Never have so many written so much about a business that makes so little but appeals to. so many. I'm talking about the music-download biz, a topic that excites finance writers, hackers, libertarians, and Silicon Valley execs alike.
We fools are as guilty as the rest, but the news on which I'm wasting precious bandwidth today is actually quite interesting. It could determine the fate of the music-download industry as we know it. Really.
A little-known and barely-above-penny-stock firm called Loudeye
As opposed to much of the damaging and often meaningless posturing among download providers like RealNetworks, Wal-Mart
Instead, it licenses what it calls the largest downloadable music library on Earth and serves digital files, plus enabling software, to other firms that wish to take a crack at the download business. It last made big headlines when it announced a partnership with Microsoft
Is there money in this business? Not yet. But with more than 100 music-download firms already in existence, and companies like Papa John's, Coke
For more Fool coverage of the music-download business:
- You call this service?
- Are dollar downloads dead?
- See how Apple profits off the pod people.
Fool contributor Seth Jayson has no position in any firm mentioned. View his Fool profile here.
