Newsweek sees gold rush in pay-to-play music
The expected launch this week of Napster 2.0 is part of a "piling in" seen in the business of selling digital music downloads, says Newsweek magazine. The resuscitation of Napster, expected to take place formally on Thursday, will be backed by $20 million for marketing. But all those advertising dollars reportedly won't mention the prices to be charged. Chris Gorog, CEO of Napster parent Roxio (ROXI, news), said, "We don't want to over commercialize the brand." Highlighting pricing probably isn't a smart strategy, Newsweek suggests, because the product being sold, a digital download, is no different from one service or another, like RealNetworks' (RNWK, news) Rhapsody. Rather, selling becomes all about positioning and image. Watch for plenty of free trials, the article adds. |
