McDonalds to give away 1 Billion iTunes songs

lyonsden · Nov 6, 2003, 08:27 AM

Just saw this when looking at the stock quotes for Apple (and others)

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/031106/bw_le...wnloads_1.html

http://www.nypost.com/business/10067.htm

McDonalds is going to do an iTunes promotion and give away 1 Billion (that's Billion with a 'B') iTunes songs.

The short article also says that Pepsi and McDonalds are paying the full .99 retail price to Apple for these promotions.

[edit: added nypost link]

robbieduncan · Nov 6, 2003, 08:31 AM

Wow. That's insane. 1 billion tracks? How many people in the US have a computer connected to the Net (and fast enough to make it worth downloading a few Mb of data for a song). 1 billion sounds like enough for everyone to get at least 1 track!

rainman::|:| · Nov 6, 2003, 08:38 AM

there are far less than a billion people in the US. more like 250-300 million, i don't remember exactly. take the fraction that are active computer/music users, who have iTunes, and that's quite a few songs per person. unfortunately, i'm guessing a huge percentage will be given to people that will never use them... i wonder if McD will pay for the actual number of songs downloaded?

pnw

Squire · Nov 6, 2003, 08:45 AM

That's crazy. I wonder how they'll go about the giveaway part. Would they give coupons to customers? No, then they'd have to pay for all of the tunes no matter what. Hmmm...

Squire

ckwm · Nov 6, 2003, 09:11 AM

Got to be a good thing though, even if just to get people downloading iTunes. With Pepsi and MacD into the iTunes store it looks as if it is fast becoming the standard.

jrv3034 · Nov 6, 2003, 09:16 AM

Weird... McDonalds has always been a Coca Cola sponsor. I wonder how they feel being promotional partners with Pepsi...

Anyways, this can only be a good thing for Apple. Yay.

FelixDerKater · Nov 6, 2003, 09:17 AM

I'm sure they'll end up only paying for the amount of songs actually downloaded. Many of them will go undownloaded. Who knows... It will probably be a coupon or something attached to the drinks or french fry cartons.

jamesatzones · Nov 6, 2003, 09:25 AM

Looks like I will be eating some Micky Deee's in the future...

chibianh · Nov 6, 2003, 10:01 AM

that's great! now the question is... do i have to supersize my meal to get the free music?

drastik · Nov 6, 2003, 10:02 AM

holy crap, that's one big revenue stream for Apple and the lables. To bad I don't eat fast-food garbage anymore

machan · Nov 6, 2003, 10:07 AM

this is totally insane. 1 billion!?!?! i hate mcdonald's, but i'm glad apple got a billion dollars out of the deal.

scem0 · Nov 6, 2003, 10:11 AM

This will be very good for apple....

Apple needs to attract younger people. Im gunna eat at mcdonalds more

.

scem0

Mr. Anderson · Nov 6, 2003, 10:13 AM

1 billion bigmacs to go

I don't eat there, so I lose. Ugh! What to do, what to do.....maybe some late night dumpster diving an get all the one thrown away

D

Jerry Spoon · Nov 6, 2003, 10:20 AM

I hope weight watchers starts giving away free songs on itms after the mcdonalds promotion because I'm going to need it.

machinehien · Nov 6, 2003, 10:21 AM

Sound's good for apple. Not too sure about how it positions the brand though. Pepsi was a little of a stretch but there was history there. McDonalds though? Not too sure if I am loving it.

But hey, a billion dollars is a billion dollars.

matthew_goldin · Nov 6, 2003, 10:22 AM

I thought it was Pepsi who was doing that.

mkaake · Nov 6, 2003, 10:31 AM

holy crap.

that's all i have to say.

matt

Squire · Nov 6, 2003, 10:32 AM

I can understand why this got moved to the Front Page. What exposure! Is Apple going to be doing the majority of the advertising or will Rotten Ron's take care of it?

I thought iTMS only had, like, 400,000 songs!

Sorry. Weak.

Squire

bipto · Nov 6, 2003, 10:34 AM

Usually, promotions like this one that can cost a whole lotta money are insured against the entire amount coming in. McDonald's technically isn't paying anything for the songs, they're paying an insurance company who will end up paying Apple when it's all said and done.

That's how is usually works, anyway...

LethalWolfe · Nov 6, 2003, 10:35 AM

Holy mother of promotional deals Batman!

Lethal

maxtrax · Nov 6, 2003, 10:38 AM

I read that both Pepsi and McD's are paying the actual 99 cents per downloaded song. So all this promo costs Apple nothing and they sell millions of songs? How does this work, anyone know?

the_mole1314 · Nov 6, 2003, 10:39 AM

I think this will be the whole peal off tag and find code thing like the monopoly game.

Malic · Nov 6, 2003, 10:39 AM

Before iTMS, it was pre-relaunch Napster (prNapster?). All the talk was about "This shouldn't be piracy but form of guerilla advertising".

Now it comes full circle, the dream is realized; Music is something YOU GIVE AWAY AS AN ENTICEMENT TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE! In the prNapster days, music was an unofficial enticement to buy broadband. Now, it's potentially MUCH more.

It's so funny to picture a near-future in which record labels sign BIG contracts to give away product - willingly.

Trimix · Nov 6, 2003, 10:41 AM

it shows how much SJ is so much ahead of - urrrggh buymusic.com and others - there i said it - it is not even funny anymore.
good for apple, good for consumers, good for mcd, bad for your waistline

Sailfish · Nov 6, 2003, 10:41 AM

Add all the local McDonalds to my iTunes begging route.

"Spare 'tunes anyone?"

Nov 6, 2003, 08:27 AM	#1
lyonsden macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Illinois	McDonalds to give away 1 Billion iTunes songs Just saw this when looking at the stock quotes for Apple (and others) http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/031106/bw_le...wnloads_1.html http://www.nypost.com/business/10067.htm McDonalds is going to do an iTunes promotion and give away 1 Billion (that's Billion with a 'B') iTunes songs. The short article also says that Pepsi and McDonalds are paying the full .99 retail price to Apple for these promotions. [edit: added nypost link]

Nov 6, 2003, 08:31 AM	#2
robbieduncan macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: London	Wow. That's insane. 1 billion tracks? How many people in the US have a computer connected to the Net (and fast enough to make it worth downloading a few Mb of data for a song). 1 billion sounds like enough for everyone to get at least 1 track! __________________ My App Store Apps: DLR Times

Nov 6, 2003, 08:45 AM	#4
Squire macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Canada	That's crazy. I wonder how they'll go about the giveaway part. Would they give coupons to customers? No, then they'd have to pay for all of the tunes no matter what. Hmmm... Squire __________________ "Society often forgives the criminal; it never forgives the dreamer." - Oscar Wilde

Nov 6, 2003, 09:11 AM	#5
ckwm macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: UK	Got to be a good thing though, even if just to get people downloading iTunes. With Pepsi and MacD into the iTunes store it looks as if it is fast becoming the standard. __________________ Chris

Nov 6, 2003, 09:16 AM	#6
jrv3034 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: New York City	Weird... McDonalds has always been a Coca Cola sponsor. I wonder how they feel being promotional partners with Pepsi... Anyways, this can only be a good thing for Apple. Yay. __________________ jrv3034 Dual 2GHz G5 PowerMac / 160GB & 200GB internal HDDs / Two 250GB LaCie FW HDDs / 1.5GB RAM / Superdrive / Mitsubishi 22" DiamondPro / JBL Creature / Logitech MX500 / Zip 100 / iPod 15GB 3G / Samsung i500 / Miglia AlchemyTV DVR

Nov 6, 2003, 08:38 AM	#3
rainman::\|:\| macrumors 601 Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: iowa	there are far less than a billion people in the US. more like 250-300 million, i don't remember exactly. take the fraction that are active computer/music users, who have iTunes, and that's quite a few songs per person. unfortunately, i'm guessing a huge percentage will be given to people that will never use them... i wonder if McD will pay for the actual number of songs downloaded? pnw

Nov 6, 2003, 09:17 AM	#7
FelixDerKater macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2002	I'm sure they'll end up only paying for the amount of songs actually downloaded. Many of them will go undownloaded. Who knows... It will probably be a coupon or something attached to the drinks or french fry cartons.

Nov 6, 2003, 09:25 AM	#8
jamesatzones macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Seattle	Looks like I will be eating some Micky Deee's in the future...

Nov 6, 2003, 10:01 AM	#9
chibianh macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Colorado	that's great! now the question is... do i have to supersize my meal to get the free music? __________________ http://homepage.mac.com/chibianh Wii - 5541 0340 9309 6664 Mario Strikers Charged: 386653 780449

Nov 6, 2003, 10:02 AM	#10
drastik macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Nashvegas	holy crap, that's one big revenue stream for Apple and the lables. To bad I don't eat fast-food garbage anymore __________________ Good Touch Software - Bespoke iPhone Applications

Nov 6, 2003, 10:07 AM	#11
machan macrumors regular Join Date: May 2003 Location: wisconsin	this is totally insane. 1 billion!?!?! i hate mcdonald's, but i'm glad apple got a billion dollars out of the deal.

Nov 6, 2003, 10:11 AM	#12
scem0 macrumors 601 Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: back in NYC!	This will be very good for apple.... Apple needs to attract younger people. Im gunna eat at mcdonalds more . scem0

Nov 6, 2003, 10:13 AM	#13
Mr. Anderson Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Back in VA	1 billion bigmacs to go I don't eat there, so I lose. Ugh! What to do, what to do.....maybe some late night dumpster diving an get all the one thrown away D __________________ "Klaatu varada nikto!"

Nov 6, 2003, 10:20 AM	#14
Jerry Spoon macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Historic St. Charles	I hope weight watchers starts giving away free songs on itms after the mcdonalds promotion because I'm going to need it.

Nov 6, 2003, 10:21 AM	#15
machinehien macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: houston	that is sick Sound's good for apple. Not too sure about how it positions the brand though. Pepsi was a little of a stretch but there was history there. McDonalds though? Not too sure if I am loving it. But hey, a billion dollars is a billion dollars.

Nov 6, 2003, 10:22 AM	#16
matthew_goldin macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2003	I thought it was Pepsi who was doing that. __________________ The world is upside down. -Matthew Wright G.

Nov 6, 2003, 10:31 AM	#17
mkaake macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: mi	holy crap. that's all i have to say. matt __________________ oh, and no, i don't j-walk

Nov 6, 2003, 10:32 AM	#18
Squire macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Canada	I can understand why this got moved to the Front Page. What exposure! Is Apple going to be doing the majority of the advertising or will Rotten Ron's take care of it? I thought iTMS only had, like, 400,000 songs! Sorry. Weak. Squire __________________ "Society often forgives the criminal; it never forgives the dreamer." - Oscar Wilde

Nov 6, 2003, 10:34 AM	#19
bipto macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Minneapolis, MN	Usually, promotions like this one that can cost a whole lotta money are insured against the entire amount coming in. McDonald's technically isn't paying anything for the songs, they're paying an insurance company who will end up paying Apple when it's all said and done. That's how is usually works, anyway...

Nov 6, 2003, 10:35 AM	#20
LethalWolfe macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles	Holy mother of promotional deals Batman! Lethal

Nov 6, 2003, 10:38 AM	#21
maxtrax macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2003 Location: Albany, NY	I read that both Pepsi and McD's are paying the actual 99 cents per downloaded song. So all this promo costs Apple nothing and they sell millions of songs? How does this work, anyone know?

Nov 6, 2003, 10:39 AM	#22
the_mole1314 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Dayton, OH	I think this will be the whole peal off tag and find code thing like the monopoly game.

Nov 6, 2003, 10:39 AM	#23
Malic macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2002	Music is a killer app Before iTMS, it was pre-relaunch Napster (prNapster?). All the talk was about "This shouldn't be piracy but form of guerilla advertising". Now it comes full circle, the dream is realized; Music is something YOU GIVE AWAY AS AN ENTICEMENT TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE! In the prNapster days, music was an unofficial enticement to buy broadband. Now, it's potentially MUCH more. It's so funny to picture a near-future in which record labels sign BIG contracts to give away product - willingly.

Nov 6, 2003, 10:41 AM	#24
Trimix macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Switzerland	it shows how much SJ is so much ahead of - urrrggh buymusic.com and others - there i said it - it is not even funny anymore. good for apple, good for consumers, good for mcd, bad for your waistline

Nov 6, 2003, 10:41 AM	#25
Sailfish macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2003	Add all the local McDonalds to my iTunes begging route. "Spare 'tunes anyone?"

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