When Dada.net, a music site run by a joint venture between major label Sony BMG and Italian mobile-entertainment company Dada, first launched, $9.99 got you 15 "tokens" that could be redeemed for ringtones or MP3s.
Unfortunately, it offered only songs from Sony BMG, as other download services with a much larger selection--notably Amazon.com and Apple's iTunes--began to offer DRM-free downloads for a buck or less.
Despite some big holes, Dada.net does offer a complete selection by some artists, including Radiohead.
The service now has a free tier that offers unlimited streaming, and unlike other free streaming services such as Grooveshark or Spotify, you also get three free MP3 downloads per month. I tested it with a download of Beck's "Bolero", and everything seems legit--you do have to register with a valid e-mail address, but you aren't forced to give a credit card number to get your free service, as with eMusic.
The selection still has some gaping holes--no Led Zeppelin or Beatles, for example--but some non-Sony artists like Pink Floyd and Radiohead (the bulk of whose recordings are owned by EMI) are represented with a full complement of recordings, including obscure live albums and EPs. And, of course, Sony artists like Kings of Leon are fully represented. The free tier is definitely worth checking out, if you can't find a song you're looking for at one of the other free streaming services.
As far as the paid tier goes, I still think that it's a bad deal, at $9.99 a month, for 15 free MP3s (the first month, you get 25). You can get DRM-free downloads for about the same price, with no monthly subscription fee, from many other sources. Another possible deterrent: Dada has been accused of using questionable tactics to attract and retain subscribers. I haven't experienced any problems, and the most recent complaints date from 2006, but the reports are common enough that I have to suggest caution.
Correction: AC/DC's 1981 album For Those About to Rock We Salute You peaked at #1 on the U.S. charts, which means Wal-Mart's press release is wrong.
American retail giant Wal-Mart relaunched its online MP3 store Tuesday, and it's a worthy competitor to Amazon in the DRM-free MP3 sweepstakes. (To remind you: unlike many songs from Apple's iTunes, or Microsoft's Zune Marketplace, or Nokia's music store, every song sold on Amazon and Wal-Mart can be played an unlimited number of times on just about any portable device and in any software application out there.)
The new Wal-Mart store includes top hits at only 74 a cents per song, with standard pricing at 94 cents (a nickel cheaper than most), plus a free download of the week (hopefully it won't always be kids' music), plus one free MP3 download for every full physical album that you buy either in the store or on the Web site starting in November.
Highlights of Wal-Mart's relaunched MP3 store include exclusives, a free song of the week, and selected downloads for only $0.74
(Credit: Screenshot)But no AC/DC. If you're of a certain age and musical predeliction, you probably already know that AC/DC's new album, Black Ice, is available only at Wal-Mart--but not as a download. You might have checked out the new single, "Rock and Roll Train," for its first minute or two. But you probably would never have guessed that Black Ice has just become AC/DC's second album to top the U.S. charts, showing that big old rock bands don't need none of that digital computer stuff anyhow. At least they have a sense of humor about it.
As a vinyl collector, I've always held Sub Pop in high regard. Not only does the iconic Seattle-based label release a lot of LPs, it doesn't charge an arm and a leg for them--I've bought some records from Sub Pop bands for the same price or less than the CD costs.
Last week, Sub Pop began selling MP3 downloads, and its catalog has rapidly expanded, now encompassing more than 200 full-length albums. The price is $9.90 and the format is 192kbps MP3, meaning they can be played on any application or device, unlike downloads from iTunes or the Zune Marketplace.
No single-song downloads yet, and these album downloads are not exclusives--the latest Kinski record, Down Below It's Chaos, is not only offered in higher-quality AAC format (and DRM-free) on iTunes, but it's only $8.91. But the Sub Pop download store will get more exciting, with rare, out-of-print titles becoming exclusive downloads on the site.
This strategy won't work for most of the major labels, as listeners probably aren't even aware which label holds their favorite bands. But for indie labels with strong brands that connote a certain sound--think Matador, K Records, or Constellation --this could be a smart way to do business.
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