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Yesterday's Digital Forum in NYC throughly discussed the next steps in online music.
[RealNetworks VP of music services Sean Ryan] said: "2004 will be a great year for digital music", and said that successful services need to supply a: "mix of offerings, multiple services (a la carte and subscription), control of the media player, and the ability to efficiently acquire customers and to get music off the computer"
With the industry ready to reach critical mass, Ryan shared his belief that the industry is now closed to new start-ups. "The time is over for start-ups in this sector," he said.
Ryan observed that a roughly 50/50 split exists between subscription and a la carte services, and warned that format incompatibility "will be the bane" of the year, predicting this would "ease" in 2005.
I would strongly disagree with Ryan's assertion that the time is over for start-ups; there is always room for some small company to come from out of the woodwork with some hot new concept that larger houses will not see (think Napster, think Harry Potter).
Posted by Casper at March 4, 2004 02:14 PM