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Author Topic: Music label Numero Group opts out of iTunes Match  (Read 718 times)
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« on: June 16, 2011, 11:00:13 pm »

Music label Numero Group opts out of iTunes Match



   Chicago-based music label Numero Group is the first record label to publicly opt out of Apple's iTunes Match service, which lets users redownload any songs they have in their iTunes library to any device they own. In a short blog posting, Numero Group said that "we feel that a great risk is being taken by Apple and the major labels that have accepted the terms of this new product wholesale with not a thought beyond the 150M those so-called 'big four' will probably divide and pay to their top executives. By that, we mean that laws that protect compositions and copyrights for songs are, more or less, being trampled under these agreements."

   In an interview with Ars Technica, Numero Group co-owner Rob Sevier explained that for small record labels like his there's not much benefit to allowing Numero tracks on iTunes match. Sevier told Ars that iTunes Match effectively "legitimizes" piracy and easily turns people into "pirates" for a one-time fee of $25. For a small record label like his, which may only sell 10,000 copies of a song, the potential for people to download pirated copies and then turn them into "legitimate" copies via iTunes Match isn't worth the risk. "We are primarily a physical goods company," Sevier said. "Because of that, we don't get too bogged down in bootlegging; we just can't stay up all night and worry about it. But for Apple to say that all your bootlegs are welcome, it just bothers us."

   Sevier also discounts the notion that iTunes Match is a way for smaller labels to take part in revenue sharing, which would potentially make up for any illegal music matched on iTunes. He says that the potential revenue from iTunes Match won't make up for the increased rate of piracy, which could be as high as 1000% in his estimates. "It's not going to be enough to matter. I don't think that any of this will even filter down to artists. It doesn't matter what kind of label it is, it's just going to be an administrative mess dealing with all these micropayments. There's no way it's going to cover the hourly wage of someone working in the accounting department to even deal with."

   Servier expects some of his customers to be unhappy about not being able to have their songs matched on iTunes, but he feels that someone needs to protect the smaller artists, songwriters, and producers. He also states that he could have quietly opted out of iTunes Match, but decided to blog about his decision in hopes that his decision will spur other labels in the industry to fully think out what joining iTunes Match may mean for the artists they represent.Music label Numero Group opts out of iTunes Match originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST.  Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/16/music-label-numero-group-opts-out-of-itunes-match/
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