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Amazon #2 Online Retailer Behind iTunes
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Unfortunately, it's exactly because Apple has too MUCH weight that the big music labels want to withhold DRM-free songs from Apple--thus allowing other companies to have that advantage over iTunes. (Which has worked: that's what has made Amazon take off. Better Amazon than Microsoft!)
The hope then, is that eventually the labels won't MIND Apple's weight so much (the weight that lets Apple insist on simple pricing, and the weight that threatens the power of the labels) and will see the benefit of boosting sales by letting Apple have DRM-free tracks.
Until then, they will be more generous/lenient with companies they want to help go after Apple's business--such as Amazon.
And since Apple is hardly threatened by this in any larger sense (iTunes and iPods and Macs all work fine with Amazon MP3 Store) I'm pretty pleased with how things are working out! The music labels, who have done so much harm, may have managed something good in creating TWO big online stores where there had been only one before.
Apple Vs Labels!
Anyone who said that it isn't fair that Apple doesn't have DRM free songs, should look at the fact that Apple didn't exactly play nice with the labels. The labels felt Apple had to much control... It doesn't matter whether Apple was successful or not. The labels felt Apple was gaining to much market power.
The labels didn't want to answer to Steve and bend to his demands. So the labels got pissed, choked down their pride and security and said "We'll partner with another music retailer!" "One that will to work with us and give em our content to sell, no strings attached!". "We need a heathy competitive market!"
And with CD sales tanking, why wouldn't they? Oh, and Wal-Mart's threats of pulling the labels content from their online store, if they didn't go DRM-Free by January.
Now, when the labels get confident Amazon is healthy enough to compete with iTunes, they'll provide DRM-Free content to iTunes and everyone else, like Rhapsody and Wal-Mart, beyond what EMI & Indie's now offer.
The point is to take power from Apple. Yes, Apple started the online music business (well actually Liquid Audio did, but Apple succeeded) and made it successful, but Apple had way to damn much control, that no-one should have in any market space (MONOPOLY). Yeah, the labels required DRM! But Apple took advantage of that to sell iPods, because they wouldn't license FairPlay and they called Real Networks hackers for duplicating FairPlay. FairPlay went to Apple's head! That's half of what the labels didn't like! The other was pricing...
Anyone who said that it isn't fair that Apple doesn't have DRM free songs, should look at the fact that Apple didn't exactly play nice with the labels. The labels felt Apple had to much control... It doesn't matter whether Apple was successful or not. The labels felt Apple was gaining to much market power.
The labels didn't want to answer to Steve and bend to his demands. So the labels got pissed, choked down their pride and security and said "We'll partner with another music retailer!" "One that will to work with us and give em our content to sell, no strings attached!". "We need a heathy competitive market!"
And with CD sales tanking, why wouldn't they? Oh, and Wal-Mart's threats of pulling the labels content from their online store, if they didn't go DRM-Free by January.
Now, when the labels get confident Amazon is healthy enough to compete with iTunes, they'll provide DRM-Free content to iTunes and everyone else, like Rhapsody and Wal-Mart, beyond what EMI & Indie's now offer.
The point is to take power from Apple. Yes, Apple started the online music business (well actually Liquid Audio did, but Apple succeeded) and made it successful, but Apple had way to damn much control, that no-one should have in any market space (MONOPOLY). Yeah, the labels required DRM! But Apple took advantage of that to sell iPods, because they wouldn't license FairPlay and they called Real Networks hackers for duplicating FairPlay. FairPlay went to Apple's head! That's half of what the labels didn't like! The other was pricing...
I agree, I will continue to support iTunes Music Store. It cots a bit more but its worth supporting Apple. It is not right that Amazon has got 4.5 million in DRM free music. Apple was one of the first (if not the first) to offer DRM free music to the masses and they only have 1.5 million DRM free songs. The record company's are blocking Apple from all of their DRM free music.
I pick up cat litter and charcoal briquets at Nordstroms because Walmart makes me feel so dirty too.
Another piece of third party software hanging out on my computer.
I really wish Amazon would just let me buy an Album and download all the songs as a compressed file.
If I just want songs and iTunes doesn't have them DRM free I'll get them from Amazon, but If I want a whole album and iTunes doesn't have it DRM free then I'm still picking up a CD to rip.
The labels wanted MORE control? What?
Didn't I recall the labels complaining because Apple wanted a lower price (0.99$) and they wanted more (like 1.99$/track)? Then why are they selling for 0.89$ via Amazon?
Didn't they require the DRM to allow Apple to sell music? Then why are they selling plain old MP3's via Amazon?
In any case, Apple has international stores, Amazon doesn't. Quite simple for the rest of us.
Didn't I recall the labels complaining because Apple wanted a lower price (0.99$) and they wanted more (like 1.99$/track)? Then why are they selling for 0.89$ via Amazon?
Didn't they require the DRM to allow Apple to sell music? Then why are they selling plain old MP3's via Amazon?
In any case, Apple has international stores, Amazon doesn't. Quite simple for the rest of us.
Meh, sounds to me like the labels have gone from enthusiastically shooting themselves in the foot, (feet?) to actively trying to shoot someone else's at the same time. It seems grossly unfair to me and I for one would support Apple in an anti collusion lawsuit against those leeches.
I really really hope that the above quote was meant to be sarcastic. I really really hope.
Me too! No one should feel guilty for the freedom to chose!
The reason the record companies weren't able to get apple to raise prices is because apple had so much power and were the majority of their online sales.
Now that they made deals with amazon they have lowered prices in an effort to get consumers to download from an alternative music store in large numbers, which is great in the short run. The thing I'm worried about is that now the record companies will have more leverage to introduce higher/variable pricing. It is less risky to pull music from the itunes store to make apple raise prices when consumers can easily buy the same music at amazon for a new $1.50 per song.
Apple is the one keeping the prices low.
Now that they made deals with amazon they have lowered prices in an effort to get consumers to download from an alternative music store in large numbers, which is great in the short run. The thing I'm worried about is that now the record companies will have more leverage to introduce higher/variable pricing. It is less risky to pull music from the itunes store to make apple raise prices when consumers can easily buy the same music at amazon for a new $1.50 per song.
Apple is the one keeping the prices low.
Apple has $18B in the bank, and earned $8B last year. That's 8 with 9 zeroes. It's a company, not a charity case. And an extremely profitable company at that.
Unless you've got a dozen zeroes at the end of your net worth, I wouldn't worry too much about wasting your hard-earned money keeping poor little Apple afloat.
I wish iTunes Denmark had the same collection of songs as iTunes in US!! Then I would be all over iTunes music - DRM'd and DRM-free!
I still prefer to buy CDs, but in the case where I do decide to buy a digital download, I'll check both iTunes & Amazon.
My last two purchases were from Amazon for obvious reasons: DRM-Free, higher quality and cheaper.
I use Amazon anyways to buy most of my music in CDs.
My last two purchases were from Amazon for obvious reasons: DRM-Free, higher quality and cheaper.
I use Amazon anyways to buy most of my music in CDs.
iTunes vs Amazon
I could care less about your politics, but I agree with your reasoning regarding Amazon vs iTunes. I would like to see iTunes stay strong in the marketplace, but Amazon appears to be a better value. Unless iTunes does something to change this dynamic, Amazon will likely eclipse iTunes in terms of the music marketplace.
I buy a new desktop mac every other year, and a new laptop mac every other year. Since my Macs never die, I have at least a dozen macs alive and potentially working in my house (I can't part with a friend.) I would prefer not to be limited to 5 machines for my purchased iTunes music. Unless the music is an iTunes exclusive that I must have, all of my new single song purchases are from Amazon. The sound quality is higher, and I don't have to keep up with which are my "active" Macs for iTunes.
I could care less about your politics, but I agree with your reasoning regarding Amazon vs iTunes. I would like to see iTunes stay strong in the marketplace, but Amazon appears to be a better value. Unless iTunes does something to change this dynamic, Amazon will likely eclipse iTunes in terms of the music marketplace.
I buy a new desktop mac every other year, and a new laptop mac every other year. Since my Macs never die, I have at least a dozen macs alive and potentially working in my house (I can't part with a friend.) I would prefer not to be limited to 5 machines for my purchased iTunes music. Unless the music is an iTunes exclusive that I must have, all of my new single song purchases are from Amazon. The sound quality is higher, and I don't have to keep up with which are my "active" Macs for iTunes.
So what if Apple goes to #2? Apple make little to no profit from iTunes. Although it has become their main distribution application it seems for all things Apple. This could be an issue for other products. As long as people purchase iPods then fine, use Amazon.
Video is the big problem for Apple. They should have done Apple TV correctly in the first place. Although we really don't know what negotiations go on in the smoke filled back room. It's safe to say the Movie Industry has it out for Apple. IMO, people should bring up the Sherman Act regarding the movie industries treatment of Apple vs Amazon. Juvenile jealousy of the Pixar/Disney connection is clearly evident.
I'll always support Apple, but not for DRM free music, but because they push the envelope in design and take risks. Nothing is ever changed without taking risks.
Think Different.
Video is the big problem for Apple. They should have done Apple TV correctly in the first place. Although we really don't know what negotiations go on in the smoke filled back room. It's safe to say the Movie Industry has it out for Apple. IMO, people should bring up the Sherman Act regarding the movie industries treatment of Apple vs Amazon. Juvenile jealousy of the Pixar/Disney connection is clearly evident.
I'll always support Apple, but not for DRM free music, but because they push the envelope in design and take risks. Nothing is ever changed without taking risks.
Think Different.
re: greendragon and feeling guilty!
GreenDragon, it is about my bank account. If Amazon offers the MP3 for $.89 cents and it is DRM free and DOUBLE the quality of Apple, then I have no guilty issues at all buying it from them. In fact, their handy downloader works on both Mac and PC and it automatically puts the songs into iTunes for you. It is a brilliant model and very well done.
So, you can be an Apple loyalist all you want (I just got an 8 core Mac Pro myself) but at the end of the day, I will not buy my RAM from them because of their markups and I will not buy MP3's from them anymore. That is unless Amazon does not carry it.
You should give it a try...seriously...$.89 cents. More power to you for wanting to pay more for less quality, but Apple needs to trump Amazon...they have not yet.
Cheers-
Blur
this is bad! anybody who buys music from amazon, who is anuser, should feel GUILTY!!
i am
GreenDragon, it is about my bank account. If Amazon offers the MP3 for $.89 cents and it is DRM free and DOUBLE the quality of Apple, then I have no guilty issues at all buying it from them. In fact, their handy downloader works on both Mac and PC and it automatically puts the songs into iTunes for you. It is a brilliant model and very well done.
So, you can be an Apple loyalist all you want (I just got an 8 core Mac Pro myself) but at the end of the day, I will not buy my RAM from them because of their markups and I will not buy MP3's from them anymore. That is unless Amazon does not carry it.
You should give it a try...seriously...$.89 cents. More power to you for wanting to pay more for less quality, but Apple needs to trump Amazon...they have not yet.
Cheers-
Blur
Bogus USA TODAY story - no facts all fluff
I wouldnt be surprised if iTunes sold more music than Amazon MP3 and their traditional Amazon CD sales combined.
If you are just looking at online 'record stores' then yeah I could see Amazon as 2nd because really who else is there? - that space between Amazon and iTunes is probably huge! iTunes has 80% of the market so at best Amazon is selling a fraction of what iTunes does in business.
Apple iTunes is 2nd overall when you include traditional big box stores, behind only Wal-Mart and ahead of Best Buy and Amazon CD sales - thats where it really counts - iTunes has managed to break out of the online only world of marginal sales and is able to compete with the heavy movers of music like Best Buy and Wal-Mart.
I wouldnt be surprised if iTunes sold more music than Amazon MP3 and their traditional Amazon CD sales combined.
If you are just looking at online 'record stores' then yeah I could see Amazon as 2nd because really who else is there? - that space between Amazon and iTunes is probably huge! iTunes has 80% of the market so at best Amazon is selling a fraction of what iTunes does in business.
Apple iTunes is 2nd overall when you include traditional big box stores, behind only Wal-Mart and ahead of Best Buy and Amazon CD sales - thats where it really counts - iTunes has managed to break out of the online only world of marginal sales and is able to compete with the heavy movers of music like Best Buy and Wal-Mart.