What’s Behind Steve Jobs?
by Aner Ravon

Like many of you I read Steve Job’s thoughts about music today.

I, for one, do not understand why he wrote this letter.

Steve Jobs main points can be summarized to the following bullets:

1. DRM is stupid.

2. It’s the labels’ fault

3. Apple cannot solve it

4. Apple will embrace a DRM free world, but for now will stick with the existing model.

5. If only the labels were all outside Europe.

And the point?

You could argue that Steve Jobs is trying to push the labels into a DRM free world. Such a world would definitely help Apple go beyond selling a lame 3% of the music on their iPods alone.

You could argue, but I doubt it. There are much more effective (and cleaner) ways to work with the labels then writing a naive letter. Steve Jobs is anything but Naive, so there must be a different motivation involved.

My guess is that:

1. Apple has taken a lot of heat and Steve Jobs is trying to gain “cheap popularity” by bashing the big labels.

2. Apple is renegotiating music distribution rights and these are PR tactics.

3. Steve Jobs wishes to highlight the fact Zune won’t work with content from iTunes.

I agree that the labels are rearranging chairs on their Titanic, who wouldn’t, but I think the solution is with the proliferation of direct distribution models (MySpace) and with independent, smaller labels who will realize the opportunity they have. If Steve Jobs really wants to change the world he should encourage artists to sign with DRM free labels.

Aner Ravon
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