The Warner Music Group is planning to release music albums on DVD. The extra capacity will give them the ability to bundle extras such as videos, ring tones and videos. A few titles will be released in October and a full-blown launch should follow early next year. It is expected that these will sell for more than traditional CDs. One big hitch in Warner’s plan to have this DVD replace the CD is that these music DVDs will not play in normal CD players.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Warner is close to a deal with Apple whereby the DVD would also include digital tracks similar to those you can buy on iTunes. To avoid having to license its proprietary copy-protection software, Apple would create the tracks and supply the to Warner who would then put them on the DVDs. The question is: Would the DVD then need to connect to iTunes to tie the tracks to an account?
But the biggest stumbling block may simply be that Warner will need to convince format-weary consumers that this is indeed the format that will replace the venerable CD.