CBS to acquire Last.fm for $ 280 million.. hmm

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- xub said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 17:47
From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S."

Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's?

[quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S." Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's? [/quote]
Edited by xub on 30 May 2007, 17:48

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- XtReMeMaBu said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 17:47
thank you for selling all your users..
i always thought lastfm was something different..
ridiculous thoughts,..

Higher in Vienna.

[quote][b][user]XtReMeMaBu[/user][/b] said: thank you for selling all your users.. i always thought lastfm was something different.. ridiculous thoughts,..[/quote]

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- jazwiec said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 17:49
I was going to subscribe, but I changed my mind. I'm not paying these guys.

Expect any number of following to happen:

- outright closing of the service
- no service to people outside US
- support for Linux dropped, and deliberate efforts to make Last.fm not work with Linux
- all plugins and apps become closed source. No more GPL, Creative Commons etc.
- Servers changed from Debian/Ubuntu to microstfot stuff (crashes every other minute)
- agressive promotion of tracks they want you to hear, playlist plays 10% of your tracks 90% of the time
- no service for non-subscribers
- All of the above

People With Playlists (group)

[quote][b][user]jazwiec[/user][/b] said: I was going to subscribe, but I changed my mind. I'm not paying these guys. Expect any number of following to happen: - outright closing of the service - no service to people outside US - support for Linux dropped, and deliberate efforts to make Last.fm not work with Linux - all plugins and apps become closed source. No more GPL, Creative Commons etc. - Servers changed from Debian/Ubuntu to microstfot stuff (crashes every other minute) - agressive promotion of tracks they want you to hear, playlist plays 10% of your tracks 90% of the time - no service for non-subscribers - All of the above[/quote]

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- tokyoknifefight said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 17:50
congrats guys. the user comments are making this sound awfully familiar to when the big site redesign happened. people shut up pretty soon after that. i'm sure you are used to it. i'm also sure most of the kids complaining think that listening to wolf parade is rebellious, and they have no experience in business...

Esthete Radio (My new radio program)
my Flickr

[quote][b][user]tokyoknifefight[/user][/b] said: congrats guys. the user comments are making this sound awfully familiar to when the big site redesign happened. people shut up pretty soon after that. i'm sure you are used to it. i'm also sure most of the kids complaining think that listening to wolf parade is rebellious, and they have no experience in business...[/quote]

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- xub said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 17:56
> the user comments are making this sound awfully familiar to when the big site redesign happened. people shut up pretty soon after that. i'm sure you are used to it. i'm also sure most of the kids complaining...

Tasteless.

This is not just about some "kids" booing a site redesign - all complaints/doubts/fears I've read in this thread are valid concerns.

And I'm waiting for a staff member to come in and answer some of these questions.

[quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: > the user comments are making this sound awfully familiar to when the big site redesign happened. people shut up pretty soon after that. i'm sure you are used to it. i'm also sure most of the kids complaining... Tasteless. This is not just about some "kids" booing a site redesign - all complaints/doubts/fears I've read in this thread are valid concerns. And I'm waiting for a staff member to come in and answer some of these questions.[/quote]

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- jazwiec said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 17:58
The company I work in has been bought by Boeing. Now it sucks working here. We get piles of workaholic propaganda, leaflets, and even genuine spam. 'Beat the plan' kind of thing.

Go back under your bridge, tokyoknifefight.

People With Playlists (group)

[quote][b][user]jazwiec[/user][/b] said: The company I work in has been bought by Boeing. Now it sucks working here. We get piles of workaholic propaganda, leaflets, and even genuine spam. 'Beat the plan' kind of thing. Go back under your bridge, tokyoknifefight.[/quote]

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- foetusized said...
- Subscriber
- 30 May 2007, 17:59
IanAR said:
foetusized said:
currently part of BMG Sony, not the current CBS company.
I thought they'd bought them back, last year, or so. - Ian
The old Columbia labels were purchased from CBS by Sony and are still part of the Sony BMG partnership. The brand new CBS Records is a new entity that is part of our new CBS overlords, so there is irony in that they are not making use of last.fm, especially since they just launched last December, and have only four signed artists (http://cbsrecords.com/index.shtml). I didn't realize that a new company was using this old name until I did some research this morning.

"Just like I knew what I was doing" -- Foe

[quote][b][user]foetusized[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]IanAR[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]foetusized[/user][/b] said: currently part of BMG Sony, not the current CBS company.[/quote] I thought they'd bought them back, last year, or so. - Ian[/quote] The old Columbia labels were purchased from CBS by Sony and are still part of the Sony BMG partnership. The brand new CBS Records is a new entity that is part of our new CBS overlords, so there is irony in that they are not making use of last.fm, especially since they just launched last December, and have only four signed artists ([url]http://cbsrecords.com/index.shtml[/url]). I didn't realize that a new company was using this old name until I did some research this morning. [/quote]

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- [Deleted user] said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 18:02
Congrats to the last.fm team. The article states that the last.fm team is staying the same and in charge, so not renewing your subscription for this reason seems silly to me. Once again, congrats.

[quote][b][user][/user][/b] said: Congrats to the last.fm team. The article states that the last.fm team is staying the same and in charge, so not renewing your subscription for this reason seems silly to me. Once again, congrats.[/quote]

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- FirstThugLife said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 18:09
sadly just cus they say there gonna stay the same doesn't really mean it. Hopefully this isn't the end of this wonderful site.

To find someplace so dark come in and take a look at my heart.
--"you put your life on display for the world to see"

AND ALL THAT COULD HAVE BEEN

[quote][b][user]FirstThugLife[/user][/b] said: sadly just cus they say there gonna stay the same doesn't really mean it. Hopefully this isn't the end of this wonderful site. [/quote]

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- tommyhaych said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 18:42
I hope not..

xub said:
From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S."

Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's?

I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK?

Last.fm is an amazing piece of music software which I personally use over any other just because that law doesnt apply here.

If that somehow does apply now then I'm afraid us British have been royally fucked over.

*Keeps fingers crossed*

Comfort in sound. Its all around you now :-)

[quote][b][user]tommyhaych[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S." Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's? [/quote] I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK? Last.fm is an amazing piece of music software which I personally use over any other just because that law doesnt apply here. If that somehow does apply now then I'm afraid us British have been royally fucked over. *Keeps fingers crossed* [/quote]

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- Russ said...
- Alumni
- 30 May 2007, 18:43
xub said:
And I'm waiting for a staff member to come in and answer some of these questions.

Ask a question and I'll answer it. All I'm seeing are a load of paranoid (and mostly wrong) statements, but not many questions.

[quote][b][user]Russ[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: And I'm waiting for a staff member to come in and answer some of these questions.[/quote] Ask a question and I'll answer it. All I'm seeing are a load of paranoid (and mostly wrong) statements, but not many questions.[/quote]

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- Russ said...
- Alumni
- 30 May 2007, 18:45
tommyhaych said:
xub said:
From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S."

Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's?

I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK?

That'd be a question.

The answer is, it doesn't change anything. We have agreements pending with major labels which allow us to bypass the silliness which is the US licensing situation.

[quote][b][user]Russ[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]tommyhaych[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S." Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's? [/quote] I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK? [/quote] That'd be a question. The answer is, it doesn't change anything. We have agreements pending with major labels which allow us to bypass the silliness which is the US licensing situation.[/quote]

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- [Deleted user] said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 18:51
grats last.fm staff :) no whining here, but it must feel good to see something that you've worked so hard on finally be noticed.

no worries. i doubt anything will change, the staff is still at the helm, but at least now last.fm has the backing of a major corporation with the funds to expand. just cause they "sold-out" doesn't mean they are suddenly corrupt. nothing stays a secret for long.

again, grats team. looks like ill re-subscribe when the time comes...can't wait to see what you have coming down the tunnel in the future.

[quote][b][user][/user][/b] said: grats last.fm staff :) no whining here, but it must feel good to see something that you've worked so hard on finally be noticed. no worries. i doubt anything will change, the staff is still at the helm, but at least now last.fm has the backing of a major corporation with the funds to expand. just cause they "sold-out" doesn't mean they are suddenly corrupt. nothing stays a secret for long. again, grats team. looks like ill re-subscribe when the time comes...can't wait to see what you have coming down the tunnel in the future.[/quote]

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- Kanixtant said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 18:58
Jeez, with the amount of crying and the number of wild theories, you'd think the Nazis bought last.fm.

*cue someone comparing CBS to the Nazis*

Can we get any details on how exactly last.fm (and by proxy, its users) will benefit from this?

[quote][b][user]Kanixtant[/user][/b] said: Jeez, with the amount of crying and the number of wild theories, you'd think the Nazis bought last.fm. *cue someone comparing CBS to the Nazis* Can we get any details on how exactly last.fm (and by proxy, its users) will benefit from this?[/quote]

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- Jazz13 said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 18:59
well, i suppose it's better than being bought out by Fox.
Congrats on the deal.

The world needs a little more monkeybath, crazy bitches on subways, ghost riders, and BOXXY.

[quote][b][user]Jazz13[/user][/b] said: well, i suppose it's better than being bought out by Fox. Congrats on the deal.[/quote]

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- LilTheater said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:03
Russ said:
tommyhaych said:
xub said:
From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S."

Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's?

I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK?

That'd be a question.

The answer is, it doesn't change anything. We have agreements pending with major labels which allow us to bypass the silliness which is the US licensing situation.
Good to hear.

[quote][b][user]LilTheater[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]Russ[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]tommyhaych[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S." Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's? [/quote] I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK? [/quote] That'd be a question. The answer is, it doesn't change anything. We have agreements pending with major labels which allow us to bypass the silliness which is the US licensing situation.[/quote] Good to hear.[/quote]

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- numlawd said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:04
Well done Last.fm on becoming a part of a large company of your choice; one which won't behave irresponsibly like many big USA companies do (that diplomacy suggests I don't list here) :-) And glad to hear you won't be victimized by the sp00ky USA internet radio royalties (I never used Pandora anyway, but still love Last.fm) :-)

[quote][b][user]numlawd[/user][/b] said: Well done Last.fm on becoming a part of a large company of your choice; one which won't behave irresponsibly like many big USA companies do (that diplomacy suggests I don't list here) :-) And glad to hear you won't be victimized by the sp00ky USA internet radio royalties (I never used Pandora anyway, but still love Last.fm) :-) [/quote]

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- xub said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:06
Thanks for taking the time to answer, Russ :-)

Russ said:
tommyhaych said:
xub said:
From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S."

Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's?

I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK?

That'd be a question.

The answer is, it doesn't change anything. We have agreements pending with major labels which allow us to bypass the silliness which is the US licensing situation.

I see - that's good and bad news.

Good, because there are pending agreements with major labels.

Bad, because
a. extra agreements are necessary (= more dependency, less wiggle-room for Last.fm)
b. these agreements are still pending, and things might change (esp. now that those labels know CBS is behind Last.fm)

Fingers crossed, I guess.

[quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: Thanks for taking the time to answer, Russ :-) [quote][b][user]Russ[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]tommyhaych[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]xub[/user][/b] said: From Pandora.com: "We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located outside of the U.S." Is the same gonna happen with Last.fm, now that it has sold out to a US company? I expect the Last.fm crew knows what it's doing, but can anybody explain me why Last.fm's case would be any different from Pandora's? [/quote] I pose the same question here. Will this legislation be nullified since last.fm is stationed in the UK? [/quote] That'd be a question. The answer is, it doesn't change anything. We have agreements pending with major labels which allow us to bypass the silliness which is the US licensing situation.[/quote] I see - that's good and bad news. Good, because there are pending agreements with major labels. Bad, because a. extra agreements are necessary (= more dependency, less wiggle-room for Last.fm) b. these agreements are still pending, and things might change (esp. now that those labels know CBS is behind Last.fm) Fingers crossed, I guess.[/quote]
Edited by xub on 30 May 2007, 19:07

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- KingCloud12 said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:06
g675 said:
Yes, really scared right now.

If this site which I spend SO much of my online time on becomes another media whore then I need to pack up and go, which is SOO upsetting.

Please don't let it happen. Please don't start pushing the CBS brand or signed artists or anything else 'corporate'. Please, just remain unbiased and agnostic.

Please.

I totally agree.

[quote][b][user]KingCloud12[/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]g675[/user][/b] said: Yes, really scared right now. If this site which I spend SO much of my online time on becomes another media whore then I need to pack up and go, which is SOO upsetting. Please don't let it happen. Please don't start pushing the CBS brand or signed artists or anything else 'corporate'. Please, just remain unbiased and agnostic. Please.[/quote] I totally agree. [/quote]

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- FirstThugLife said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:10
okay if you could please clarify a few things for me Russ.

Will the radio stations have more ads when listening to music?

What does CBS gain by acquiring last.fm? you said that user data will stay private so will they be using last.fm to promote their tv shows/artists?

The openness of our platform and our approach to privacy won’t change.
Does this mean that last.fm will still be very open source and let other users create plugins and other mashups using last.fm data?

Thanks alot man... and i hope all goes well.

To find someplace so dark come in and take a look at my heart.
--"you put your life on display for the world to see"

AND ALL THAT COULD HAVE BEEN

[quote][b][user]FirstThugLife[/user][/b] said: okay if you could please clarify a few things for me Russ. Will the radio stations have more ads when listening to music? What does CBS gain by acquiring last.fm? you said that user data will stay private so will they be using last.fm to promote their tv shows/artists? The openness of our platform and our approach to privacy won’t change. Does this mean that last.fm will still be very open source and let other users create plugins and other mashups using last.fm data? Thanks alot man... and i hope all goes well. [/quote]

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- [Deleted user] said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:12
wow...this sucks

[quote][b][user][/user][/b] said: wow...this sucks[/quote]

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- Daddsy said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:18
Congratulations!

I look forward to the wealth of this large company paying for even more servers to get this site running perfectly (although it seems to be running pretty well recently as it is).
People who are worrying need to think about what they're saying - the company is essentially still in the control of the same staff it always has been, they just have more funding to make this website even better. Also this website will soon become even bigger than it already is...which should make reconmendations more accurate as they'll be based on more data.

We're letting it go, Just before time, Sink to the bottom of our lives, We're letting it go, Before our time, Out us steal our sack live
Do you believe in magic?

[quote][b][user]Daddsy[/user][/b] said: Congratulations! I look forward to the wealth of this large company paying for even more servers to get this site running perfectly (although it seems to be running pretty well recently as it is). People who are worrying need to think about what they're saying - the company is essentially still in the control of the same staff it always has been, they just have more funding to make this website even better. Also this website will soon become even bigger than it already is...which should make reconmendations more accurate as they'll be based on more data.[/quote]

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- c367dotcom said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:23
OK .. a question...

Will this acquisition have any effect on independent labels who have trusted you with our music?

Coming from many other (now purchased) music sites, I cringe at the idea of a company like CBS calling any of the shots where my music and the music of my artists are concerned.

I would appreciate an email to all labels explaining the acquisition and how it will affect the status of our music and the music of our artists.

Also, please allow some form of "quick delete" in the event that some policy changes do not agree with us labels. I also cringe at the idea of taking months to remove my artists music from the site if CBS decides to grab any, and I mean ANY, rights to my artists music.

Again, I'm sure that is not the idea, but I've seen this happen too many times.

I've been very happy with Last.fm for many years and I sincerely hope this purchase doesn't bring down a wonderful idea.

--------------------------
Be Excellent to Each Other

[quote][b][user]c367dotcom[/user][/b] said: Will this acquisition have any effect on independent labels who have trusted you with our music? Coming from many other (now purchased) music sites, I cringe at the idea of a company like CBS calling any of the shots where my music and the music of my artists are concerned. I would appreciate an email to all labels explaining the acquisition and how it will affect the status of our music and the music of our artists. Also, please allow some form of "quick delete" in the event that some policy changes do not agree with us labels. I also cringe at the idea of taking months to remove my artists music from the site if CBS decides to grab any, and I mean ANY, rights to my artists music. Again, I'm sure that is not the idea, but I've seen this happen too many times. I've been very happy with Last.fm for many years and I sincerely hope this purchase doesn't bring down a wonderful idea.[/quote]

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- [Deleted user] said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:25
jazwiec said:
I was going to subscribe, but I changed my mind. I'm not paying these guys.

Expect any number of following to happen:

- outright closing of the service
- no service to people outside US
- support for Linux dropped, and deliberate efforts to make Last.fm not work with Linux
- all plugins and apps become closed source. No more GPL, Creative Commons etc.
- Servers changed from Debian/Ubuntu to microstfot stuff (crashes every other minute)
- agressive promotion of tracks they want you to hear, playlist plays 10% of your tracks 90% of the time
- no service for non-subscribers
- All of the above

haha, that would be disastrous.

i don't like closed source software.

[quote][b][user][/user][/b] said: [quote][b][user]jazwiec[/user][/b] said: I was going to subscribe, but I changed my mind. I'm not paying these guys. Expect any number of following to happen: - outright closing of the service - no service to people outside US - support for Linux dropped, and deliberate efforts to make Last.fm not work with Linux - all plugins and apps become closed source. No more GPL, Creative Commons etc. - Servers changed from Debian/Ubuntu to microstfot stuff (crashes every other minute) - agressive promotion of tracks they want you to hear, playlist plays 10% of your tracks 90% of the time - no service for non-subscribers - All of the above[/quote] haha, that would be disastrous. i don't like closed source software.[/quote]

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- chadoe said...
- User
- 30 May 2007, 19:29
Drinks on the house! Cheers guys, keep up the good work ;)

XBMC

[quote][b][user]chadoe[/user][/b] said: Drinks on the house! Cheers guys, keep up the good work ;)[/quote]

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