legal mp3 download site? how to?

gnomer

Winters wrote: »

And nobody wants a site that is half adverts.

who said anything about adverts? Yes this is one way of getting our funds but its not the main.

The end-user doesnt pay or install anything,the ony dealing we have with our users will be they signup and we pay them so they can buy mp3s

gnomer

Winters wrote: »

So, effectivly your trying to setup a site where the user can get free money which they use to buy songs?

Yes,technically thats correct.
But the money goes into there itunes account or whatever provider we decide to use

Winters

So. Your web site idea revolves around giving people money to buy songs and all they have to do is visit your site and not provide any personal information, no need to click on an advert, no need to sign up for a paid subscription and no advertising/spyware software?

It sounds awfully flawed. If you could find a way to give out free mp3s from itunes for etc. then you would need to expect many thousands of visitors instantly, I hope you have deep pockets and a money tree. How do you plan to get this money *to* the end users so they can purchase these songs?

gnomer

Winters wrote: »

How do you plan to get this money *to* the end users so they can purchase these songs?

Yeah im not going to give away my idea.

My idea came about when I saw how cheap mp3s actually were.

from itunes 99c(dollar cent) is fairly cheap,easy make that back from each user.

I dont want to say anymore cos I dont want anyone copying my idea until its done

when its up tho ill tell everyone every last thing about it.

Ro: maaan!

Edge of my seat here lads.

Winters

gnomer wrote: »

Yeah im not going to give away my idea.

My idea came about when I saw how cheap mp3s actually were.

from itunes 99c(dollar cent) is fairly cheap,easy make that back from each user.

I dont want to say anymore cos I dont want anyone copying my idea until its done

when its up tho ill tell everyone every last thing about it.

If you can actually make any sort of money or headway with this I will actually swallow DeVores glorious man juice.

First of all, why are you talking Dollar cent? iTunes is also in Europe, I shall grant it is more expensive at €1.29 a song (am I right?). I am unsure as to weather you can purchase songs from Ireland through the US iTunes store, I think you have to use the UK/Ireland store.

The method you suggest, for example "donating" money into the users iTunes account limits users to having to *have* an iTunes account. I think you need a Credit Card or something to set one up fully in order to be able to buy songs, or does it work in a different manner? But furthermore not all of us have iTunes installed or even want to have it. People wont want to be limited to just a single store they may not want to use. You will be battlign against people who can go to sites like Pirate Bay and just get it easier for free too without having to obtain any sort of accoutn at a particular store.

Advert revenure would in no way cover the volume of traffic you would have of people trying to obtain free music. At most you would get 1c a click from adverts on your site. And majority of people wouldnt really click on adverts.

I hate to break your bubble but I dont think free mp3s that are legal is in any way viable or even possibly to do. Music has been on the internet for many years, iTunes has been about now for a couple. If there was a way to get free and legal music Im sure somebody would have done it by now.

AARRRGH

Also, the reason iTunes can sell the MP3's for 99c is because Apple is HUGE, sells a HUGE amount of MP3's, has a HUGE amount of lawyers, and (no more huges) have been in bed with the Movie/Music business for a long time.

gnomer

dublindude wrote: »

Also, the reason iTunes can sell the MP3's for 99c is because Apple is HUGE, sells a HUGE amount of MP3's, has a HUGE amount of lawyers, and (no more huges) have been in bed with the Movie/Music business for a long time.

You do not get me.

you ARE buying songs from itunes with my money.

gnomer

Winters wrote: »

The method you suggest, for example "donating" money into the users iTunes account limits users to having to *have* an iTunes account

itunes is only an example.

But it will be like that,yes they will have to have an account with us and another site

but isnt it better than gong off to piratebay and putting yourself at risk for alot of money,or better to use two accounts and pay nothing?

Boggles

gnomer wrote: »

itunes is only an example.

But it will be like that,yes they will have to have an account with us and another site

but isnt it better than gong off to piratebay and putting yourself at risk for alot of money,or better to use two accounts and pay nothing?

Not really no, not been smart by the way.

I hope it works for you, and make a million, just don't tell us losers or we will steal it.

Winters

gnomer wrote: »

you ARE buying songs from itunes with my money.

Do you really gather just how insane that sounds? You are pretty much giving people money to buy songs at their will. No website will ever gather enough revenue to cover those sorts of costs. Yes, songs from iTunes, Amazon etc. are cheap HOWEVER remember here in Europe and Ireland you do not have all the same choices, you have iTunes and.. do Eircom still offer a basic service?

gnomer wrote: »

But it will be like that,yes they will have to have an account with us and another site

What sort of information will you be gathering from users and selling onto third parties when they sign up? Im sorry just there is no way you can make money to support the sort of costs that would be incurred for a site that offers "free legal music downloads".

gnomer wrote: »

but isnt it better than gong off to piratebay and putting yourself at risk for alot of money,or better to use two accounts and pay nothing?

I don't know, your problem is that you cannot offer instant downloads. If someone goes to torrent sites they can have an album for free in 30 minutes. Your system relies on having to manually transfer money to someones [music download service] account. However do remember no service allows donations like that yet so.. yea. What.

Seriously dude. I'm not trying to burst a bubble but unless you have some sort of secret money tree something like this is not financially viable. You would be flooded with people around the world trying to get to the site etc.

The idea of it is fantastic, free legal downloads to combat against illegal music downloads but somebody has to pay the cost for legal music and if its not the users then it goes back to you yourself. It would be near impossible to generate enough ad income to support it through adverts on the site. You just don't get that sort of money. The pirate bay is reported to make 10k a month from advert clicks, they get 2 million a month page views and growing constantly (this is just an example to show that you cannot generate enough revenue from ad clicks to cover the cost of users who will each want hundreds of songs a week for free at your expense)

The_Conductor

I have a suggestion- if you have money and want people to visit your website (for whatever reason) why go to all the trouble of buying songs for them on other people's websites- why not simply give them the money and let them go and do whatever they want with it? Money is enough of an incentive for most people- I know I could certainly do with it. I have CDs of most of the music I like to listen to- and can clearly tell the difference between a 128/256kbps encoded MP3 and FLAC (which is the only mobile format I will listen to). If you started giving away classic CDs- I'd be interested, but just give me the cash and let me do whatever I want myself with it?

gnomer

"I'd be interested, but just give me the cash and let me do whatever I want myself with it?"

There are plenty of sites that do just that.

Also free music is better for teenagers etc cos if they used my site they would have a few pennys in there paypal with nothing to buy with it,probably only mp3s.

Winters

gnomer wrote: »

"I'd be interested, but just give me the cash and let me do whatever I want myself with it?"

There are plenty of sites that do just that.

Wait. Are you trying to tell me there are websites that *GIVE* you money, no questions asked, for just visiting them?

Have you ever given the talking panda popup your credit card or helped a Nigerian Prince move his priceless stones out of the country for a nominal price?

gnomer wrote: »

Also free music is better for teenagers etc cos if they used my site they would have a few pennys in there paypal with nothing to buy with it,probably only mp3s.

Why would teenagers have Paypal? Paypal is not a bank that you can send money to and from in the way you are thinking. The idea behind paypal is that its the middle man for business e-commerce solutions making it easy for them to accecpt credit card payments. It can take days for paypal to approve your bank account allowing you to accept money/payments from credit cards.

As I said before your idea is in direct competition to instant music from illegal sites. Nobody wants to have to wait a week or more for Paypal to verify their bank account so you can lodge your 99c into it for their free song only to discover that its useless to a teenager as they do not have credit cards to purchase songs from iTunes etc.

And provide some examples of where teenagers would prefer free music (which they can all ready obtain) over say, some money which they can use on their latest craze like Pog's and what not. When I was a teenager and I was being offered free money, music would not be the first thing on my mind. Particularly when I can have an album downloaded in an hour instantly.

Maybe offer them beer? Kids near my local off-licence are always asking me to get it for them?

Peanut

I guess the plan involves different formats of advertising, and possibly data mining of the userbase etc. Making the user jump thru some hoops before getting their free download.

I also think the costs for obtaining the source material will be too high.

And, I'm not sure if this is what you're thinking about, but advertisers aren't so enthuasiastic about 'forced clicks' or similar structures.

Also you will be competing with both established legit and file sharing networks - sounds like a tough call. If you think you can make it work though, then best of luck!

PogMoThoin

Hey, hold on!
Are you offering a tune or many tunes?

Think I'll stick to my own methods, its working so far, got over 65Gb