Comments on: New group to standardize digital music data

Apple, Microsoft and Sony BMG team with industry leaders to better track digital-music sales and royalties.

[mortis9]

how about a standard format instead

this doesn't help consumers in the least. at worst it hurts us. why can't these companies come together and design, or agree upon, a standard set of audio and video formats that will be used for online and digital music sales.

for instance: i would love to buy a music subscription but i can't because i have an ipod. alternatively, i couldn't use a device that supports that function, because most of my music is encoded for my ipod, in formats that most players don't use.

this is what people care about, not helping music companies to better track the proliferation of music pirating (which is really what 'ddex' is all about)

[richlap]

ddex is not about chasing pirates...

DDEX is about driving clear b2b XML standards for people in the music distribution commerce chain. There are dozens of audio formats out there and some Apple has chosen to support and others they have not. Its really up to them. And of course you when you choose to buy the iPod.

[skeptik]

all about priorities

The RIAA didn't seem to have a problem coming up with a standard on how to sue illegal downloaders, but I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that they are having a much harder time finding a standard when it comes to paying the artists... because protecting their intellectual property is a two-way street: they must maximize revenue coming in while minimizing expenses going out!