Singles now to be released as soon as they hit the radio.

[Justiceforcedave]

Linky link linkl LINK.

For those that can't be bothered

Two of the UK’s major record labels have announced plans to make new singles from their artists available on the same day they are first played on the radio.

According to Music Week, from next month, Universal and Sony Music will adopt this policy for all acts whose management agree.

Acts on Sony include Foo Fighters, Glasvegas and Kasabian, while Snow Patrol, Green Day and Arcade Fire are among the artists signed to Universal.

Universal Music's UK CEO David Joseph said of the decision: "For a lot of our younger fans and consumers the word 'wait' is no longer in the vocabulary. You hear something and want it and then you search it. And if you search for it then you’ve got to make sure there is a legal site for that appetite."

Sony Music chairman and CEO Ged Doherty added said: "We live in an age of immediacy – release windows are a thing of the past."

A successful example of this technique is BBC Sound of 2011 winner Jessie J, whose single 'Do It Like A Dude' was released on radio and to buy at the same time in December. It climbed to Number Two in the UK Top 40 this weekend (January 16) after eight weeks in the chart.

Both labels have said they both hope this move will satisfy consumer appetites and combat piracy.

[Milbert]

People still buy singles?

[jump]

Linky link linkl LINK.

For those that can't be bothered

Another move to try and combat pirates! you can imagine how the meeting went:

Mr Sony: So guys, it seems that those illegal downloader chaps havn't gone away like we hoped.

Sony Minion 1: Even though we told them that they shouldn't be doing it?

Mr Sony: Yes, even though we did that. So does anyone have any ideas?

Sony Minion 2: Well maybe instead of coming up with lots of little half arsed solutions, we should revitalise the music industry and lead it into a new era and find a new way to distribute music?

Mr Sony: Nonsense! We'll just cover up the problem. How about we release singles as soon as they come on the radio? So impatient people will buy them instead of downloading them illegally?

Sony minions collectivly: Wow! That's an amazing idea!

Sony Minion 2: *sigh*

[ampersand]

what is this new way to distribute music though?

from a sony point of view, it's a great thing as they'll no doubt get plenty sales where they otherwise wouldn't. but it's not going to stop the average joe like me from downloading music illegaly. be it new album leaks or stuff from the 60's!

[jump]

what is this new way to distribute music though?

from a sony point of view, it's a great thing as they'll no doubt get plenty sales where they otherwise wouldn't. but it's not going to stop the average joe like me from downloading music illegaly. be it new album leaks or stuff from the 60's!

[ampersand]

Probably the same stuff as how streaming music site are the future for music, you pay a monthly subscription and listen to as much music as you like therefore eliminating the need to illegally download.

[jump]

but that does exist. and even if every record label on the planet signed up and you could literally listen to anything you wanted on a spotify, i would still do as i do just now.

the problem with spotify is that i can't take it with me in the car.

and i'm not too clued up on how the apps work. i know you need to have the paid version. but then even if it does the same from your phone as it does your laptop, you still need 3g package/service and if you don't have unlimited, i imagine it could get costly.

[Justiceforcedave]

what is this new way to distribute music though?

from a sony point of view, it's a great thing as they'll no doubt get plenty sales where they otherwise wouldn't. but it's not going to stop the average joe like me from downloading music illegaly. be it new album leaks or stuff from the 60's!

[omskus]

what is this new way to distribute music though?

from a sony point of view, it's a great thing as they'll no doubt get plenty sales where they otherwise wouldn't. but it's not going to stop the average joe like me from downloading music illegaly. be it new album leaks or stuff from the 60's!

[ampersand]

Dear Ampersand - do not resist - this is a citizens arrest. Thief in the forum.

You make me sick - next you'll be saying you watch hookey Man United games therefore making sure honest tax payers like Wayne Rooney can't afford expensive hookers.

[omskus]

nah, you've got me all wrong. the man utd obsessive here isn't me

and for the record, i watch all my televised football on sky paid by father! and will probably continue to do so when i move out.

[Purple Monkey]

Things like Spotify are the future as far as I'm concerned.

[ampersand]

Only kidding mate! besides if we sent you to prison you'd get free sky anyway!

[rexclark]

I suppose this just means you can illegally download a decent version of a new song rather than a version with Zane Lowe talking at the end like you used to get off Limewire?

[dirty_dog]

they will need to do the same with albums. as soon as they are finished and they are sending copy's out to radio stations they will need to make them available as you can usually illegally download them a week or two before they come out.

[ampersand]

I suppose this just means you can illegally download a decent version of a new song rather than a version with Zane Lowe talking at the end like you used to get off Limewire?

[whatmidlifecrisis?]

I have never downloaded any music illegally. However I have borrowed Cds and stored copies and it amounts to the same thing. I also buy a fair bit. It is odd isn't it that most people seem to be comfortable with this sort of theft but mention someone nicking a slab of warm larger from your tent and some people are all up for a lynching. Like parking illegally it seems that it is a law most people are happy to break. I am not judging or knocking anyone (that would make me a hypocrit), just curious.

[ampersand]

It is odd isn't it that most people seem to be comfortable with this sort of theft but mention someone nicking a slab of warm larger from your tent and some people are all up for a lynching.

[omskus]

I've actually had a bit of a shock today. I scrape a living making iphone apps. One of my apps has been highly pirated - I make like £1.50 a dat in sales from it. I decided to put a small advert in the level select screen so I could cross promote my other apps. Since the advert rate Apple offer is so low - less than 5% of the time I decided to add them in too. Believe it or not I've made a few pounds today by actually embracing the pirates - because theres thousands of them - thousands are viewing the adverts therefore making me a couple of pounds.

[ancient_one]

Isn't that how things used to be, before they started letting radio play them weeks in advance? It sounds to me as if they are just undoing what turned out to be a flawed plan. I think a lot of people are sick of hearing a lot of singles before they are even available.

[Scotdy]

Isn't that how things used to be, before they started letting radio play them weeks in advance? It sounds to me as if they are just undoing what turned out to be a flawed plan. I think a lot of people are sick of hearing a lot of singles before they are even available.

[Purple Monkey]

I've actually had a bit of a shock today. I scrape a living making iphone apps. One of my apps has been highly pirated - I make like £1.50 a dat in sales from it. I decided to put a small advert in the level select screen so I could cross promote my other apps. Since the advert rate Apple offer is so low - less than 5% of the time I decided to add them in too. Believe it or not I've made a few pounds today by actually embracing the pirates - because theres thousands of them - thousands are viewing the adverts therefore making me a couple of pounds.

Edited January 19, 2011 by Purple Monkey

[Gre]

Isn't that how things used to be, before they started letting radio play them weeks in advance? It sounds to me as if they are just undoing what turned out to be a flawed plan.

[whatmidlifecrisis?]

nope cos it's two different things.

person A has one slab of beer in tent and it gets nicked by person B. person A now has no beer.

person A takes copy of person B's album. person B doesn't lose that album. it's not as if someone has went into hmv and shoplifted the album. that would be a better example.

[ampersand]

I see your point. So it is degrees of theft? It is sort of how I apporach it. I make my own judgement call on whether the artist can afford to lose the royality I owe them. I do tend to buy material from up and coming or newish bands and borrow artists that I feel I should have in my collection but do not need my money. Trouble is it is a very grey area when approached this way. I just find it odd how people who would never dream of taking something they haven't paid for think it is OK with films/music/software etc. Someone else's art or craft seems fair play where as something more material or physical is taboo.