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Amazon Launches Public Beta of DRM-Free Music Store
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I doubt it is that simple. Do you really think Apple wouldn't love to offer DRM-free tracks? That they didn't try to get the necessary licenses from the record companies to do so, before announcing iTunes Plus?
This is the labels, with Amazon's help, manipulating the market by providing exclusive content to one reseller over another. Which is fine -- that's the way business works -- but let's all call it what it is. And do we really think the labels' long term gameplan is to keep prices this low, once they've knocked Apple off their perch?
Call me crazy, but the evidence of their behavior over the last 20 years leads me to a very different conclusion. Don't let the record companies fool us so easily here.
Well I do know until today, the venerable Apple was trying to charge me extra for the "privelege" of downloading a DRM free track. What do you know? Amazon comes along, is ALL DRM free and charges less than an Apple DRM track. Apple isn't noble like you think it is.
and apple has just put out a press release..
BEATLES NOW ON iTunes!!
DRM free music from all labels!!!
99 Cents Each!!
lol
BEATLES NOW ON iTunes!!
DRM free music from all labels!!!
99 Cents Each!!
lol
I agree with you 100% but doesn't seem like AAPL actually cares about all the backlash. Have you looked at the stock price lately? As long as the investors are happy, they don't care about any of the recent backlash.
I don't think Apple is noble whatsover. I think they're a business that wants to make money. I also know they don't have the rights to sell DRM-free tracks from all the labels.
So who is to blame for Apple not being all DRM-free? Jobs? Don't think so. The record companies, taking their last and best shot in getting Apple out of the pole position in digital content distribution?
Now you're getting warmer.
Have you seen the backlash lately? I've been following Apple for 5 years through the great growth times, and I'm telling you, this is the worst time for bad sentiment about Apple's business practices I have ever seen. The stock price is sure to reflect this soon, it always lags.
Just go look at this article:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/11475/
I've seen that article but the sales of all their products are higher than ever when the quality seems to be going the other way. The only complaints about quality I hear (the recent iPod touch fiasco) are in forums such as this, not in the wider media.
Grrrr I just put $30 into my iTunes account...
What really makes the deal is addition of universal, why the hell they won't sell on iTunes I don't know.
The problem is for me is I can't buy anything on amazon because I do not have a CC, with iTunes I can just buy gift cards and that works well for me.
Dangit Apple if Universal wants to sell high quality DRM audio for 89¢ then by god let them! I simply refuse to buy the 128kbs DRM audio from Apple any more so I am pretty limited to just EMI stuff...(yeah the GC's were a present...)
What really makes the deal is addition of universal, why the hell they won't sell on iTunes I don't know.
The problem is for me is I can't buy anything on amazon because I do not have a CC, with iTunes I can just buy gift cards and that works well for me.
Dangit Apple if Universal wants to sell high quality DRM audio for 89¢ then by god let them! I simply refuse to buy the 128kbs DRM audio from Apple any more so I am pretty limited to just EMI stuff...(yeah the GC's were a present...)
Because Universal doesn't like the stubbornness Apple has shown in negotiating its deals -- on such stances as consistent, low pricing, and prohibiting b.s. like bundling. So now Universal is trying to undercut Apple with the Amazon service in an effort to take away Apple's #3 market position.
Universal doesn't. They want you think Apple is ripping you off, so they cut a more favorable deal with Amazon. From the looks of this forum most people are taking the bait. And if iTunes loses its negotiating leverage, you can bet they will raise all the prices back up to what they'd like them to be.
I can't tell if you're serious or not; the issue isn't that Universal wants to sell high quality DRM-free (I assume that's what you meant) audio for 89 cents.
The issue is that Universal, and many of the other labels, want to force Apple into allowing them to charge significantly more for music, DRM-free or not, specifically the most popular and most recent music.
Apple has been sticking to the idea that no music should be more than 99 cents. It's been a compromise on their part to sell the DRM-less stuff for $1.29.
The labels don't like this though, because they would much prefer to sell the hottest new songs for $2, $3, $4, even $5.
On a side note, they also want to do what they can to prop up iTunes competitors, so in this case they are willing to let Amazon do something they won't let iTunes do, like sell DRM-free tracks for less, etc.
The hope is that they can build up competitors to iTunes to give them a better bargaining position to force Apple's hand.
In the end, as long as the end result is DRM-free MP3's, I don't think there's a big problem.
Apple ultimately wants to sell iPods, etc. The success of an Amazon MP3 store that seems to be designed specifically to also be easy to use for people who use iTunes and iPods (the Amazon song downloading app will automatically move your music over to iTunes) would not hurt that much at all.
You're assuming that Apple has the rights to do that. The $1.29 price for DRM-free stuff was a compromise on their part, to placate the labels (or EMI at least).
Hopefully if any of this sticks though, the labels will accept 99 cent DRM-free pricing, but I doubt that will happen.
Again, the labels want to charge MORE money for a lot of this stuff.
What makes you think this.
Please give support to your theory instead of just throwing this stuff out there.
Or do you just like to call people names that dont agree with you?
Well I just bought a song from Amazon.Installed the downloader and got nothing.Zip.Zilch
So much for ease of use.
Since the other people posting haven't had any issues, maybe you should be rolling your eyes in the mirror.
Lol, so let me get this straight. Universal doesn't want to charge far less for DRM free high quality music, but they ARE? And Apple wants to charge less for DRM free music but they AREN'T or CAN'T? Get your head out of the sand Apple apologist.
Let me tell you something, Amazon is like Walmart, the price ain't EVER going up. They can either be a loss leader or will do it just for the principle of it forever. Apple can't compete with retailers like Amazon.
It's as simple as this for me. If I have a choice between a 256kbps DRM-free mp3 that I can play on anything including my ipod or I can buy crippleware from Apple, Apple is SOL.
How much do you want to bet the "Public Beta" lasts about 6 months, after which it goes "official"... and the prices get bumped?
Good call. Apple will not be able to match Amazon because of Apple's contracts with the different labels (the labels would rather deal with Amazon instead of Apple). Whe iTunes market share disappears, I can see the prices going way up and people complaining / going back to illegal downloads / file sharing.
No music from Amazon for me
Sorry will not subscribe to any other music store. Happy to continue to undermine the music industries influence and buy from iTunes (DRM or not).
I want to see the day when artists will be free to distribute music digitally through a tech company and see industry dinosaurs like Universal eventually become extinct.
Sorry will not subscribe to any other music store. Happy to continue to undermine the music industries influence and buy from iTunes (DRM or not).
I want to see the day when artists will be free to distribute music digitally through a tech company and see industry dinosaurs like Universal eventually become extinct.
Yes, MacBoy, try to think it through.
1. iTunes is the #1 digital distributor. This gives them enormous leverage.
2. The labels want to remove iTunes' dominance.
3. Given that iPod and iTunes are integrated, giving Apple the ease-of-use edge, what is the labels/Amazon's only alternative? Offer DRM-free tracks, at a price lower than Apple.
4. People move to Amazon because it is cheaper.
5. Apple isn't #1 anymore. Apple doesn't have leverage. Record labels can then go and set digital wholesale prices wherever they like. Amazon will be in their pocket as the labels pretty much gave them the industry, and they can lock out iTunes as long as they want.
6. MacBoySeattle wonders why Amazon prices suddenly got more expensive.
I mean, you really don't expect the labels to help Amazon by asking them to charge MORE, do you? Uh-huh.
Holy mother of God. Amazon has their ***** together! Their download program works on OSX and they're selling Pink Floyd's The Wall for $8.99. That's right, $17 on iTunes BEFORE tax and only $8.99 on Amazon with NO SALES TAX. Hell, surprisingly enough the songs were automatically added to iTunes and came with artwork. Amazing!
Looks like I've finally found a digital store that is worth my time, at least for things that I feel a need to purchase ripped versions like The Wall because it's a gapless album. Otherwise, I just use a Yahoo music subscription and record unlimited songs for "free" at $70 a year.
Looks like I've finally found a digital store that is worth my time, at least for things that I feel a need to purchase ripped versions like The Wall because it's a gapless album. Otherwise, I just use a Yahoo music subscription and record unlimited songs for "free" at $70 a year.
Since you missed the 2nd part:
Let me tell you something, Amazon is like Walmart, the price ain't EVER going up. They can either be a loss leader or will do it just for the principle of it forever. Apple can't compete with retailers like Amazon.