Engineering: New battle for digital music is in storage

The new trend for online digital music is not about where it comes from but how it is stored.

Many companies are offering online ‘lockers’ for users to upload their digital music files for safe-keeping to be retrieved through multiple devices and players.
 
Primarily, the lockers will be sold as a backup option, but will progress into added accessibility to boost the value of the users’ music.
 
One company offering space is Oboe, a spin-off of MP3Tunes.
 
Oboe will sell unlimited storage for music-only files at a fee of US$40 (GBP£21) a year.
 
Others, such as Streamload-owned MediaMax, will offer up to a thousand gigabytes with the facility to store music, video and photos.
 
"The idea is to take the paradigm that has been built offline in the iTunes, Rhapsody and Napster applications and to move it onto the web," Michael Corrales, VP of marketing for Streamload told Billboard.
 
That is, current music stored in the lockers from these companies will be able to be streamed remotely from any computer connected to the internet.
 
"It's safer, more versatile and more flexible," added MP3Tunes founder Michael Robertson.
 
"Right now, everybody's focused on the iPod, but that's like carrying around a pocketful of nickels because you want money anywhere you go instead of a credit card."
 
However, there are limitations to the service.
 
For instance, music wrapped in some digital rights management (DRM) technology can’t be streamed from some lockers.
 
Also, some companies can’t accept tethered downloads from some subscription services like Rhapsody and Napster.
 
Digital locker company Navio will approach users differently by becoming partners with content providers, such as Sony BMG, TVT Records, Fox Sports and the Walt Disney Group, to provide online sales portals.
 
This service will also offer the facility for users to download purchases in different formats as required, so they could switch from iPod to other MP3 players without having to repurchase their music.
 
Navio COO Ray Schaaf told Billboard: “If we can give you the right to have your music in whatever format you want, that's just a far better value proposition.
 
"How many people are going to buy the same thing four or five times?"
 
It is hoped that the new service will have a positive effect on online music sales.
 
"In the next six to 12 months, you're going to see a couple of dozen devices that will just have all your music when you turn them on," Robertson added.

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