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Virgin Media to launch unlimited download service

Published on 17th June 2009 by Tim Smalley

Virgin Media is to launch an unlimited music download service later this year and, as a result, will be clamping down on online piracy on its network.

Virgin Media has announced plans for a digital music download service designed to "bring about rapid and permanent change in the way UK consumers buy and listen to music."

Currently though, the Internet Service Provider only has the support of one major record label, Universal Music.

The service hasn't been named yet, but according to Virgin, alongside the launch of its music service, it will also be working together with Universal to prevent unlawful file sharing. The ISP said that this would involve "a range of different strategies" designed to educate file sharers about online piracy, raising awareness of legal alternatives in the process.

These strategies might include "temporary suspension of Internet access," but Virgin was keen to point out that "no customers will be permanently disconnected."

It also rinsed its hands of the detective work as well - Universal will be handling that, presumably in conjunction with the various anti-piracy authorities (including the IFPI) in the UK. Virgin said that it will not be monitoring its networks or intercepting its customers' traffic itself.

The download service will be a subscription based add-on for your Virgin Media broadband package and will apparently cost "the price of a couple of albums per month."

In addition, there will be a streaming service and an 'entry level' free-of-charge package which Virgin says is for those who don't want unlimited access (or don't want to pay) to access the DRM-free service. With this, there will be limited downloads, but the ISP didn't go into any more detail.

Virgin said it is in talks with other record labels, but if it doesn't sign deals with these, it's doubtful whether the catalogue will be compelling enough to compete with existing legal (and illegal) services. Moreover, because of the lack of DRM, a lengthy contract will be imposed on the service to stop users signing up for just one month and downloading the complete Universal back catalogue.

The service is expected to launch later this year and will only be available to Virgin Media customers.

Discuss in the forums.

20 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

Fod 17th June 2009, 11:05

cool, make this free for 50mbit customers and you might persuade them to upgrade.

Gunsmith 17th June 2009, 11:13

cant see many signing up to this,

adam_bagpuss 17th June 2009, 11:26

im not too sure i like "Virgin said that it will not be monitoring its networks or intercepting its customers' traffic >>> itself <<<

meaning someone else is to make sure your not a dirty pirate.

so everything you download and view is intercepted and checked brilliant nice privacy there

also how do they decide hows a pirate ? i can use p2p for legal stuff or just be a heavy downloader of free stuff ?

robyholmes 17th June 2009, 11:29

Nar, with only Universal offering this, file sharing won't stop. ISP's will never stop file sharers and they will lose 80% of there customers, many are on expensive high download limit packages.

I think music companies should see that file sharing will never stop unless they make cheap, high quality music and music videos available on every ISP. I see subscription services for music been the future, paying per song or album makes it more expensive.

PT88 17th June 2009, 11:48

I think all these Companies such as Universal seem to think that if there was no piracy in the mornin, that the file sharers would actually buy the music. Same goes for movies, most people would pay to see a brilliant movie, but there are very few of those these days, so people watch the half rubbish movies of illegal streaming websites, and the same applies to games!

B1GBUD 17th June 2009, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fod
cool, make this free for 50mbit customers and you might persuade them to upgrade.

Agreed, my bill (for phone, TV & 20Mb comes in at £60-70 each month) which is high enough as it is. I'm debating on whether to upgrade to 50Mb because although I don't use filesharing, I do like to download at a descent speed. If they bundled unlimited music downloads then it could sway my decision.

Denis_iii 17th June 2009, 12:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunsmith
cant see many signing up to this,

adam_bagpuss 17th June 2009, 12:49

u get phone TV and broadband for like £24-29 from virgin(10mb line)

Boogle 17th June 2009, 12:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denis_iii
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunsmith
cant see many signing up to this,

+1

hotzeet 17th June 2009, 13:38

In Denmark we have had the same service for almost a year. Only difference is that ours is free :-P.
But its really populair though, hovever i doubt that it works when it costs money.
And i dont think that one record label is enough.... we have all as far as i know

Sir Digby 17th June 2009, 13:45

Whoever signs up will of clearly never heard of Spotify.

mclean007 17th June 2009, 14:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Digby
Whoever signs up will of clearly never heard of Spotify.

Except Spotify is rammed with ads (unless you pay for the premium) and doesn't let you download your choice of music for keeps and to transfer freely to your MP3 player etc.

Aracos 17th June 2009, 15:07

All that will happen is universal will monitor peoples traffic for THEIR copyrighted material and nothing else, but I'll definately be switching provides as soon as possible.

Won't stop me pirating one bit ^_^

LeMaltor 17th June 2009, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclean007
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Digby
Whoever signs up will of clearly never heard of Spotify.
Except Spotify is rammed with ads (unless you pay for the premium) and doesn't let you download your choice of music for keeps and to transfer freely to your MP3 player etc.

Like everyone isn't ripping the tracks? The ads, close spotify, start it again :p

ZERO <ibis> 18th June 2009, 07:01

Also every time you **** they will look up your ass to see if it is clean.

Paradigm Shifter 18th June 2009, 10:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam_bagpuss
im not too sure i like "Virgin said that it will not be monitoring its networks or intercepting its customers' traffic >>> itself <<<

meaning someone else is to make sure your not a dirty pirate.

so everything you download and view is intercepted and checked brilliant nice privacy there

also how do they decide hows a pirate ? i can use p2p for legal stuff or just be a heavy downloader of free stuff ?

Yeah, I'm wondering exactly what the 'flags' they're gonna look for are. Also... the people who are examining you need to be trustworthy and not follow the tactics that they have in the past. Good luck with that.

But I don't really know why I'm surprised - the penalty for digital piracy in the UK is more ridiculously over the top than anywhere else I can think of. I mean, unlimited fines and quite a number of years in prison? You can get less for killing someone. FFS - what is the world coming to when a human life is worth less than a frickin' DVD?

licenced 18th June 2009, 15:38

I've seen this story a couple of times, and while people have commented, as above, on the fact that they think they should get it free if they pay top whack for their broadband already, I haven't seen anyone comment on the price. The story quotes the service will cost "the price of a couple of albums per month." - now that's between £20 and £25, which in my opinion is far too much and I'd be surprised to see anyone sign up for more than a tenner a month.

DougEdey 18th June 2009, 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by licenced
I've seen this story a couple of times, and while people have commented, as above, on the fact that they think they should get it free if they pay top whack for their broadband already, I haven't seen anyone comment on the price. The story quotes the service will cost "the price of a couple of albums per month." - now that's between £20 and £25, which in my opinion is far too much and I'd be surprised to see anyone sign up for more than a tenner a month.

When did you buy an album? They;ve dropped to £5-£8

licenced 19th June 2009, 08:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by DougEdey
When did you buy an album? They;ve dropped to £5-£8

That's the price you often get them for when they are new out or from Amazon/Play etc. yes, but what's the RRP? It's between £10 and £13 and that's the price the 'executives' are probably thinking about - they probably don't buy CDs either, but they know how much they are meant to cost.

capnPedro 19th June 2009, 08:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by storm20200
Won't stop me pirating one bit ^_^

Plus it gives mepirates plausible deniability; "But, but, but they told me VM offer unlimited downloads. How was I to know that didn't include downloads from TPB?"

:)