MusicDNA to Replace MP3 and Stop File Sharing – Really?

Wow – this is quite a brave move.

A new audio format has been proposed by the co-inventor of the MP3 and a Norwegian company called Bach.

MusicDNA apparently adds a stack of extra rich media content on to the music.

This is another move to make buying legal downloads more attractive – yes, it’ll still cost you cash though.

MusicDNA still uses the same audio compression techniques as MPEG-3 but then it slips extra content in an XML file.

The extras could be the bands Myspace profile, Wiki, artwork, links to get gig tickets, competitions or even Twitter feeds.

From the label-side of the table the attraction is that only legit tracks will receive those auto-updates and the pirated versions will just stay as day 1. So, really no great loss if you didn’t like the band enough to actually spend the few quid in the first place.

Bach CEO Stefan Kohlmeyer says: “We bundle all the audio data and business intelligence in one file. The data can be automatically updated whenever you are online.You could even sell it for double the price of an ordinary MP3. If content creators make an effort to put a lot of exclusive content in to it, you could definitely charge a higher premium”.

The sparkly new format will be going into beta in spring 2010, and then roll out commercially in the summer.

Are you convinced?