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> The shift in downloadable music from proprietary and locked formats to mp3s that play anywhere The MP3 codec is not free, yet (in the US, until 2018)
by fredley 11y ago
> The shift in downloadable music from proprietary and locked formats to mp3s that play anywhere
The MP3 codec is not free, yet (in the US, until 2018)
- Vespasian 11y agoIn the rest of the world it is (and even in the us, 2018 is not so far out), so this statement is mostly true. ;)
- RobAley 11y agoI think the important fact there is that the music provider is independent of the "format provider". I.e. I can download an MP3 from itunes, and Apple has no control over which MP3 compatible device I move it to or play it on (or indeed that I even can move it beyond the "purchasing" device). Granted (legally) not all devices I want to play it on may be MP3 compatible when they technically could, but that restriction isn't Apples to (directly!) control. In the rest of the world without silly software patents, it is free!
- tomp 11y agoRight, but the music within mp3 is free (or, at least, freely accessible).