Jupiter’s Card Lays Out Digital Future

According Ditgital Music News coverage of the Music 2.0 confab, "Copy-protection is not going to prevent piracy," said David Card, senior analyst at JupiterResearch during a recent keynote at Music 2.0. And digital music isn’t going away, he says, "because people like the products." So what is the best strategy for content holders to pursue in this brave new digital world? While Card believes that enforcement is the most effective way to stop piracy, he also recommended that record labels "unlock new revenue streams," by discovering "new ways of marketing using new technologies."

… "We don’t think the CD is dead," Card said, "but digital represents all the growth." Meanwhile, the transition from physical to digital will be gradual, with Jupiter outlining a conservative growth curve. "Digital music will grow to 15 percent of the market by 2010," roughly the decline in CD sales over the same period."

"…Digital music is a licensing stream," he told the audience….Card agreed heavily with sentiments …Sony BMG digital media executive Thomas Hesse. That included new concepts of windowed releases, bundled digital sales, and a heavier emphasis on wireless formats…"