iTunes Australia - End of April 2005?

[MacRumors]

For those users awaiting the delayed iTunes Music Store in Australia... this forum post offers some hope.

According to undisclosed sources, Apple is reportedly planning launching iTunes Australia at the end of April.

There have been a few false starts up until this point. Most recently, the announcement was expected in January but was called off due to complicated regional licensing/copyright deals.

[snack]

This is as good as confirmed. As reported in the linked AppleTalk Australia thread, the whois record for itunes.com.au now states Apple Computer instead of the owner prior to the 23/03/05: a cybersquatter.

Domain Name: itunes.com.au
Last Modified: 23-Mar-2005 22:45:43 UTC

Registrar ID: R00010-AR
Registrar Name: Melbourne IT

Registrant: APPLE COMPUTER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
Registrant ID: ACN 002 510 054

Registrant ROID: C2573784-AR
Registrant Contact Name: Giovanna Ostacchini
Registrant Email: sostacchini@asia.apple.com

[AmigoMac]

as long as it doesn't turn like the iTMS canadian rumor... (~1 year around) ... good for Au.

[d.perel]

It is about time...I hope they worked out that legal stuff already.

[john1123]

too good to be true

[aswitcher]

Originally Posted by john1123

too good to be true

Its gotta happen sometime...here's hoping its now!

[mad jew]

Originally Posted by john1123

too good to be true

True

As in, I agree

[DJY]

I'd like this one to be true...
but I don't expect anything.

Would really like iPhoto printing options and books too please Steve if Apple is looking our way at the moment (FINALLY).

[aafuss1]

I'd like this to be true as well.

[Sol]

I hope Apple sells a lot of Australian music on their iTMS. This is a small music industry which needs all the support it can get.

[krollster]

Anyone got an idea about how much it's going to cost for a song/album?

I'm living in the UK so it would be great to be able to download music I've listened to on Triple J...and take advantage of the exchange rate.

[Lollypop]

End of april or not Apple cant afford to sit around and do nothing, they have to keep working to add new countries to stay competitive, aus is a great start.. now they can move on to South Africa!

[~Shard~]

I got my fingers crossed for ya Aussies!

[deanbo]

God I hope this rumor is true, I really do.

[Bolt]

I'm moving to Australia in Jan of 2006 for my Masters program, so this is great news. I just hope they have the store by then, otherwise I'd still be forced to use my US address and looset the exchange rate.

[swissmann]

I wonder who will be next? Aren't most of the big players western culture already in?

[mark6051]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

For those users awaiting the delayed iTunes Music Store in Australia... this forum post offers some hope.

According to undisclosed sources, Apple is reportedly planning launching iTunes Australia at the end of April.

There have been a few false starts up until this point. Most recently, the announcement was expected in January but was called off due to complicated regional licensing/copyright deals.

I know its all to do with copyright and many other issues that need to be worked through...but this really does highlight the difference between companies like Microsoft, IBM, HP, Dell and Apple. The other companies, when they release soft products, release it globally, and its never crippled depending on regional usage like iphoto or itunes. When the others release hardware, its also available globally, with plenty of stock on hand to cater for demand, not just for the quick or the patient who are prepared to wait 3months for it..

The sooner Apple wakes up and decides that it is a true Multinational company and not just a small regional entity that caters for the North American market, the quicker it can increase its market share..

I say this not to flame, but as an Aussie who is biding the day iphoto albums are available, itunes store is online, products are available in the shops (try buying something as simple as a ipod mini firewire cable in Brisbane) and an Apple branded store opens that has intelligent informed staff available to assist in purchasing new items. I have owned an Apple IIc, IIgs, mac se, early powerbook, imac, emac, and g4 cube, so I am not new to this, but Apple really does need to look around and see there is a world market now that needs catering too.

[jnicolso1]

Originally Posted by mark6051

I know its all to do with copyright and many other issues that need to be worked through...but this really does highlight the difference between companies like Microsoft, IBM, HP, Dell and Apple. The other companies, when they release soft products, release it globally, and its never crippled depending on regional usage like iphoto or itunes. When the others release hardware, its also available globally, with plenty of stock on hand to cater for demand, not just for the quick or the patient who are prepared to wait 3months for it..

The sooner Apple wakes up and decides that it is a true Multinational company and not just a small regional entity that caters for the North American market, the quicker it can increase its market share..

I say this not to flame, but as an Aussie who is biding the day iphoto albums are available, itunes store is online, products are available in the shops (try buying something as simple as a ipod mini firewire cable in Brisbane) and an Apple branded store opens that has intelligent informed staff available to assist in purchasing new items. I have owned an Apple IIc, IIgs, mac se, early powerbook, imac, emac, and g4 cube, so I am not new to this, but Apple really does need to look around and see there is a world market now that needs catering too.

I feel the same way, we have to wait longer for everything and pay higher prices. Sometimes I wish that I had never got that SE, then I could have been happy with DOS and overjoyed with windoze. As it is you get addicted to the ease of use, but it seems that Apple are happy to just string us along because they have no compeditors for our bussiness.
Still I am writing this on a slot loading iMac that has been going strong for years and should have another couple of years of life in it so Apple are not all bad. This machine is used to run a 4D client and as new machines are aquired it migrates to users whose requirements are less demanding, beats buying compaq deskpros every 2 years as each version of windoze requires a processor upgrade.
I guess I have answered my own whinge

[Village Idiot]

This story is from the SMH website:

Web tunes revolution here soon

By Daniel Dasey
April 10, 2005
The Sun-Herald

It's the marketing phenomenon that has revolutionised how the world buys its music.

Now Australians are expected to get their chance to try iTunes Music Store - Apple Computer's internet music download system - in the next two months.

Music industry sources predict the US company will launch its online music store here by mid-June.

Apple has refused to confirm iTunes Music Store is coming to Australia, but the company is understood to be booking advertising for it in music magazines.

In the US, tracks sell for 99 cents and can be used on iPod music players. Australians cannot use the service as an American credit card is needed to buy tracks.

The arrival of iTunes Music Store, which allows people to buy and download electronic versions of songs, is expected to cause digital music sales in Australia to eclipse sales of physical singles and even challenge physical album sales.

Richard Mallett, of music royalties body the Australasian Performing Right Association, says markets where iTunes Music Store has launched have "had an explosion in total downloads".

[kjwebb]

A post on Whirlpool has noted that iTMS for Australia is coming May the 1st.

Ok, the Australian Music Industry Directory has confirmed Itunes Australia will be up and running by May 1. I got a newsletter from them today stating changes to the Australian Music Industry and it mentions "With the opening of the Apple iTunes Music Store".

This is from a guy who said that this was months away and no where near ready only a matter of a month ago himself.

From http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...317894&p=2#r39

[aswitcher]

Originally Posted by kjwebb

A post on Whirlpool has noted that iTMS for Australia is coming May the 1st.


From http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...317894&p=2#r39

Mmm. Looking good

...May 1 is a Sunday...