Systems for distributing music to a plurality of customers via the
Internet provide each customer with a uniquely identified proprietary
device for receiving, playing and recording music. A music server
computer system is provided for distributing the music to the proprietary
devices over the Internet. The system provides for tracking usage of the
music on the proprietary devices and reporting the usage data over the
Internet to the music server compute system. The system provides for the
secure distribution of digital music content over the Internet to
consumers in a manner that allows efficient and economical usage of the
content by consumers, while providing adequate usage reporting to
copyright owners and providing adequate copy protection to prohibit
unauthorized usage.