Dave Matthews Does Napster
For Dave Matthews Band fans unable to wait until February 27th for the band’s long-awaited fourth studio album, Everyday, the album’s first single has been posted on Napster . . . and with official consent.
“I Did It” is the first major-label track to be promoted on Napster, since the Bertelsmann Music Group, the German media conglomerate, agreed to drop its lawsuit against the music-file-swapping company and invest in it.
The new DMB single appears on Napster’s “Discover/Featured Music” page — a spot traditionally reserved for Napster’s hot new artists — along with Los Angeles-based indie rockers Koufax, slow-fi trip-hoppers Big Sir and Zen reggae pop purveyor Mr. Dammitman.
Unlike the other bands featured on the page, Napster directs users to Matthew’s official Web site, www.davematthewsband.com, where they could access the approved version of the track. According to the DMB’s management, the band was happy to hear of Napster users enthusiasm for their new song, but they wanted to make sure that their fans heard the best version possible of the track, so they made a high quality MP3 file available on their site that “sounds as the band intended.”
But the effort was akin to closing the barn door after the horses has fled, since over 100 versions of the song have already been posted on the Napster, following the song’s release to radio on January 8th. The single was reportedly leaked even weeks before that date.
Still, Napster was happy to have received the blessings of both the jam band and their label. “We’re pleased to promote the availability of ‘I Did It,’ through Napster,” stated Milton Olin, Napster’s Chief Operating Officer. “Dave Matthews Band maintains a very close relationship with their fans and Napster offers a simple vehicle to spread the world that their latest studio album is on the way. We’re delighted to help introduce their new music to the legions of fans around the world and to new listeners as well.”