Need some thoughts on music?

Here’s some: blah, blah, blah.

Now, with the caveat that I happily purchase music from iTunes, and own the top-of-the-current-line iPod, and that their DRM scheme doesn’t really bother me, it’s worth noting that a finer line I’ve not seen in some time. This guy could sell sand to a Bedouin, I swear to christ.

As someone that sells music digitally (and software, for that matter) I’m of the firm opinion that is better to do without abusive DRM, and rely on the good graces of people and try to earn their respect, rather than assuming every single customer is a criminal from the word “go.” Apple paints a pretty picture over this whole process, and to be fair, the only way they could get the catalog they have (which is by no means comprehensive, I’ll add) was to do what they did, but nevertheless, my own personal fiscal success proves to me (and me alone; I don’t expect it to prove anything to anyone else) that there are other ways. Mr. Jobs does nicely to put this burden on the consumer at the end of his open letter.

Now, all that said, I’m not one of the BoingBoing faithful (In fact, I would dearly love to spend ten minutes alone in a room with Cory Doctorow, beating him over the head with the ASCAP charter) and I’m not going to run around waving an “Information Must Be Free” banner. I follow the Gibson ethos: the street finds its own uses for things. Ultimately, it’s up to the artist how he best wants to present his art to the world, and it’s up to the consumer whether he wants to deal with whatever the artist decides to burden said art with. The marketplace has a magical ability to smooth such things out over time.