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Record Legal Compilations

It's already happening over in Korea and it is now going to be happening here in the US, the custom CD vending machine. Mobile DJs creating custom CD compilations have been the bane of the R.I.A.A. for the past six years. Now a legal way may be on the horizon.

Hundreds of businessmen turned out a couple months ago in Korea for a demonstration of "MyCD," a vending machine that makes music CDs on demand. Hansol Telecom, the makers of the machine, say it's the "ultimate in personal entertainment" allowing customers to choose their favorite songs and record them on one compact disk. Company chairman Kim Kwang-jin says the system is as easy to operate as a coffee or tea machine and says he hopes it will give a boost to the music industry.

For customers fond of doing their own music compilations, the machine is a godsend - and its simple to operate. Just put in a 10,000 won bill (about $8.30) into the vending machine and users are welcomed by a friendly female voice. Customers can then select five melodies from a 10,000-song music library. MyCD will then play a short clip of each tune to make sure it's the right one.

The machines include western and Korean pop songs, classical music, children's' songs and Korean traditional music. After selecting the music, customers can then choose what label to put on the CD. Choose from a photograph of the MyCD machine or a favorite music artist. Users can even put their own image on the disk by having the machine take their picture. Text can also be printed on the disk by typing on a keyboard. It only takes five minutes for a finished music CD to pop out. Customers seem pleased with the new technology.

Here in the US as recently as last week Sony and Digital On-Demand inked a deal that will allow consumers to burn Sony-label CDs from Digital On-Demand's kiosks, beginning this fall in select retail stores. The deal will allow consumers to create and purchase complete CDs that might be out of stock, as well as eventually download music onto portable devices AKA mpeg players.

Retail establishments Virgin and Trans World Entertainment have already signed to offer the kiosks in all of their US stores. At this time unlike the Korean version, MyCD, the Digital On-Demand kiosks will not allow consumers to pick and choose their favorite songs from multiple albums. Sony's complete inventory will be accessible through the kiosks via high speed, broadband network.

Purchases will be as easy as listening to sample clips from the album you desire and then you the "buy" button. Out pops a slip of paper with a bar code. Drop the paper off at the cashier and your new CD will be burned while you wait. On the spot silkscreened images and laser printed booklets will be generated and inserted into the jewelcase.

As soon as a standard is set for secure player devices like the Diamond Rio DOD will make their kiosks compatible for uploading albums from the Sony library. The question is why would a technical minded consumer go to a music store to purchase music that they can get and record off the Internet?

 

Compiled from wire, AP, and press release sources

 

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