Portability Debate Rages While Rome Burns

Billboard reports that “as anticipation for portable subscription music builds, the plot details for this new chapter in the digital distribution saga remain unclear. Record labels and digital music service providers are at odds over how much consumers should pay for the ability to move around with content they rent but do not own.

The labels fear that the new services will reduce revenue from their best customers. The service providers are concerned about how much margin they will have to sacrifice to gain access to content. It’s the latest wrinkle in the already complicated economics of music on-demand subscriptions, which have yet to offer portability.

Some services have grandfathered short-term deals that allow for access to subscription content. But most labels are not saying yet what they will charge other services for portable subscription content once Microsoft’s Janus digital rights management technology debuts later this year.”

hypebot: And they wonder why people download? While the majors fight over control the people (as they always will) find a way to get it portability and choices they demand.