Apple/EMI Press Conference Coverage

[Mgkwho]

Steve is talking awfully fast.

'Ya know I just rewatched the september '06 SE and Steve was talking a mile-a-minute. (I think that was the one I was watching...)

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Ooo and more labels coming on board too!

-=|Mgkwho

 

[Konradx]

Konradx the albums are the same price DRM or DRM free.

From press release: $1.29 for premium tracks (DRM-less), $.99 for standard (DRM), and $.30 for upgrade

So albums are same price DRM free..but single tracks cost 30 cents more?

 

[boer]

How many other audio players, phones, etc, play unprotected AAC? Neither my Treo phone or my GPS (Garmin Nuvi 660) play it...

Converting to MP3 will introduce an element of quality loss.

Get an iPod, dummy! And by the way, AAC is a standard and about to get more ubiguitous support just because of this.

 

[adamjc]

Steve does seem to be promoting the fact that you can basically remove drm from tracks by burning them and then importing the tracks back into iTunes.

Could this be a bit of backhander to the other labels?

GO STEVE YOU ROCK!

 

[0098386]

today is a good day.

But forgive me, is this really just EMI? What about other labels? Or is EMI the name of the big umbrella corp. for music (I literally have no clue here!).

 

[Queso]

Fantastic. Can you hear how the EMI guy is talking? "Trusting consumers to do the right thing. Confident it will grow sales". Brilliant

 

[GreatDrok]

The key to all this is that it's not MP3. It's AAC. I don't think all players play AAC versions, no?

Cheap MP3 players probably don't but many do including PSP. More to the point though, iTunes will be able to convert these files to MP3 since they aren't protected files

 

[Project]

Kondrax - yes. They said to encourage people to buy albums as opposed to just singles.

I say, this is a near flawless roll out...

 

[Dippo]

From press release: $1.29 for premium tracks (DRM-less), $.99 for standard (DRM), and $.30 for upgrade

So albums are same price DRM free..but single tracks cost 30 cents more?

That's right!

It's just a marketing ploy to get you to buy the whole album.
EMI wants you to buy the whole album not just one or two songs.

 

[Queso]

A lot of Nokia phones support AAC

 

[Willis]

Sony tried DRM on cds... didnt work..

Steve you legend

 

[Enrico]

How about complete my album new feature?

Let's say I buy 1 or 2 premium tracks, will i be able to buy the premium album at 9,99-1.30x where x is the number of purchased premium tracks?

 

[Willis]

Interesting comment by Steve about videos. I wish Apple would hurry up with the movies though in the UK AND Tv Shows

 

[epochblue]

FINALLY. EMI is going to make some serious bank off me now. Gotta support the guys working with you and not against you.

 

[caipirina]

While I really think it is a step in the right direction ...

for me it still sounds like selling a cure / vaccine at a premium for a disease that they (the music industry) had released ...

 

[Gasu E.]

I can't believe Steve Jobs capitulated to higher prices for DRM free. Is that what 84% of consumers asked for? I don't think so.

I'd imagine at least 84% of consumers would prefer everything for free.

 

[Evangelion]

"$1.29 for premium tracks (DRM-less)". No thanks. I could pay less for a cd, and have much higher quality lossless tracks instead of an increase to 256 kbps. A pass on this one.

The full albums still cost 9.99, and they are DRM-free and they have higher bitrate.

 

[SilentPanda]

A lot of Nokia phones support AAC

The XBox 360 supports AAC. Now with Connect 360 I could stream EMI music to my 360.

 

[Evangelion]

From press release: $1.29 for premium tracks (DRM-less), $.99 for standard (DRM), and $.30 for upgrade

So albums are same price DRM free..but single tracks cost 30 cents more?

They do. But since you said "CD's are cheaper", then I guess you were talking about albums, no?

 

[bartelby]

EMI would make a decent amount of money off me if they hadn't dropped then deleted 95% of the artists when they bought Mute Records and it's subs.

 

[Applespider]

Tough crowd... for those arguing why have the 79p restriction since it really doesn't hold up. If you disagree with DRM in principle, why not remove it unless you want to take it as an additional revenue stream

 

[Thataboy]

Some non-Apple players do play unprotected AAC. I believe the Zune does... I believe PocketTunes for Treo does (might be a premium version). I thought Sony products did as well.

Regardless, you can bet that everyone will now put AAC playback in their devices, now that iTunes users can switch players -- great move by Apple to further AAC adoption. WMA who? WMA what? Hahaha!

$1.29 for 256k non-DRM AAC? I'm there. $9.99 for a full album is now completely reasonable for those among us (like myself) who hate physical media.

Great job, Apple/EMI. Now, let's get started on making one worldwide store

 

[caipirina]

Why still DRM on .79p tracks ??

Brilliant question that guy asked. Why, if they now are so against DRM .. why keep it on the cheaper tracks ??? HA HA HA

 

[Evangelion]

Brilliant question that guy asked. Why, if they now are so against DRM .. why keep it on the cheaper tracks ??? HA HA HA

Well, since the user gets less, he also pays less ... Or rather, since he can now get more, he also pays more ... HA HA HA ... ???

 

[psionic001]

Who thought he was about to say "You know, Life's a Bitch"