MUSIC LIKE WATER: Danish telecom TDC offers bundled music downloads - the flat rate is here (once again) - but WMA files...?

Read this and say FLAT RATE: Danish telecom group TDC to offer music downloads - Tech.

"In a statement TDC chief exectuvie Jens Alder said the offer was aimed to grab customers. 'Today it is not enough just to offer a smart cell phone or a fast broad band access line. Therefore, we are investing in making music available to our customers, and we believe that we will benefit from it financially and get more satisfied customers,' he said."

And from the TDC release itself:

"When our customers wake up tomorrow, we will have changed their everyday lives. They will experience that through PLAY they are suddenly able to download all the music they wish as a part of their subscription from TDC or YouSee, legally and without extra charges," says Jens Alder, President and CEO of TDC..."

However, it looks like this service will offer only WMA and AAC files, which means, you guessed it... DRM? Let's find out (Rafat at PaidContent says so)  because if it does, than this is really not much more than Napster or Rhapsody which already offers free listening (and now, of course, Last.fm, my favorite) - except that the 'listening online' can be replaced with the 'temp download to listen later'. Still - a good start! 

One which, once again, proves that streaming is now basically the same as downloading.
The new world is: ACCESS FIRST, OWNERSHIP  SECOND.

On another note: This quote below shows how 'music like water' is now a global movement ;))) I have mentioned it a few times myself ;)

Note this illustration (below) - from 2005!!

Check out my new book, Music2.0. Get a printed copy or download the pay-what-you-want pdf here

Comments

[Kristian Mortensenk]

As a Dane and as a big fan our yours - i can only say - THIS IS FUCKING COOL - I'm changing teleoperator as we speak - and I used to work for the one I have now - this is a big big step in the right direction - this will spread like wildfire throughout the telecom industry - other mayor players on the danish telecom marked is already speaking about making stuff like that in the near future - I am exhilarated