p2pnet.net News:- With news of Apple plans to continue its iTunes invasion of Europe, Sony is about to start its own blitz.

“The Japanese consumer electronics giant said on Thursday it would heavily promote the Connect service in new advertisements for four Walkman products, including the recently launched NW-HD1 hard disc player,” says a Reuters story, going on:

“Also, Sony said its second wave of European expansion is still on track for later this year as the battle for Europe’s Web-savvy music fans intensifies.”

“Web-savvy” music fans have already decided which way to go. By far the vast majority continue to ignore the corporate sites such as iTunes in favour of the p2p networks, Big Music-backed puff-pieces to the contrary notwithstanding.

And Sony is already in Europe, to an extent – carried in on Ronald McDonald’s back.

“Our partnership with Sony Connect on this very exciting and relevant music event continues our commitment to surprising and delighting customers with fun and unique restaurant experiences,” gushed Larry Light, McDonald’s executive vp and global cmo in July.

It’s relevant to Sony and McDonald’s, that’s for sure, with their eyes fixed on Germany, France and the UK.

Meanwhile, competition is “fierce,” says Reuters.

It has to be. There’s no way on earth more than one or two corporate services can survive in such a tiny market.

“Scores of companies from Sony, Apple and retail chain Fnac have entered Europe’s fledgling download market looking to get a cut of a promising new business,” Reuters says, going on:

“The world’s largest record labels, including Universal Music and EMI, meanwhile, are also determined to see a proliferation of industry-backed services flourish in Europe to woo back music fans from free file-sharing networks.”

For “world’s largest record labels” read the Big Four music label cartel comprising Sony-BMG (Japan, Germany), EMI (Britain), Warner (US) and UMG (France).

And the only way they’ll win back customers is to stop suing them and act on the incontrovertible fact that in the 21st century, online marketing, sales and distribution will ultimately depend on p2p and the adoption of fair use policies and reasonable download charges.

This will also go a long way to dealing with the ‘pirate’ problem. It’s hard to counterfeit a digital file that’s sold online for 40 cents, say, and flog it on a corner, somewhere, or in a flea-market.

“Sony and Apple are keeping their launch plans a closely guarded secret,” says Reuters.

Ooooo.

“However, Sony said in July the Nordic and Benelux regions, plus Austria and Switzerland, were regions it expected to enter in the future.”

Sony’s US service, meanwhile, isn’t exactly doing gang-busters.

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See:-

invasion – Apple plan to core Europe, p2pnet, September 29, 2004

Web-savvy – Sony Plans European Ad Blitz to Stifle iTunes, Reuters, September 30, 2004

gang-busters – New Sony music site, p2pnet, May 10, 2004

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