until then, they’ll still be as clueless as most record companies have been for so many years.
Apple’s iTunes Monopoly!
APPLE’S iTUNES MONOPOLY!
Someone was going to yell it sooner or later. If Apple forces it’s better album methodology on The Labels, someone will get the Anti-Trust ball rolling in Washington.
I use Cocktail to tune my Mac.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/33453
Oh boy! We get to buy our music all over AGAIN in a new format.
CMX soundS like a multimedia nightmare, based on the label rep’s description. Like an annoying DVD menu, which I’m sure will include unskippable piracy warnings and the like.
I’d much rather trust Apple to do something like this, as they’ve at least proven that they take the consumer’s side of things seriously, whereas the labels still dream of the golden olden days when they could shaft consumers over and over again.
@ Big Al
That reminds me of something I briefly read recently – why doesn’t someone shout “collusion” about the way the major labels all get together and decide to force identical terms on everyone? Why isn’t something like the RIAA regarded as a massively monopolistic collusion tool?
There are plenty of online music stores which sell music just fine – Amazon’s mp3 sales and 7Digital, to name two. So Apple’s iTunes “monopoly” isn’t exactly airtight. Whereas the labels and the RIAA seem to get away with dictating to everyone with impunity. Which one’s the real monopoly?
Right on, TheConfuzed1 !
CMX sounds like a failure to me too. Music industry is out of touch, as usual.
@ NCIceman
“And just what will play back this new format?”
Blue-Ray DVDs, of course, filled chock-full with additional crap, maybe using a few extra 100MB in excess of the standard allowable capacity, with a proprietary player (cf. flash) that is the only one that will be able to open the monolithic Album file.
First, there already is a Cocktail, so name seems to be a no go.
Second, record companies aren’t going to increase sales with more non-music fluff thrown in. What they need are good A&R;people to find talented musicians and songwriters to sign and help their development, instead of putting out crap in their lame efforts to market to young people. It’s all about the music, duh.
Why hasn’t anybody mentioned the obvious: This is a lame attempt by the “music industry” to force us to buy albums, rather than individual songs. Ugh, will they never learn? [entirely rhetorical question]
If it is a choice (which appears to be the case with Apple’s Cocktail), that is fine, but the genius of iTunes is the a’la carte selection and pricing. Until somebody make another Sgt Pepper’s, or Tommy, or Dark Side of the Moon (not holding my breath), I want to be able to buy single songs.
@ vanfruniken
Good point, you’re probably right that the labels will short-sightedly base their latest brainstorm on a proprietary third-party technology like Flash. Especially since they can then embed code in the player to spy on everything the user does, and perhaps even root around the hard drive to see what other music files you have, and whether or not you’ve purchased them. Heck, Sony might even lend everyone their old rootkit expertise.
…okay, so I’m exaggerating, but this illustrates why the labels will almost certainly find their very informed customers looking at their annoying-sounding new format with a lot of suspicion and mistrust.
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray…
We don’t get fooled again!
Yep… corporate taxation
The problem with standards is that there are so many of them.
<whimpering>
Not another format war!!
@Ralph Haven’t you heard Brittany’s last album Circus? It is a compendium of songs that need to be listened to in the order on the album and not as singles. Otherwise, her artistic intent is completely lost and her work as an artist is completely compromised.