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Amazon #2 Online Retailer Behind iTunes
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What you've said about the music labels' resentment of Apple is correct (some of this has floated around the net for a while), but your opinions ignore many facts.
You said that Apple doesn't sell DRM free songs, and speculate that labels first recruited Amazon to break the iTunes Fairplay/iPod monopoly. I doubt anyone on these boards can say when Warner and Amazon first talked about selling DRM free music, so we'll just go with the facts.
In February 2007, Jobs published an open letter to the music industry to embrace DRM free music.
Apple launched Tunes plus (256 AAC, DRM free songs) with content from EMI in May 2007.
At that time, Eric Nicoli of EMI, answering a question from the Wall Street Journal said:
“WSJ. What was the moment you decided to do this? Steve’s letter?...”
Eric: “We knew Steve’s views before the letter.”
EMI knew Jobs didn't want DRM, likely from the genesis of iTMS, it's reasonable to conclude the other studios knew this as well.
Amazon began selling MP3 downloads last September. Warner Music, who'd had a rather public falling out with Apple, was the only label on Amazon at launch.
Based on these facts, I wouldn't conclude that it was Fairplay going to "Apple's head." It's much more likely that the studios (especially Warner) resent Jobs' demands; the labels see themselves as the only group with anyhing of value. They want to put Jobs in his place, so he'll start behaving like the middleman rather than the owner.
The labels, as you said, want to control their own fate. For anyone interested in the politics behind the scenes, I'd suggest reading this NYT article.
I actually went with Garmin because it is compatible with Macs and works with the iPhone. None of this was the case before, but it is now.
Too bad the iPhone doesn't have a real GPS. A totally integrated system would be better (and safer and cheaper). Interestingly, Garmin is introducing a phone/gps device and MS may offer its voice dialing technology for the iPhone.
this is bad! anybody who buys music from amazon, who is anuser, should feel GUILTY!! i am
Guilty about what?!!!
I like Amazon. I get music from eMusic, iTunes, and Amazon every month.
And how do you propose musicians (and painters, actors, authors, filmmakers, and every other artist) make a living?
And how do you propose musicians (and painters, actors, authors, filmmakers, and every other artist) make a living?
I couldn't agree more. Any artists (from any discipline) that make a profit from their work are complete and utter sellouts. Why can't they be more like Rembrandt, Shakespeare, Mozart, or ... wait a minute, I think they might have made some scratch from their work too! Oh nooooooooooooooooo!!!
Yeah man, music should be free.
Your reason for living is to make this happen. Here is how to do it.
1. Find an artist who wants no income. Start with a musician. They hate the material world.
2. Supply him with donated equipment. Ask around for free amps and such. You can be sure he will thrilled with this free stuff.
3. You know the greedheads that control the concert halls are only out to line their pockets and will refuse to host a free event. This is simple to overcome, as there are many parks, flea markets and street corners where one can share free music.
You often see large crowds gathering for street musicians. Sure, hot girls without many clothes playing insidious pop music usually are the ones that get those crowds, but the true artist knows that good music always prevails.
Yes, cities are run by moneygrubers who want costly permits, but the astute money-hating artist will use this to get free publicity. Merely tip off the local tv station, then get him arrested. Convince him to kick and scream and accuse the police of hating free expression. He will get a free meal and lodging, a free attorney, street creds and free publicity on the evening news.
You can be sure that his music will be more admired than that of those filthy rich sell-out rockers holed up in a facist 5-star hotel drinking $6300 bottles of champagne with the hot pop-music girls.
And, when he is released from jail and hails a filthy cab for a ride to...hmm, where, actually... that he knows he made the right choice as an artist.
When the rich rockers speed by in their turbo V-12 Mercedes you can be sure he...wait, he can stay at your house!
Until Amazon has gift cards available at all the major retailers, most of my music will be from iTunes. Why? Because us youngsters don't/can't have credit cards, which kinda limits our choices. [Who want's a CD?]
Last I knew [January '08], iTunes has 70% of online music sales, so at most Amazon can have 25-30%. Still, you have to consider the fact that Amazon managed to grab the #2 while only selling in the U.S. In total music sales, Amazon is probably #5 or #4 as I remember "iTunes passes Amazon to become #3 music retailer" headlines all over the web.
I have to say, Apple and iTunes seem to be riding on a very fine line. In July, Universal announced they won't be renewing its contract and will sell its music at will, reserving their right to leave if they disagree about pricing. Then, a month later, they announced they would be selling their music on Amazon in the mp3 format with no DRM. It's like how companies don't really like Wal-Mart because of the control they have over them. But they can't really live without selling at Wal-Mart. Thats the kind of control the Music Labels are stopping, i.e. putting Steve/Apple in their place. Lucky for them, online music sales can change a lot faster, which will prove bad for iTunes in the future.
Last I knew [January '08], iTunes has 70% of online music sales, so at most Amazon can have 25-30%. Still, you have to consider the fact that Amazon managed to grab the #2 while only selling in the U.S. In total music sales, Amazon is probably #5 or #4 as I remember "iTunes passes Amazon to become #3 music retailer" headlines all over the web.
I have to say, Apple and iTunes seem to be riding on a very fine line. In July, Universal announced they won't be renewing its contract and will sell its music at will, reserving their right to leave if they disagree about pricing. Then, a month later, they announced they would be selling their music on Amazon in the mp3 format with no DRM. It's like how companies don't really like Wal-Mart because of the control they have over them. But they can't really live without selling at Wal-Mart. Thats the kind of control the Music Labels are stopping, i.e. putting Steve/Apple in their place. Lucky for them, online music sales can change a lot faster, which will prove bad for iTunes in the future.
Um, isn't it Apple that publicly declared that all music should be DRM-free?
The control, greed, and attitude are coming from the music and movie industry, not Apple. Which makes me reluctant to buy from Amazon, knowing they're just a pawn for the media companies' power struggle with Apple.
Lame.
All music should be DRM-free. Let the consumer decide where to buy. Allowing Amazon to sell DRM-free and not allowing Apple to do the same is not only sleazy, but should be illegal.
Yep. But it was also Apple that decided that all their songs should sell at $.99 cents and albums at $9.99. With more decision making control over song pricing, record labels could have charged more than the standard $.99 cent fare for songs from their current top sellers and less (as little as $.10) to boost sales of older or less popular music (which is what they basically do for CDs). Who says all music is equal? I know I'd be a lot more willing to try new artists if their songs/albums didn't cost just as much as top sellers. Apple declaring yet another command, DRM free music, probably put them over the edge. Why should Apple control the price at which they sell their own product?
I wouldn't put it that way. You have to understand that the music is the Music Label's product, just like the iPhone is Apple's product. iTunes should no more have a say than AT&T has with the iPhone. What if AT&T just started demanding how Apple should price the iPhone and how to distribute it to fit in with how it sells the other phones? If Apple didn't like the current conditions, it fully within its right, assuming there was no binding contract, to move its product to another provider, which is exactly what the Music Labels are doing.
Its a common mentality that the consumers are somehow entitled to some kind of say in how the music labels operate. There's nothing sleazy or illegal about it. If Apple decided to release an iPhone on Verizon, with 3G, GPS, Video recording, MMS, and voice recognition, and decides not to transfer these features to AT&T, its their choice. Is there really a difference in this case? Apple ALWAYS plays in charge, which may be something they don't like.
competition is good
Yes competition is good, BUT the problem is the music labels are being bullies and not letting Apple have the same DRM free music as Amazon in an attempt to dethrone Apple and iTunes which is NOT good, especially cause the shopping experience of iTunes and it's interface is a MILLION times better than Amazon. Amazon's store is HIDEOUS and confusing. So if this is how the record labels are going to play, Apple is going to get screwed over. When will these Ba$tards learn that Apple knows how to do these things right. Apple wants all the DRM free music, they have for quite some time, but the labels don't care, they just want to screw Apple over and be greedy!!!
LOL. Heaven forbid someone can make a living that enables them to do what they love. Lets just all do our jobs for free and live in communism
LOL. Heaven forbid someone can make a living that enables them to do what they love. Lets just all do our jobs for free and live in communism
i practically do that already. $10 bucks an hour seesh.
That's the whole problem, Apple isn't allowed to sell these tracks cheaper and DRM-free. The labels give Amazon some extra push to establish competition for iTunes, they must be really afraid.
LOL. Heaven forbid someone can make a living that enables them to do what they love. Lets just all do our jobs for free and live in communism
And selling your soul to a label is a religion? The old model is dead, now money is made with collectables and concerts. The music itself is free publicity.
hey
why is there so much compotition why not just one online store.
In the end you get what you want. Also you get it for a resonable price,and a good quality!.
-jake
why is there so much compotition why not just one online store.
In the end you get what you want. Also you get it for a resonable price,and a good quality!.
-jake
I have only ever used iTunes to buy songs online here in Japan although there are other options out there. I guess the biggest concern is allowing one 'supplier' to have a different pricing and product lineup while restricting others - but there are brick and mortar stores that also get pricing advantage - mostly due to volume based opportunities. Who knows, maybe Amazon got a pricing advantage because they guaranteed a certain volume, and if they couldn't deliver the volume then they may have had to return some of their profit?
Man, some of the comments in this thread are a bit over the top. I can't believe people are "supporting apple" just because. I guess I don't get the mentality.
I don't like the fact that the Music Mafia is trying to dethrone Apple from #1, but at the same time, I'm not going to spend more of my hard earned cash someplace just to say "Oh yeah, I paid more for this than you did... I must be better than you, I'm an Apple Whore." Screw that. I love Apple's stuff, but there's no way in hell I'd sit through a day at this desk just to hand my check over to Apple, when I can keep more of it by shopping around.
And to this dude...
Go get laid.
I don't like the fact that the Music Mafia is trying to dethrone Apple from #1, but at the same time, I'm not going to spend more of my hard earned cash someplace just to say "Oh yeah, I paid more for this than you did... I must be better than you, I'm an Apple Whore." Screw that. I love Apple's stuff, but there's no way in hell I'd sit through a day at this desk just to hand my check over to Apple, when I can keep more of it by shopping around.
And to this dude...
this is bad! anybody who buys music from amazon, who is an
Go get laid.
I couldn't care less...
I still prefer to buy the CD and rip the tracks with the LAME algorithm at a very high VBR (usually at least 244 kbit).
I found the quality of the MP3 files at Amazon or the unprotected files on iTunes simply too low (use them to DJ in a club at high volume or at home over a good home stereo system and you will see/hear what I mean. feel free to make an A/B test...).
until they start offering files at 320kbit, I'll buy the tracks that I can't get on CD on Beatport.com, Bleep.com or Boomkat.com. If I want a track directly from the artist's mastertapes in the best possible quality, these are the only serious choices available.
don't get me wrong, for the casual listener and for iPod both iTunes and Amazon are fine, but for professional use or the demanding listener it's not enough...
I still prefer to buy the CD and rip the tracks with the LAME algorithm at a very high VBR (usually at least 244 kbit).
I found the quality of the MP3 files at Amazon or the unprotected files on iTunes simply too low (use them to DJ in a club at high volume or at home over a good home stereo system and you will see/hear what I mean. feel free to make an A/B test...).
until they start offering files at 320kbit, I'll buy the tracks that I can't get on CD on Beatport.com, Bleep.com or Boomkat.com. If I want a track directly from the artist's mastertapes in the best possible quality, these are the only serious choices available.
don't get me wrong, for the casual listener and for iPod both iTunes and Amazon are fine, but for professional use or the demanding listener it's not enough...
Apple wants to have DRM.
They lock you into the "ipod + Itunes" system and then you cant choose.
If you have spent $$$ on DRM tracks, you cant switch from Ipod to another MP3player.
How many of us would not need an Ipod if our MP3 capable mobile phones could handle Itunes + DRM ACC?
I have had an Ipod since 2001 and sold my last one when I got a telephone that could handle Itunes + DRM ACC. (well... we all know what intelligent phone we are talking about)
It is really good that Amazon puts pressure on Apple to be DRM free. Apple wont even license their DRM to other companies, thus forcing them going DRM-free.
Apple can blame them self that they will loose this battle too.
They lock you into the "ipod + Itunes" system and then you cant choose.
If you have spent $$$ on DRM tracks, you cant switch from Ipod to another MP3player.
How many of us would not need an Ipod if our MP3 capable mobile phones could handle Itunes + DRM ACC?
I have had an Ipod since 2001 and sold my last one when I got a telephone that could handle Itunes + DRM ACC. (well... we all know what intelligent phone we are talking about)
It is really good that Amazon puts pressure on Apple to be DRM free. Apple wont even license their DRM to other companies, thus forcing them going DRM-free.
Apple can blame them self that they will loose this battle too.
Exactly. The only time I buy from iTunes now is if Amazon doesn't have the song. The 10c cheaper is nice, but it's the DRM free that is the real draw for me. I've also started pointing all my non-technical friends to Amazon because I'm tired of the 'my ipod is busted and I bought this other mp3 player and now none of my music works' support calls.