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In Reply to: RE: Can't sign up for Qobuz Sublime+ from USA posted by Loan Arranger on June 05, 2017 at 17:19:50
>> I can't sign up <<
As far as I know, all of the regional restriction placed upon both streaming services (eg, Qobuz) and download services (eg, HDTracks) are mandated by the record labels. I'm sure that Qobuz would like nothing better than to have world-wide customers, as it would increase their audience and revenue dramatically.
I am unsure why the record labels don't simply allow for this, as Qobuz would pay royalties for each customer regardless of where they live. I would guess that it is simply a hold-over from the days of physical media. In that situation the record labels would not want "grey market" imports of physical goods competing with the "authorized" importer. (We also see this behavior in the distribution of video content, whereby both DVD and Blu-ray disc have region codes to prevent content sales to other markets.)
Strictly my own opinions, and not necessarily those of my employer or father-in-law.
Follow Ups:
" I am unsure why the record labels don't simply allow for this"As my job for over a quarter of a century was licensing third party users of record rights I will try to explain.
For most of the major labels the local rights owner does not own anything other than the right to press and distribute copies of the recording plus broadcasting in their country. Other rights such as digital distribution by whatever means are either not owned by the record company at all via their contract with the artist (now less common) or are with the parent company, usually American. My experience was that the American companies were generally unwilling to to license such rights in other countries due to their unfamilarity with the relative monetary values involved and fear that a precedent may be set which may be used against them in their own deals in the USA ( viz. DoJ). Easier to just say no instead of all of the work involved in justifying a business case that involves other territories.
OK I am now out of date but I believe that is still largely the case. Comments welcome.
Edits: 06/06/17
> > Easier to just say no instead of all of the work involved in justifying a business case that involves other territories. < <
Thanks for explaining the actual situation in detail - very much appreciated. It makes me wonder if one of the obstacles facing European streaming services trying to enter the US isn't actually due to existing conflicts. Out of curiosity, do you know the geographical extent of Apple's streaming service? Also I believe that Spotify is based in Sweden, yet they are readily available in the US. Perhaps it boils down to waving dollar bills at the record label executives.
Strictly my own opinions and not necessarily those of my employer or pet monkey.
Well, Spotify may be geographically based in Sweden but the ownership is now American.No idea about anything from Apple. But again, American.
Much easier to extend an American service to other countries than have the other countries set the running.
As this thread is about Qobuz I suspect that it getting to America will be , um, difficult.
Edits: 06/06/17
is that labels won't sell what people want to buy.
But, at least I am used to it.
" labels won't sell what people want to buy."
Because they may not be able to due to contractual restraints or regulatory restriction. Often in these situations the gain to ne made from the transaction can be outweighed by the risk of action being taken, for example by the DoJ in the USA or the European Court of Justice over here.
This is all a great game for lawyers.
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