Sony To Offer Music Downloads On PlayStation Network
By Morelli
Sony is jumping into the online music distribution market, as sources told CNET that Sony is attempting to deal with other major recording companies to provide music downloads through the PlayStation Network.
This comes after Sir Howard Stringer, Sony Chairman, President and CEO, said that the company can compete with iTunes by providing “something that Apple can’t” and will “grab that opportunity before Apple begins to provide support for other hardware and blocks [Sony] out.” Digital music served on the Playstation Network seems to be the answer.
Talks are in preliminary stages, but the network simultaneously offers music to Sony’s two main platforms: the Playstation Portable, and the Playstation 3. The portable device would gain the most from a digital music store, as it would then be competing directly. But the main reason behind the dealings is the exclusivity of Sony’s services on Sony devices. As Stringer underlines, if Apple were to implement iTunes on Sony’s hardware, officially or not, then Sony’s music bid would be greatly weakened.
If the negotiations with major labels prove fruitful, Sony probably won’t use digital rights management (DRM) to protect copyrighted works, as Stringer suggested that the existence of Fairplay on iTunes could be a deciding factor for consumers if they were presented with an unrestricted service. Sony recently announced a free music video service for the Playstation Network, called Vidzone, to be launched in June. Furthermore, a new version of the Playstation Portable is rumored to be released later this year, which might tip the scales towards Sony in the battle with Apple’s devices.
It will be interesting to see if Sony will provide free streaming, and how much they will charge per track. Sony can count on the user-base that owns their devices and is already connected to the Playstation Network. However, in order to become truly competitive, Sony will need sell a great many more PSPs and PS3s to compare with the sheer amount of iPhones and iPods that have drowned the market in recent years.
Image via islabit.com
[CNET, 1up]
