ISP to ban illegal downloads

[TheFaQQer]

I was gutted this week to find out that I can't top up my all tunes account as Mastercard and Visa think that there's something wrong with using a dodgy Russian MP3 site that's perfectly legal.

[BoredBloke]

That is what I was getting at - Itunes and the like remove many of the costs associated with selling a CD - so if the costs have been reduced vastly then so should the amount charged.

[miffy]

How much does it cost to download a CD from say I-Tunes? If it is more or similar to the cost of a CD bought in a shop then the music companies are taking the pi55.

I totally agree. Why pay for fresh air (0s and 1s) when it's the same price as the material item. I don't understand.. They must be ******* raking it in with the low cost distribution methods like iTunes.

The thing that annoys me with iTunes is once you've downloaded it, that's it. If you lose the files or you hard drive goes pop you have to buy everything all over again.

The average albums these days have 2 or 3 songs at best that are actually worth having, the rest are padding.

Some six million people are estimated to download files illegally every year in the UK, costing music and film companies billions in lost revenue.

So that will be six million disconnections then.

[Spacecadet]

How much does it cost to download a CD from say I-Tunes? If it is more or similar to the cost of a CD bought in a shop then the music companies are taking the pi55.

The quality of an i-tunes download is way below that of a proper CD

[The Lone Gunman]

That is what I was getting at - Itunes and the like remove many of the costs associated with selling a CD - so if the costs have been reduced vastly then so should the amount charged.

It's treasure Island syndrome. The UK pays through the nose for everything that the rest of the world gets at a decent rate.

I agree with you that a self burn should be a fraction of "proper" CD price, but from what I can see it will cost as much (if not more) to download a full album and self burns fade over time.

If the real CDs were a decent price in the first place then maybe people would buy them. I would.

[miffy]

The quality of an i-tunes download is way below that of a proper CD

Yup. And plagued with DRM which everybody loves.

I do wonder if one day they'll stop selling an item containing the artists material (such as a CD, memory stick or whatever). If they do, that will be the day I stop buying music forever.

[TheFaQQer]

So that will be six million disconnections then.

Can't see that one working somehow - most people doing this would have a decent connection, which costs more.

So they are telling the ISPs that they need to disconnect six million of the highest paying customers.

[AtW]

If they do, that will be the day I stop buying music forever.

Soon people will have cheap mobile broadband - this will allow to tune in into whatever radio station that's out there or play music on demand for free (with ads like on radio), so I expect actual physical sales will drop off a cliff pretty soon (5 years max).

Labels as they are will go bust. Artists will be selling either directly or via iTunes like single stop that will take 20-30% marging, but artists will get 70-80%.

[Ardesco]

Soon people will have cheap mobile broadband - this will allow to tune in into whatever radio station that's out there or play music on demand for free (with ads like on radio), so I expect actual physical sales will drop off a cliff pretty soon (5 years max).

Labels as they are will go bust. Artists will be selling either directly or via iTunes like single stop that will take 20-30% marging, but artists will get 70-80%.

Yes because radio killed off the labels didn't it..... Don't be silly AtW there will still be people buying CD's, When they start selling stuff online in FLAC format that may have an effect, until then all the audiophiles will want the CD's for the higher quality sound.

[AtW]

Yes because radio killed off the labels didn't it

There was no radio on demand numpty - you had to listen what radio was playing, but with technology you will be able to effectively listen to music you like on demand, say like lastfm does - what is needed now is fairly fast and cheap mobile broadband.

There won't be physical CD sales (unless some limited editions or signed by artist) - this method of distribution is way too expensive and if whole CD can be bought for $2-3 online then there won't be many sold at $10 in the shops.

Just another thing you get wrong Ardesco - it is amazing to see such a complete lack of strategic thinking in you