09 January 2008

It is inconceivable that Sony BMG’s new marketing scheme won’t work.

Just when I was ready to post a fascinating rant about filing Iggy Pop under "P", Sony BMG has come up with a cunning plan that I can't overlook.  Music Pass! 

Let me summarize this system as I understand it: 

  1. You decide you need a music fix, because you are jonesin' for some DRM-free MP3s. 
  2. You get up from your computer, gear up, and leave the house. 
  3. You go to a Fred's, FYE, Winn-Dixie, Target, or Best Buy. 
  4. You buy a lovely Music Pass card for one of the 39-ish available albums (including Barry Manilow, Celine Dion, and JLo!), with the picture of the artist right there on that card.  For only $12.99! 
  5. You return home to your computer. 
  6. You scratch to reveal a code. 
  7. You navigate to the Music Pass web site. 
  8. You enter your code. 
  9. You download the album.
Yeah, that's going to take the music world by storm.  It's so much easier and cheaper than using Amazon or burning and re-ripping iTunes tracks.  ::eyeroll::

As-yet-unanswered questions:  Do these expire?  When do the artists get paid:  at card sale or at music download?  What would happen if they had to withdraw an album from the program?  How long will it take before they discover that people who want to download MP3s don't want to go the store to do it?  When people run run run from this program, will Sony BMG declare that they have proved that people don't want DRM-free MP3s?

Here's my proposal for Fred's, FYE, Winn-Dixie, Target, and Best Buy:  Put some music kiosks right next to your "stick your flash card in here and get pictures printed out" kiosks. It would be simple enough to burn a CD or CD-MP3 on the spot, scribe a label, and spit out a little cover-art sheet, envelopes in a dispenser. With empty jewel cases available for a small price on a nearby shelf.  Browsing, sampling, logging on to your "Target partners with CBS/Last.fm" account to get your recommendations on the spot, whatever. They could even integrate with Sony BMG gift cards! Stick the card in and presto-spitto, the album appears.

1 comment:

CJH / esper said...

Good to see this rant again - read one similar on Whatever.

(BTW: thanks for the Gigglemuswack search tip!)