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Technology Stocks : Destiny Software (DSNY) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: scouser who wrote (322)	8/11/2000 9:24:13 AM
From: scouser	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 369

A good write up in the daily news ...> > Options, options, options - they are the hallmark of the Internet. In the wake of all the controversy over free music sharing systems on the Internet (Napster of course, and MP3 and Gnutella) I was interested this week in looking at locally-developed music-download systems that actually kick back some cash to the artists and record labels who create the tunes we enjoy. The music market in cyberspace is whopping in scope: Industry experts predict the market for digitally distributed music will be valued at $6 billion by 2005, representing 15% of music sales worldwide. Provided, of course, people pay for the products they haul in from the Net. One local company has come up with, what I consider, an excellent approach to the issue of online music piracy. Vancouver's Destiny Media Technologies, a former video games company in > > business since 1991, is offering a solution based on encrypted MPEG Audio > > Layer 3 (MP3) technology. > > "The system is MPE, it's a proprietary delivery technology developed here > > in Vancouver," says Keith Gillard, director of content development with > > Destiny Media. "We consider it to be the most complete solution to the > > problem of music piracy on the Internet. It really solves the Napster and > > Gnutella problems by allowing music to be openly and widely distributed on > > the Internet while ensuring, through sophisticated security devices, that > > the artist or record labels get the control they need over their content > > and the money they deserve." > > Sounds complicated, but for a music consumer, the process is quite simple. > > Here's how it works: > > + A surfer visits www.destinympe.com and browses through its comprehensive > > music collection. > > + The surfer will find three options: > > 1. Free MPE's. Provided gratis by record labels or artists, these are > > usually single tracks and include album covers and lyrics (a major bonus). > > Links to other websites allow the surfer to pursue the purchase of the > > entire CD. > > 2. Free samples. 40 or 50 seconds of free music followed by a prompt to > > purchase the entire track (prices range from 50-cents to $2 per download) > . > > 3. More free MPE's. These are called "sponsored files." Says Destiny's > > Gillard: "Let's say Coca Cola was not selling enough product to > > 14-year-old girls. They might call up 'N Sync and say, 'Hey, we want to > > sponsor your new track.' They reach a deal and put out the track. The only > > cost to the consumer is a visit to the sponsor web site." > > + If a surfer is interesting in buying entire CDs or tracks, she uses a > > credit card to deposit money into her own "digital wallet," a sort of > > online piggy bank safeguarded by Destiny Media. (Ideal for parents, by the > > way, who might drop $10 or $20 in the wallet for their teenage son or > > daughter). > > + The surfer clicks on tracks/albums he or she wishes to sample for free > > (or purchase) and they are downloaded. > > The beauty of www.destinympe.com, launched just last month, is the > > self-executing nature of its downloads. A patent, Gillard says, is pending > > on the technology. Essentially, each file comes with a small, built-in > > player and fires up in seconds (there is none of the usual long waits for > > an external player to download or activate from a music fan's hard drive). > > "Ours is a tiny player built in," says Gillard, whose site received over > > 40,000 hits last month. "We saw that as a barrier to entry for most people > > and we decided to eliminate it." > > Destiny is currently soliciting artists and record labels to join its > > service. Many, well over a thousand at last count, seeing the simplicity > > and financial viability, have already signed on. > > > > > > ---