What the hell was nokia thinking? They have these awesome opensource phones coming to market, the opensource internet tablets running on maemo, and then their music outing is not only DRM'd but in the horrible format of WMA? Smells like someone over at nokia took a payoff from someone in the Microsoft PlaysMaybe camp.
emerson
· 2 years ago
insane. I only liken it to a bunch of suits sitting around agreeing on what "they" think will work best. Meanwhile, it's the same bunch playing Meatloaf and Phantom CD's on their cassette players.
Cameron Chapman
· 2 years ago
How do you play a CD on a cassette player? Wouldn't it scratch it?
Ryan McFarland
· 2 years ago
Can i say that this is recockulous? Their header image is perfect - i'll just keep ripping my records.
Nick
· 2 years ago
This article is rather trollish.
To be fair, the site does say "Beta", and it's a .co.uk.
Troll.
kevinnorman
· 2 years ago
You suck
andy
· 2 years ago
You would expect more from a company like Nokia I don't think this article is trollish at all, far from it. It is right on the money.
Avatar
· 2 years ago
wow, you keep striking on a being a bum don`t you stan?..or it may be that you just want to become the duncan riley of mashable and do the most controversial post by mining on people perceptions.
How easy is to state everything you list as a problem in this music store when there was a actual press release before the music store was launched from nokia that said they will be experimenting with their music store for the rest of 2007 and launch in a formal way starting 2008. i guess you don`t follow the press channels that well or you prefer to watch re-runs of the OC instead doing that.
and then there is the search of common sense where you could point the domain is a regional co.uk site, that carries a BETA tag that you ignore because in your web tech journo world such word has lost all meaning and you just simple ignoring before evaluating such implications.
Oh and then you strike on their choice of supporting the platform that leads uh?, how popular, how "internet blogger" of you is to do such a thing, because suddenly IE is not able to be used in the 100% of windows users that still dominate 90% of the marketshare .
but what is worst is the timing.. the store got a day out on a limited REGIONAL release while in a TEST form and you also find a way to complain about the selection of the music?...
ah, you are such a sunshine to web tech blogging.
shame on you dunc...i mean stan.
Sam
· 2 years ago
I think some of the comments are just meant to bait nokia fans or be inflammatory to get more website hits. :-)
Here's my take on it:
1. The vast majority of iTunes catalogue is still DRMed with Fairplay. And those tracks only work on Apple iProducts.
I just purchased 5 songs from the new releases in iTunes. All were only 128kbsp, not the 196kbsp of the songs I purchased from Nokia Music Store.
So the comments about Apple's embracing DRM-free and better sound quality isnt legit when it only applies to a small percentage their entire catalogue.
2. If you must have DRM protected content, at least WM DRM works on multiple devices unlike Fairplay (apple). Songs from Nokia's store play on multiple brands of phones (nokia, samsung, sony walkman, etc) + many portable music players. (and WM DRM, mp3s, songs CD ripped from iTunes, wavs and more play on many Nokia phones) So at least the music you buy isnt locked to one device or brand.
I am not a fan of DRM, but if the labels demand it, WM DRM isnt any more horrible than Fairplay.
3. Although its a bit of a hack, Firefox does work with Nokia Music store if you use the IE add-on (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/...) So if you are a die-hard Firefox fan but want to play with the site, you can.
4. As other comments have pointed out, this was launched as a UK Beta, not a worldwide offering. So to complain that its only in the UK may be disappointing, but not a fault of the store.
5. Almost every other digital music store in EU with major label content uses WM DRM. Sony Walkman's store tried their own drm, failed and are now using WM DRM if I remember right.
From what I've seen from other music sites: of the four major lables, at least two wont offer their content without some kind of DRM.
Non-DRM indies only or Non-DRM content from major artists I dont listen to doesnt really help me. I can love the Amazon site, but without downloads from the artists I want, it doesnt do me any good.
Anyway, I dont care if someone thinks the Nokia store sucks. But I think that theres a lot of info and facts missing that help to determine if the store actually sucks or if this is just a troll rant.
phungtiencong
· 2 years ago
Yes, I agree. I don't take .co.uk as a major problem since they are expanding into many other countries. But browser, DRM and file format: yes, it all hurts.
The store sucks until NOKIA really changes their solution.
One more annoying feature: To PLAY or BUY music, you need to install NOKIA media bar.
"The Nokia Media Bar is a small Active-X application that runs in the browser as part of the Nokia Music Store" It took me too many clicks and waits and decisions to install this "small" plugin
To me, the "beta" tag doesn't make sense much in this case. It's extremely hard for NOKIA to switch their format or/and their core engine from beta to launch
I think with such a poor, old, complicated approach, NOKIA should NOT get into the Internet world as they wish. Continue manufacturing handsets maybe a better idea?
www.lake-shore.co.uk
· 2 years ago
This article is rather trollish
anon
· 2 years ago
Ok, so how many browsers does itunes store work in again..?
CaptainReality
· 1 year ago
Absolutely lame.
Why these imbecilic corporations keep pushing DRM is beyond me. Haven't they realised that the people who are buying tracks have already given them money, and thus aren't pirates almost by definition.
Of course, Nokia's music store will be an abysmal flop. As has been every music store except iTunes Music Store (because it's tied to iTunes which is tied to the iPod; the iPod's success underwrites iTMS), and the Amazon store (which is 100% DRM free, the way it should be).
annonymous
· 1 year ago
I am a Mac and PC user (actually have a separate Mac and PC computer even though Macs can now run Windows -- I prefer a Windows PC that I can customize the hardware on for certain tasks -- anyways I use an Apple Mac Mini desktop with Intel Core Duo 1 processor and an Apple PowerBook G4 with earlier PowerPC G4 processor as my laptop plus a desktop PC tower I have customized and on all 3 computers I have iTunes. My main iTunes Library that I sync with my iPod is on the Mac Mini and I often have bought music from iTunes Music Store and/or Amazon MP3. I am gradually moving my music library to a DRM free format without loss in audio quality.
I have had it with the RIAA's extortion schemes and sleazy business practices. I will not buy anymore music from a RIAA label on CD or online from any store like iTunes ever unless they ditch their policies. Stop underpaying the artist and dumping DRM on consumers. Even DRM free music sales I won't support by RIAA unless they change their policies.
Nokia Music Store in its current form sucks! I like how companies like ThumbPlay and even phone manufacturers like Apple (responsible for iPhone) and even Nokia are coming out with their own mobile music stores to compete with the carriers and break the carrier's monopoly on what works with a phone. If carriers want consumers to still use their services they have to improve them but Verizon for example cannot dictate that owners of phones using their service use VCast Music exclusively to get music on their phones. You can use ThumbPlay. If you have a Nokia phone and live in a country supported by Nokia Music Store, have an operating system and browser supported by Nokia Music Store and your Nokia phone is supported by their store you can even use Nokia Music Store over a carrier owned music service. iTunes WIFI Music Store is available for iPhone and iPod Touch users.
Stupid Nokia Music. I work in a phone store, we have the Nokia 5800 and hence are using Nokia Music. On a near-new iMac running XP, this stupid program is horribly slow, always freezes, and I hate the way the playlist works. The store is.. okay. But the actual program is shocking. I've had Nokia phones for 6 years. Over the last 2, they've disappointed me incredibly. Fail@Nokia.
All Comments
To be fair, the site does say "Beta", and it's a .co.uk.
Troll.
How easy is to state everything you list as a problem in this music store when there was a actual press release before the music store was launched from nokia that said they will be experimenting with their music store for the rest of 2007 and launch in a formal way starting 2008. i guess you don`t follow the press channels that well or you prefer to watch re-runs of the OC instead doing that.
and then there is the search of common sense where you could point the domain is a regional co.uk site, that carries a BETA tag that you ignore because in your web tech journo world such word has lost all meaning and you just simple ignoring before evaluating such implications.
Oh and then you strike on their choice of supporting the platform that leads uh?, how popular, how "internet blogger" of you is to do such a thing, because suddenly IE is not able to be used in the 100% of windows users that still dominate 90% of the marketshare .
but what is worst is the timing.. the store got a day out on a limited REGIONAL release while in a TEST form and you also find a way to complain about the selection of the music?...
ah, you are such a sunshine to web tech blogging.
shame on you dunc...i mean stan.
Here's my take on it:
1. The vast majority of iTunes catalogue is still DRMed with Fairplay. And those tracks only work on Apple iProducts.
I just purchased 5 songs from the new releases in iTunes. All were only 128kbsp, not the 196kbsp of the songs I purchased from Nokia Music Store.
So the comments about Apple's embracing DRM-free and better sound quality isnt legit when it only applies to a small percentage their entire catalogue.
2. If you must have DRM protected content, at least WM DRM works on multiple devices unlike Fairplay (apple). Songs from Nokia's store play on multiple brands of phones (nokia, samsung, sony walkman, etc) + many portable music players. (and WM DRM, mp3s, songs CD ripped from iTunes, wavs and more play on many Nokia phones) So at least the music you buy isnt locked to one device or brand.
I am not a fan of DRM, but if the labels demand it, WM DRM isnt any more horrible than Fairplay.
3. Although its a bit of a hack, Firefox does work with Nokia Music store if you use the IE add-on (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/...) So if you are a die-hard Firefox fan but want to play with the site, you can.
4. As other comments have pointed out, this was launched as a UK Beta, not a worldwide offering. So to complain that its only in the UK may be disappointing, but not a fault of the store.
5. Almost every other digital music store in EU with major label content uses WM DRM. Sony Walkman's store tried their own drm, failed and are now using WM DRM if I remember right.
From what I've seen from other music sites: of the four major lables, at least two wont offer their content without some kind of DRM.
Non-DRM indies only or Non-DRM content from major artists I dont listen to doesnt really help me. I can love the Amazon site, but without downloads from the artists I want, it doesnt do me any good.
Anyway, I dont care if someone thinks the Nokia store sucks. But I think that theres a lot of info and facts missing that help to determine if the store actually sucks or if this is just a troll rant.
The store sucks until NOKIA really changes their solution.
One more annoying feature:
To PLAY or BUY music, you need to install NOKIA media bar.
"The Nokia Media Bar is a small Active-X application that runs in the browser as part of the Nokia Music Store"
It took me too many clicks and waits and decisions to install this "small" plugin
To me, the "beta" tag doesn't make sense much in this case. It's extremely hard for NOKIA to switch their format or/and their core engine from beta to launch
I think with such a poor, old, complicated approach, NOKIA should NOT get into the Internet world as they wish. Continue manufacturing handsets maybe a better idea?
Why these imbecilic corporations keep pushing DRM is beyond me. Haven't they realised that the people who are buying tracks have already given them money, and thus aren't pirates almost by definition.
Of course, Nokia's music store will be an abysmal flop. As has been every music store except iTunes Music Store (because it's tied to iTunes which is tied to the iPod; the iPod's success underwrites iTMS), and the Amazon store (which is 100% DRM free, the way it should be).
I have had it with the RIAA's extortion schemes and sleazy business practices. I will not buy anymore music from a RIAA label on CD or online from any store like iTunes ever unless they ditch their policies. Stop underpaying the artist and dumping DRM on consumers. Even DRM free music sales I won't support by RIAA unless they change their policies.
Nokia Music Store in its current form sucks! I like how companies like ThumbPlay and even phone manufacturers like Apple (responsible for iPhone) and even Nokia are coming out with their own mobile music stores to compete with the carriers and break the carrier's monopoly on what works with a phone. If carriers want consumers to still use their services they have to improve them but Verizon for example cannot dictate that owners of phones using their service use VCast Music exclusively to get music on their phones. You can use ThumbPlay. If you have a Nokia phone and live in a country supported by Nokia Music Store, have an operating system and browser supported by Nokia Music Store and your Nokia phone is supported by their store you can even use Nokia Music Store over a carrier owned music service. iTunes WIFI Music Store is available for iPhone and iPod Touch users.
DownhillBattle.org is a great website for music activism!