Home Datz Music Lounge: Gimmick or the Future of Digital Music?

Datz Music Lounge: Gimmick or the Future of Digital Music?

If you live in the U.K. and you have 100 British pounds to spare, you can now subscribe to the Datz Music Lounge, where those 100 pounds can buy you unlimited access to DRM-free MP3s for one year. According to Music Week, Datz features about 2 million tracks from EMI, Warner, Beggars Group, and The Orchard. While the service is encumbered by technical problems like having to use a USB dongle, as well as a relatively limited selection of songs, we can’t help but wonder whether this all-you-can-eat plan for DRM-free MP3s points towards the future of the digital music business.

For now, Datz is only available in the U.K. and users will have to buy a boxed retail package with a CD and the USB dongle from either Sainsbury’s or Datz’s own site. One more negative for the service is that it doesn’t have a licensing agreement with either Universal or Sony, leaving it with a relatively limited music selection compared to more traditional subscription services like Rhapsody or Napster.

At about $160 a year, Datz’ plan is comparable to most subscription services, though the high upfront cost and limited selection might make quite a few potential subscribers think twice about the value of this new service.

Mark Mulligan from Jupiter Research argues that Datz is a big deal – not because it might become a market leader itself, but because it has laid a licensing groundwork for the rest of the industry.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see if other services will offer similar all-you-can-eat plans in the future and if the music industry as a whole will be willing to go along with this.

At the end of the day, it is good to see yet another new business model for music services and that at least some of the labels are willing to experiment with new licensing models as well.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.