Has the replacement for Napster finally arrived

A.� Maybe not on such a massive and successful scale, but in its own small way, the WOMAD Digital Channel has managed to steal a march on all the major labels and Internet Service Providers by being first on the Net to offer digital access to music via a pay-to-access system.

�< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Q.� What does WOMAD stand for

A.� It stands for World Of Music And Dance, and it's a music collective of musicians and artists involved in various forms of ethnic music, known as World Music.

�

Q.� Who started the idea of a World Music Festival

A.� The concept was originally conceived and operated by Peter Gabriel, original lead singer of rock superstar band Genesis. When Gabriel quit the band, it gave him time to devote to his love of ethnic music which was virtually unknown at the time, although thanks to his efforts, its popularity has grown worldwide.

�

Q.� It sounds like a risky venture

A.� Initially it was ' Gabriel took a leap of faith by promoting the first WOMAD Festival at Reading, and was nearly made bankrupt by spiralling costs and the general apathy of the festival-going public. His ex-band stepped in with a generous gesture of a benefit gig, which saved Gabriel's career, and bank balance, and he's never looked back since then.

�

Q.� How far has WOMAD come since then

A.� The British version of the Festival has run for twelve years now, and other similar events are held round the world at regular intervals, - World Music finally does have a 'world' stage, and its popularity is such that specialist radio shows are devoted to it, and a lot of major record stores have World Music Sections.

�

Q.� How did the Internet become involved.

A.� Peter Gabriel has always had an equal fascination for World Music, and for recording and digital technology. He has invested the profits from his Genesis days, combined with his own highly successful solo career, and created a state-of-the-art recording studio in his home city of Bath. The advent of the Internet, and its potential for expanding the horizons of World Music to a huge and untapped audience is something Peter Gabriel knew would succeed, and he was keen to ensure that the project was a success.

�

Q.� What's different about Gabriel's system from Napster

A.� The huge advantage, or controversy, depending on your viewpoint, of Napster was the notion of music fans having free access to download recorded music from the Internet. Now that Napster has been shut down by legal action, the void is due to be filled by companies who acknowledge that the demand is there, but it must be regulated and operated by some form of subscription service.�It is by offering a subscription service sooner than any of the major labels, that Gabriel has managed to be the first to place product on the Internet for subscribers to access and download.

�

Q.� How does it work

A.� In tandem with Gabriel's Real World record label, WOMAD has joined forces with Telstar,�label home to rising star Craig David, and German label Edel, whose clients include a wide range of rock pop jazz and classical artists.

�

The site offers a monthly package of 40 tracks for a flat fee of �5.00. The track will only play on the subscriber's computer and portable players,� accessed by payment of the fee,�but it will not be possible to transfer between PC's. After one month, the tracks will be deleted and replaced, but subscribers will be offered a chance to buy a permanent digital copy of a track, or an album.

�

Q.� Is this the future for music on the Internet

A.� Probably. The notion of 'free' music could not be sustained, and Gabriel may prove that the option of offering people a tailor-made package of music for a set fee is the way to sustain a music-sharing system, with everyone paying a reasonable rate, and record companies and artists being rewarded for their output, with the added bonus of providing finance to nurture new talent, an idea Gabriel has held dear since his earliest days as a musician.

�

If you have a musical question, click here for an answer.

�

By:� Andy Hughes.