Talk about.. slotMusic

darleysam

So I open my browser, google news appears, and informs me that SanDisk are in partnership with EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group in releasing a new music format. The rest of the article I was reading it from goes like this:

the format is based on the microSD cards that are due to launch soon available with pre-loaded, high quality, DRM-free MP3 music.

slotMusic cards work with any microSD-enabled mobile phones, car stereos or MP3 player as well as Mac, Linux and Windows computers with the bundled USB sleeve.

The MP3-based music tracks will be played back at up to 320kbps, and cards will also hold liner notes, album art, videos, and other creative content that an artist may choose.

A selection of slotMusic cards will be available soon at stores throughout the US, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart, with Europe to follow.

Sounds like a nice idea, but it seems a little pointless. I can't see it replacing CDs any time soon, and downloads are just going to keep growing. Still though, could be good.

potatoe

yesssss
i keep tellin' people CDs and DVDs are dumb

bring back cartridges

The_Scarab

I can see something like this replacing CDs. How many people nowadays buy CDs and then transfer the music to another device, mp3 player, cellphone etc.

Why not just sell something that slots right in your phone. I think it's a good idea.

Threadbare Sock

i bet they'll have drm but they'll be like "no this isn't drm, this is dcm"

potatoe

The_Scarab wrote: »

I can see something like this replacing CDs. How many people nowadays buy CDs and then transfer the music to another device, mp3 player, cellphone etc.

Why not just sell something that slots right in your phone. I think it's a good idea.

a large chunk of my CD collection was only ever spun up the one time necessary to rip it to my computer

potatoe

look at me
i avoided a perfectly good chance to make a vaginaMusic joke

i'm so proud

Threadbare Sock

good hello potatoenumbers

Iskander

Threadbare Sock wrote: »

i bet they'll have drm but they'll be like "no this isn't drm, this is dcm"

DXM

more hardcore than DRM

WITH AN X

Threadbare Sock

would they do something like make the music on every physical card digitally unique, so as to identify which card it was originally sold on?

bsjezz

The_Scarab wrote: »

I can see something like this replacing CDs. How many people nowadays buy CDs and then transfer the music to another device, mp3 player, cellphone etc.

Why not just sell something that slots right in your phone. I think it's a good idea.

i buy cds all the time

it's still a great format, and i'd much rather slap a disc in the computer to get my music than fuck around with some fiddly micro sd card

seriously, have you seen those? you could lose one under your fingernail

potatoe

Threadbare Sock wrote: »

good hello potatoenumbers

good hello to you wornout footware

potatoe

bsjezz wrote: »

The_Scarab wrote: »

I can see something like this replacing CDs. How many people nowadays buy CDs and then transfer the music to another device, mp3 player, cellphone etc.

Why not just sell something that slots right in your phone. I think it's a good idea.

i buy cds all the time

it's still a great format, and i'd much rather slap a disc in the computer to get my music than fuck around with some fiddly micro sd card

seriously, have you seen those? you could lose one under your fingernail

i just keep thinking back to men in black with k holding the super-tiny CD proclaiming "looks like i'll have to buy the white album again"

Iskander

Threadbare Sock wrote: »

would they do something like make the music on every physical card digitally unique, so as to identify which card it was originally sold on?

Why would they not?

Threadbare Sock

i dunno, because to my layman mind, you could probably convert to analog and back to digital to destroy any fingerprints

Iskander

That would work yes. Burn it as audio and rip it back to MP3.

I don't see many people doing that just to lose the watermark though

potatoe

Threadbare Sock wrote: »

i dunno, because to my layman mind, you could probably convert to analog and back to digital to destroy any fingerprints

you'll have whiners complaining about insignificant loss in quality doing this
but, yeah, that's an easy workaround

space_satan

I fear change.

potatoe

boo

Mr. G

That's why some people still buy vinyl.

Iskander

i can see artists releasing whole discographies on one or more of these cards.

the pink floyd discography would - for instance - take up about six cards and significantly less space than a similar collection on CDs.

queuewindow

If there's going to be another physical media format then it should have uncompressed audio. Leave the mp3 bullshit for digital distribution.

Air

yea but what they need is a player that will take more than one sd card at a time
everyones just gonna be like 'shit why buy one album on the card when i can rip the cd to a card and put many other cds on it also and then stick it in my camera for some reason because my ipod doesnt actually play sd cards'

Mr. G

I'm pretty sure this isn't gonna catch on

Khavall

It seems kind of like taking completely the wrong message away from Digital Distribution.

"People want their music in a digital format! Let's try packaging it on a different physical medium!"

I mean these SD sticks are going to be ludicrously small, so it's not like they'll have aftermarket use, and people will lose them exceptionally easily, and still their main use will be ripping to a computer faster than a CD to then put on an MP3 player.

The Geek

These are totally gonna take over consumer music!

Just like minidisc!

ascot

Yeah what we need to do is have a bunch of little tiny cards with your music on
It'll be a whole new way to lose your music

potatoe

i only buy CDs nowadays if it's straight from the label anyway

otherwise i download

Druhim

ascot wrote: »

Yeah what we need to do is have a bunch of little tiny cards with your music on
It'll be a whole new way to lose your music

exactly
this is a terrible idea

which means they'll probably have no problem getting investors
edit: well, with the power players involved they won't need investors

Bedlam

Man I just dont like digital distrabution. Owning somthing physical is so much better and if I dont like it I can sell it or give it to someone else.

I like the idea if its cheaper to buy music, as CDs can be hella expensive when you buy alot of them.

Centipede Damascus

I still buy CDs because I like to have a physical representation of the thing that I own. I do buy some songs off of Amazon though. Probably not going to buy these cards unless they are hell of cheap.

Druhim

haha you actually think they'll charge less for music on these?
that was the same bullshit lie they told us when cds were introduced
we were promised that music on cds would be so much cheaper because they're so inexpensive to mass produce
but of course the recording industry ain't going to loosen it's death grip on any of its profits unless you pry their dead, cold hands off of it

ascot

it's like teeny tiny betamax, awww

neville

Druhim wrote: »

haha you actually think they'll charge less for music on these?
that was the same bullshit lie they told us when cds were introduced
we were promised that music on cds would be so much cheaper because they're so inexpensive to mass produce
but of course the recording industry ain't going to loosen it's death grip on any of its profits unless you pry their dead, cold hands off of it

RIAA = bunch of fucks