Digital Audio Insider -- the economics of music and other digital content


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Digital Audio Insider is David Harrell's blog about the economics of music and other digital content. I write from the perspective of a musican who has self-released four albums with the indie rock band the Layaways.

My personal website has links to my LinkedIn and Google+ pages and you can send e-mail to david [at] thelayaways [dot] com.

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April 04, 2007

Wednesday Odds and Ends
by David Harrell
As someone noted in the comments to yesterday's post, the 256k AAC format was an Apple decision. EMI is letting the various retailers make the decision about file formats and bit rates. From the EMI press release:
The new higher quality DRM-free music will complement EMI's existing range of standard DRM-protected downloads already available. From today, EMI's retailers will be offered downloads of tracks and albums in the DRM-free audio format of their choice in a variety of bit rates up to CD quality.
Though I'm not 100% certain about EMI's definition of CD quality -- this press release refers to 256k mp3 files as "an audio quality indistinguishable from the original recording."

---------

Frank at Swindleeeee runs the numbers and finds that the $100 million figure associated with the rumored purchase of eMusic by Amazon.com is actually quite reasonable:
...eMusic is currently making an average of $14 per customer per month on a subscriber base "well north of 250,000." This translates into an annual revenue run rate of at least $42 million and likely more. An asking price of near $100 million would thus represent just over two times annual revenue. Given that Amazon would be acquiring a paying customer base (many of whom are locked into 1-year or 2-year contracts) this seems a realistic figure and certainly a far cry from the speculative nature of a YouTube deal.
---------

And from today's Wall Street Journal -- it's the record companies, not Apple, that deserve the blame for uneven iTunes pricing throughout Europe:
EU spokesman Jonathan Todd blamed the record companies for this situation. He said regulators considered Apple to be more a victim than a culprit. "This is an arrangement imposed on Apple by the record companies," Mr. Todd said. "The main focus of our attention is the major record companies."
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    THE LAYAWAYS

    Out Now -- "Maybe Next Year" -- The New Holiday Album:

    <a href="http://thelayaways.bandcamp.com/album/maybe-next-year">Joy To The World by The Layaways</a>

    "This is a sweet treat, deliciously musical without being overbaked for mass media consumption." -- Hyperbolium

    "Perfect listening to accompany whatever holiday preparations you may be making today." -- Bag of Songs


    O Christmas Tree - free mp3 lyrics and song details
    Away In A Manger - free mp3

    Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or Bandcamp. Listen to free streams at Last.fm.



    album cover art from The Space Between

    <a href="http://thelayaways.bandcamp.com/album/the-space-between">Keep It To Yourself by The Layaways</a>

    "...about as melodic and hooky as indie pop can get." -- Absolute Powerpop

    "Their laid-back, '60s era sounds are absolutely delightening." -- 3hive

    "...melodic, garage-influenced shoegaze." -- RCRD LBL

    Where The Conversation Ends - free mp3
    January - free mp3
    Keep It To Yourself - free mp3

    Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or CD Baby, stream it at Last.fm or Napster.



    album cover art from We've Been Lost

    <a href="http://thelayaways.bandcamp.com/album/weve-been-lost">Silence by The Layaways</a>

    "The Layaways make fine indie pop. Hushed vocals interweave with understated buzzing guitars. The whole LP is a revelation from the start." -- Lost Music

    "Catchy Guided by Voices-like rockers who lay it on sweetly and sincerely, just like Lionel Richie." -- WRUV Radio

    Silence - free mp3 lyrics and song details
    The Long Night - free mp3

    Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.



    album cover art from More Than Happy

    "These are songs that you want to take home with you, curl up with, hold them close -- and pray that they are still with you when you wake up." -- The Big Takeover

    Let Me In - free mp3
    Ocean Blue - free mp3

    Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.

    More Layaways downloads:

    download the Layaways at eMusic download the Layaways at iTunes

    the layaways website