Motorola are to launch three 'podcast' features to mark the arrival of its iTunes compatible phone, the ROKR, in the UK. The podcasts are most notable in that they feature copyrighted music, something of a grey area in the emerging broadcast medium.
The three audio features, which ROKR owners will be able to listen to on the mobile's version of the iTunes player, include an interview with hip hop innovator Common conducted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson, a discussion on the venues that shaped London's music scene between two other BBC radio presenters, Robert Elms and Bobby Friction, and a guide to New York nightspots from journalist Tom Terrell and DJ/actor Ramon Rodriguez.
The audio features come on the back of the much previously reported podcasting phenomenon, though the Motorola features aren't, technically speaking, podcasts - 'podcasting' not being the making available of speech-based programming as MP3, but the regular delivery of those MP3s via an RSS feed to someone's iTunes or chosen podcast-compatible player.
Nevertheless, Motorola are right to point out that the inclusion of music in podcast style audio features is, in itself, an interesting development. The implications of including copyrighted music in a podcast are not yet clear. Although we are led to believe that MCPS/PRS's current joint online agreement thingy actually covers podcasting (though, don't quote us on that), there has been no word from PPL regarding recording royalties and, given that they are yet to reach agreements with some conventional online radio stations, we can't expect a quick decision from that corner regarding whether or not music should be allowed into MP3 file podcasts as a matter of course and, if so, how much the podcasters will be charged for the privilege. Motorola got the music featured in their podcasts cleared by each individual label and publisher - but hope that in doing so they might help to encourage the music industry to start considering their position on the podcast phenomenon.
Motorola's Global Director Of Media Communications, Leslie Dance, told CMU: "Motorola is excited to be contributing to the development of podcasting. Although it's mushroomed in the last several months, podcasting is still quite new and at the stage where there's as much uncertainty as to what direction the form is going to take as there is excitement about its potential. We feel like we're helping to shape the future of podcasting - especially as far as licensing copyrighted music is concerned. But at the same time, and just as importantly, we're working with some groundbreaking artists to create exciting and relevant content for mobile phones."