Dave Weinberg writes "Straight off dmusic.com: " Just days after the original announcement, The Offspring said it will NOT offer the new album, Conspiracy of One, for free download before its release in stores.
Rumor has it that the decision complies with an agreement the band made with its label, Sony Music.
Good news:
The Offspring will still offer a free MP3 of the album's first single, "Original Prankster," starting Sept. 29. Furthermore, fans can register to win $1 million.
I?m sure you?ve heard this quote before: "We are trying to launch our album with promotions that are fan supportive rather than fan exploitative," Offspring singer Dexter Holland said in a press release.
Bad news:
I?m sure you?ve heard the quote from the Sony spokesperson before as well: that the label had "very real concerns when it comes to unsecured downloading of music and piracy on the Internet."
It seems to me that when the band offers its music for free download, it should not be considered piracy.
"We're hopeful that we can arrive at a method that will protect everyone's rights and still maintain the integrity of the band's idea," a Sony spokesperson told the paper.
Of course, the label is talking about the label?s rights here, not the band. They couldn?t care less about the band. They only want to make as much money as possible off of it.
In conclusion, I still love you, Offspring. Just don?t let your label push you around." Yea, he said it. You know he's right."