<p>Purpose/Aim: The purpose of this thesis is to define and analyse how Swedish record companies work with digital musical content distributors. A more narrow aim is to show how the record companies and with the digital musical content distributors iTunes Music Store and Spotify create incentives for consumer’s to use legal digital music channels through the Internet. To further circle the core of the problem following questions have been asked: How does the record companies provide iTunes Music Store and Spotify with digital content and what is done by the record companies to retain control over the material? How do the record companies view digital musical sales and what incentives are given to consumers to buy music digitally? Finally, What position of power do iTunes Music Store and Spotify have on the digital content arena?</p><p>Material/Method: The data collected for this thesis is retrieved through personal interviews with representatives from three of the four major record companies Universal Music, Warner Music and EMI and their Swedish branches.</p><p>Main results: The consumer’s access to digital content through iTunes Music Store and Spotify is of the utmost importance and is a prerequisite. Even if the record companies choose to not demand DRM protection on their products it does not stop Apple from keeping their Fairplay protection. In this way Apple is the company controlling the files, even if the Record Companies have made their decision based on research, which has shown that sales go down if the music files are DRM protected. The record companies have chosen not to get involved with the sales of digital content. This results in power being shifted to E-tailers such as iTunes Music Store and Spotify. The incentives the consumers are given to buy music digitally are found in the surplus value, which is supported by iTunes Music Store and Spotify. These surplus values are such services as recommendations of music or artists. Different packaging solutions, such as subscriptions through an Internet provider, do not raise the value of the music. The value is added to the Internet provider’s products and not the music, but they do guarantee a steady income for the record companies.</p>

Purpose/Aim: The purpose of this thesis is to define and analyse how Swedish record companies work with digital musical content distributors. A more narrow aim is to show how the record companies and with the digital musical content distributors iTunes Music Store and Spotify create incentives for consumer’s to use legal digital music channels through the Internet. To further circle the core of the problem following questions have been asked: How does the record companies provide iTunes Music Store and Spotify with digital content and what is done by the record companies to retain control over the material? How do the record companies view digital musical sales and what incentives are given to consumers to buy music digitally? Finally, What position of power do iTunes Music Store and Spotify have on the digital content arena? Material/Method: The data collected for this thesis is retrieved through personal interviews with representatives from three of the four major record companies Universal Music, Warner Music and EMI and their Swedish branches. Main results: The consumer’s access to digital content through iTunes Music Store and Spotify is of the utmost importance and is a prerequisite. Even if the record companies choose to not demand DRM protection on their products it does not stop Apple from keeping their Fairplay protection. In this way Apple is the company controlling the files, even if the Record Companies have made their decision based on research, which has shown that sales go down if the music files are DRM protected. The record companies have chosen not to get involved with the sales of digital content. This results in power being shifted to E-tailers such as iTunes Music Store and Spotify. The incentives the consumers are given to buy music digitally are found in the surplus value, which is supported by iTunes Music Store and Spotify. These surplus values are such services as recommendations of music or artists. Different packaging solutions, such as subscriptions through an Internet provider, do not raise the value of the music. The value is added to the Internet provider’s products and not the music, but they do guarantee a steady income for the record companies.

MP3與P2P的出現，打破過去唱片業者壟斷市場及通路的遊戲規則。面對網路盜版的猖獗，不只全球主要的音樂唱片公司，嘗試從法律面及技術面去尋求解決之道，對於未來的發展方向，許多廠商及也都在努力思考，如何經由科技應用、創新經營模式以搶得市場之先機。 自蘋果電腦力邀五大唱片商合作、率先揭櫫數位音樂大旗以來，其以線上音樂商店結合iTunes軟體及iPod數位音樂播放器的經營模式，可能就是管理、法律、科技相互配合，共同捍衛智財權的最佳範例。 本論文由音樂播放軟體系統競爭的角度切入，針對線上音樂廠商，面臨系統產品的標準競爭、網路外部性、產品相容性、互補性資產等議題，所採取的各項策略進行全面性探討，其中包括平台標準的建立與選擇、系統採開放或封閉模式、廠商最適垂直整合度等決策。 本研究除了從智慧財產管理、資訊產品特性、系統平台面看線上音樂產業之發展，也探討數位版權技術的應用、經營模式的改變、法律規範的嚇阻，如何克服網路盜版音樂猖獗的問題，更試圖整理目前線上音樂業者之經營模式、蘋果電腦領先之道以供後續廠商參考，並提出新的經營模式、網路經營觀念等促進線上音樂蓬勃發展之建議。