Cus Productions

Wise words from XKCD:

Courtesy of xkcd.com

This follows on from WalMart’s decision to shut down the authentication servers which would render all the digital music bought from them in the past 5 years unplayable. They’ve recently overturned the decision to stop a riot from customers, but will have to maintain the servers in aeternum. There will come a point where the cost of maintaining the servers will overtake the profit they made on selling the the music and *still* Walmart will have to carry on paying. The short term ‘piracy prevention’ has turned into a long-term albatross.

By making mp3s or other non-DRM encumbered music readily accessible you won’t necessarily stop piracy, but you will always have a core group of people who will always pirate regardless. Lower the price point and you’ll get more buyers – simple economics. If the point of sale is easy and the price low you’ll get repeat custom without having to support previous sales, all for the cost of supporting the sale infrastructure and little else, given there’s no physical media being passed to the customer.

Of course, it helps if the music is good as well