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  3. Why is DRM music a thing?

Why is DRM music a thing?

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  • C This user is from outside of this forum
    C This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote last edited by
    #1

    At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

    You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

    mugita_sokiovt@discuss.onlineM mp3@lemmy.caM H C S 10 Replies Last reply
    25
    • C [email protected]

      At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

      You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

      mugita_sokiovt@discuss.onlineM This user is from outside of this forum
      mugita_sokiovt@discuss.onlineM This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote last edited by
      #2

      I think streaming services have become the DRM for music nowadays, though there are certainly ways around it.

      quazatron@lemmy.worldQ 1 Reply Last reply
      6
      • C [email protected]

        At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

        You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

        mp3@lemmy.caM This user is from outside of this forum
        mp3@lemmy.caM This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote last edited by
        #3

        It's mostly to avoid a lossless capture, recording it will lead to quality loss.

        Most people don't care, so they'll download whatever they can.

        E 1 Reply Last reply
        3
        • C [email protected]

          At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

          You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

          H This user is from outside of this forum
          H This user is from outside of this forum
          [email protected]
          wrote last edited by
          #4

          All DRM is like a padlock. It only stops people who don’t really want to break it in the first place.

          M 1 Reply Last reply
          5
          • C [email protected]

            At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

            You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

            C This user is from outside of this forum
            C This user is from outside of this forum
            [email protected]
            wrote last edited by
            #5

            Does it exist anymore? iTunes went DRM free in 2009. Bandcamp is DRM free. Even streaming services can be readily downloaded from with alternative clients. Who's still selling DRM'd music?

            1 Reply Last reply
            15
            • C [email protected]

              At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

              You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

              S This user is from outside of this forum
              S This user is from outside of this forum
              [email protected]
              wrote last edited by
              #6

              DRM for music is largely a thing of the past.

              As to why it ever existed, company executives, they saw piracy and wanted to try and stop it, thats it.

              DRM for music was never really effective.

              1 Reply Last reply
              8
              • mugita_sokiovt@discuss.onlineM [email protected]

                I think streaming services have become the DRM for music nowadays, though there are certainly ways around it.

                quazatron@lemmy.worldQ This user is from outside of this forum
                quazatron@lemmy.worldQ This user is from outside of this forum
                [email protected]
                wrote last edited by
                #7

                They built what people back then told them wanted all along: if you give us music with a cheap subscription we won't bother pirating.

                What that did to artists and music quality is another matter altogether.

                But yes, DRM achieves nothing.

                1 Reply Last reply
                4
                • mp3@lemmy.caM [email protected]

                  It's mostly to avoid a lossless capture, recording it will lead to quality loss.

                  Most people don't care, so they'll download whatever they can.

                  E This user is from outside of this forum
                  E This user is from outside of this forum
                  [email protected]
                  wrote last edited by
                  #8

                  Yep, username checks out.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  2
                  • C [email protected]

                    At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

                    You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

                    daggermoon@lemmy.worldD This user is from outside of this forum
                    daggermoon@lemmy.worldD This user is from outside of this forum
                    [email protected]
                    wrote last edited by
                    #9

                    It really isn't. Unless you download from spotify or apple music to your phone.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    1
                    • C [email protected]

                      At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

                      You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

                      L This user is from outside of this forum
                      L This user is from outside of this forum
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                      wrote last edited by
                      #10

                      What you describe is called the "analog loophole". At some point, your media needs to be converted into soundwaves and images. You cannot stop someone from recording those soundwaves and images. But you can make it inconvenient. At the end of the day, it's a numbers game. A lot of people don't want to spend hours of their time recording, cutting and labelling music, and are okay with paying a bit of money to get the end result, nicely packaged. The people who are willing to spend the time and effort to copy it are likely those that would not have paid anyway, since they are likely broke students, idealists and the like.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      11
                      • C [email protected]

                        At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

                        You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

                        F This user is from outside of this forum
                        F This user is from outside of this forum
                        [email protected]
                        wrote last edited by
                        #11

                        DRM is not free, somebody is getting paid to provide that DRM and they certainly don't go unpaid if it doesn't work.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        3
                        • C [email protected]

                          At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

                          You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

                          V This user is from outside of this forum
                          V This user is from outside of this forum
                          [email protected]
                          wrote last edited by
                          #12

                          Because before internet was source of media someone invented DVD region locks in the first place, all corporate followed with dividing world to regions and now we're stuck with this crap. File DRM is just second iteration because the people were already hired, structures were already established so they just build it on the region lock.
                          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_lockout

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          1
                          • H [email protected]

                            All DRM is like a padlock. It only stops people who don’t really want to break it in the first place.

                            M This user is from outside of this forum
                            M This user is from outside of this forum
                            [email protected]
                            wrote last edited by
                            #13

                            DRM: Giving people a lock, the key, and unlimited time to play around.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            1
                            • C [email protected]

                              At the end of the day, whatever the source file looks like, you're turning it into an analog signal in order to make the speakers move. So how is it at all effective?

                              You can even send a digital stream of the bits over Bluetooth to speakers. So it seems like the ability to decode it is a fundamental requirement for it to be a useful file. So why even bother? It seems like it would be trivial to copy into a different format.

                              baronvonj@lemmy.worldB This user is from outside of this forum
                              baronvonj@lemmy.worldB This user is from outside of this forum
                              [email protected]
                              wrote last edited by
                              #14

                              Who still distributes music files with DR?

                              1 Reply Last reply
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