Streaming services are a growth area and stores are in massive decline. It's not hard to see why they're following market trends.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Aiming to End iTunes Music Downloads in Two Years [Update: Apple Says 'Not True']
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Streaming services are a growth area and stores are in massive decline. It's not hard to see why they're following market trends.
"I think next year's phone, the 2017 model, the one that will come out in September of 2017. What I have heard -- now this is not really from the rumor mill but just scuttlebutt that I've heard -- is that it will be an all-new form factor.
And there have been some rumors, I guess, but what I'm saying is that I've heard this independently and it is completely getting rid of the chin and forehead of the phone. The entire face will be the display. And the Touch ID sensor will be somehow embedded in the display. The front-facing camera will somehow be embedded in the display. The speaker, everything. All the sensors will somehow be behind the display.
What I don't know... I have no idea, but whether that means that they're going to shrink the actual thing in your hand to fit the screen sizes we already have, or whether they're going to grow the screens to fit the devices we're already used to holding... I don't know."
literally the worst quote i've ever read anywhere. ever.
And there have been some rumors, I guess, but what I'm saying is that I've heard this independently and it is completely getting rid of the chin and forehead of the phone. The entire face will be the display. And the Touch ID sensor will be somehow embedded in the display. The front-facing camera will somehow be embedded in the display. The speaker, everything. All the sensors will somehow be behind the display.
What I don't know... I have no idea, but whether that means that they're going to shrink the actual thing in your hand to fit the screen sizes we already have, or whether they're going to grow the screens to fit the devices we're already used to holding... I don't know."
literally the worst quote i've ever read anywhere. ever.
They like to own your $£¥
[doublepost=1463025666][/doublepost]
Okay apple will learn marketing from u.
[doublepost=1463025756][/doublepost]
ThePirateBay
Last edited:
The sad part is, why should such topic even arise...Just as a reminder, they haven't actually done it.It's just a rumor. While these things are certainly being discussed, I don't believe they have made any decision. If it happens, it will happen once the business is pretty much dead anyway and few people will care. If the current trend towards subscriptions doesn't continue and music purchases continue to generate significant business, they will obviously not kill it.
Cable is paying for media as a service and no one seems to mind.
It's already becoming a problem. The only people making any money from streaming are the big labels and big pop artists.
A few years ago I was happily making a humble living from putting out four or five records a year on my small label, selling between 2000-3000 copies of each, this year I've put out two records so far and sold less than 100 copies of each. Even though both have been streamed almost 50,000 times on spotify I haven't even made a third of what I would have done with the old sales and I can't really afford to keep the label that I've been running for the last 15 years open.
We're on a race to the bottom in the music industry and only the big fish are going to survive. If things continue the way they are, with small independent labels closing every day, then within 10 years, maybe less, the only new music will be the lowest common denominator dirge put out by the major labels as genuine artists just won't be able to survive.
Of course this isn't going to happen within two years, its going to happen at this years fall event.
That's a fine sentiment, but the reality is nobody else is going to sell it to you. The whole industry, and this is industry driven, is in the midst of a massive upheaval in terms of how to monetize music and it is well understood that music sales are in decline. The current hope of the industry is to generate ongoing revenue through the subscription model because it completely dodges the piracy issue while addressing the listen-to-it-anywhere requirement.
[doublepost=1463033370][/doublepost]
Owning your music isn't the same as downloading it. While not happening any time soon according to Apple, you can't reasonably expect iTunes Music Match or the iTunes Store to last forever. I think everyone generally understands the music industry is in decline and selling music isn't going to keep the lights on much longer.
Where do these rumors start, wonder who thought of this, why shut down a massive revenue, glad it's false
So called cloud was and is ********.
[doublepost=1463035586][/doublepost]It's darkest before dawn
hahahaJust brilliant Apple. Their next move will be to stop the downloading of apps on the iPhone, followed by their master plan of not producing iPhones anymore. They will keep their Apple stores open, but they will have nothing to sell. It will blow your mind.
Last edited:
Won't work before they addressed the "constant-network-access-with-consistent-speeds-anywhere" requirement.
While I think this will happen eventually, I seriously doubt it will happen within two years. There's no reason to. At the moment, having a download store as well as a streaming service all in one app is one of Apples unique selling points. And far too much content is currently not on streaming services for it to be satisfactory with a streaming service alone.
No, I call 100% bogus on this report.
No, I call 100% bogus on this report.
Over 20 pages and 489 comments later:
Update: Apple rep Tom Neumayr contactedRecode and said the report that Apple would stop iTunes music downloads in two years is "not true."
the "Not true" is vague... what part is not true, the entire story or the 2 years plan
He said the rumors weren't true. MacRumors added the two years part.
Update: Apple rep Tom Neumayr contactedRecode and said the report that Apple would stop iTunes music downloads in two years is "not true."
the "Not true" is vague... what part is not true, the entire story or the 2 years plan
That's not true. You can use Apple Music or Spotify when you're offline. The music gets downloaded to your device. Spotify purges your downloads after 30 days.
is apple fanboyism the lowest human kind can get? get a life people!
oh and just in case, remember how we used to buy music in the '90s (and earlier), if you haven't lived them: get out of your house and go to a record store!
oh and just in case, remember how we used to buy music in the '90s (and earlier), if you haven't lived them: get out of your house and go to a record store!
Well done posting after Apple has clearly stated this is not true.
The thing is there is zero reason for them to do it. They have the publishing rights and deals - the server space and facility is Nothing compared to apps and movies so it's just pointless rumourmongering. Selling music as well as streaming is good for all involved. The only reason I can see to stop it due to piracy, but pirates for the most part wouldn't buy the music either way.
I do agree having the iTunes store and Apple Music together is confusing and needs to be separated - Searches should list "Apple music to stream" and "iTunes to buy"