Bach Launches Updated MP3 Format

An anonymous reader writes to tell us that Bach Technology has rolled out an updated MP3 file format in a bid to combat music piracy. Dubbed "MusicDNA," the new format offers embedded "updatable premium content" like lyrics, videos, news updates, and album artwork. "Using the new technology, music labels and bands will be able to send updates to the music files – with tour dates, interviews or updates to social networking pages – while illegally-downloaded files remain static. ... No major labels have signed up to use MusicDNA so far, but British record company Beggars Group and US label Tommy Boy are both on board. However, the files are likely to be more expensive than MP3 files – according to the BBC – and will have to compete with Apple's iTunes LP, which already provides additional content such as bonus tracks, lyrics and video interviews."

Re:Sounds like features I need from an audio file

[infinite9]

I hope it's an open standard so someone can write a utility to strip all the crap from the "new and improved" mp3 files.

Re:No thanks, Bach

[Sir_Lewk]

Don't worry. "Updating" MP3 like this will not extend the coverage period of the patents on the original MP3. The patents on MP3 will still expire on schedule, though I can't say I actually care enough to look up when that may be.

MP3 with embedded lyrics? Irrelevant.

[GreatBunzinni]

If you happen to be one of those lucky persons who happen to have adopted a media player such as Amarok [kde.org] as their media player of choice then you can simply open Amarok's script manager and install the LyricWiki plugin [wikia.com]. That enables your media player of choice to just dish out any particular words to a song you wish to access. The beauty of this plugin/site combo is that you can get any lyrics you wish for any obscure artist and perfectly independent of any corporation, media player and even format in which your songs are stored. And album artwork? You already get that by default in Amarok.

So where exactly is there a need for an encumbered, defective, unsupported and obscure format to be able to do exactly what countless people are already doing at this very moment?

uh huh

[koan]

Sounds like a perfect vector for malware, and (glances at watch) it's hacked....next!!!

Re:Wrong Audience?

[mcgrew]

I get all the free RIAA downloads I need from the radio! Just like I used to tape the radio, now I sample it. The only internet downloads I need now are indie music, and they WANT me to download their stuff.

If the RIAA didn't have radio they'd be tickled pink to have you smple their wares from the internet, too. Their true enemy isn't "piracy", it's legitimate competetion from the independant artists, who have discovered that the majors are no longer needed for anything except getting your work on the radio.

If you're in St Louis, KSHE plays seven albums every Sunday night, uncut and uninterrupted and have been doing so for decades. I had Ted Nugent's Stranglehold album on cassette a full week before it went on sale, thanks to KSHE. [kuro5hin.org]

This new format does solve one interesting problem -- how to extend the patent on MP3, which is set to expire soon. Too bad copyrights aren't as short a length as patents, and a good thing patents don't last as long as copyrights. If they did, technological progress would be as slow as artistic progress is today. Like science and technology, art draws on what has come before.

Re:Sounds like features I need from an audio file

[sageres]

There is ogg vorbis for that

• Vorbis files can compress to a smaller file size and still sound fine; Vorbis' better compression will cut down on bandwidth costs and keep you from being a victim of your own popularity.
• Vorbis' standardized, easily-edited comment header provides a space for you to scribble all sorts of notes about yourself to distribute with the music; this helps fans find you, your site, and where to buy your stuff.
• If you decide to sell your music in MP3 format, you are responsible for paying Fraunhofer a percentage of each sale because you are using their patents. Vorbis is patent and license-free, so you will never need to pay anyone in order to sell, give away, or stream your own music.

--------- http://www.vorbis.com/faq/ [vorbis.com]

Sounds like a good reason to pirate music

[thetoadwarrior]

I buy my MP3s from Amazon now. They're high quality, cheap, lack DRM and it has what I want in the meta data, the title, album, track no. and album art. There are a lot of unnecessary fields already, like lyrics that I find no one uses and for good reason, it's an MP3 and no one cares.

It's bad enough Amarok has decided to put a big freaking wiki window in the middle of the player making me uninstall it, I certainly don't want blogs, videos, tour dates and, rest assured, security risks in my music.

Anyone that has seen the joy of WMA and WMV files polluting porno on P2P networks knows this is a bad thing We don't need a platform independent version of shitty media files.

Without a doubt if this format took off I would quit paying for music until it dies.

Re:Sounds like features I need from an audio file

[Compact Dick]

You're right, but sageres used the correct terminology in the first place. Ogg Vorbis is the accurate name of Vorbis streams enclosed in Ogg containers.

Re:Sounds like features I need from an audio file

[Have Blue]

Actually, it has everything to do with demand. If the distribution of music collection size works out so that you've covered the majority of the audience at 16GB, and the vast majority of them at 32GB, there's not that much money to be made chasing the ones left over with yet more product lines. Someone will still do it, obviously, which is why e.g. Apple still makes 160GB iPod Classics, but that segment is not exactly the low-hanging fruit.

Re:Bach mp3? no-way

[alvieboy]

I already posted a comment on their site depicting that. Guess - the comment did not appear so far.

"Your comment might take a while to show due to technical reasons"... sure.