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Thursday, February 16, 2006 12:42:52 PM
Email Print Normal font Large font By Stephen Cauchi
February 17, 2006
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AdvertisementIS IT another nail in the coffin for albums? Later this year, consumers will be able to walk into a store, pick individual tracks — and video clips — from a vast database of music, and make their own compilation CD.
The first "NeoMedia Kiosk" opened in Sydney this week and others are planned across the country over the next year. Ringtones and MP3s will also be available.
People can already download individual tracks to their computers via online services such as iTunes, Bigpond Music and Destra, although a modern computer and broadband internet is needed for speedy delivery of the songs. The new service will appeal to people who either have no computer or a slow one, or who don't have a broadband connection.
The new kiosks will open in stores run by Brazin Ltd, such as Sanity, HMV and Virgin.
"It will be fully nationwide in 12 months time in every store," the CEO of Brazin, Greg Milne, told The Age. "Melbourne will be the second cab off the rank."
Mr Milne said city stores and the Virgin store in South Yarra would be the first with the service, although he could not say what month they would open. The first two kiosks opened in Sydney this week.
"You can come into one of our stores and for $1.69 a track you can get any number of tracks up to 74 minutes. If you bought 10 of them, it'd cost you $16.99 plus $2 for the CD. You can create your own compilation, select what you want."
Unfortunately, as with online digital music, there are a few problems. Many artists, including classic rock bands such as the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, are not making their albums available for customers to pick and choose tracks. If you want to buy one Beatles song, you'll have to buy the entire album on which it belongs.
Nevertheless, US experience has shown that digital downloads are extremely popular, with single track downloads increasing 150 per cent in the year to 2005.
"As it is rolled out across the country it will change the way Australians approach buying music," said Mr Milne.
"Digital music, even though it currently only represents 5 per cent of the Australian market, is now part of a real change in customers' buying habits and, as such, it is important that we expand our offerings to meet the demand for digital downloading."
The video clips will sell for $3.99 each. Mr Milne said kiosks could also deliver television shows, e-books and games, but that would not happen in the foreseeable future.
He said people in country areas who endured slow delivery of online music due to lack of broadband, would be enthusiastic users of the service.
"One country radio announcer said she wanted to download a tune off iTunes and she's only got a dial-up line. It took 2½ hours," he said.
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