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I don't understand the implication that iTunes isn't that profitable? Why not? Its just software and servers and bandwidth (plus a relatively small staff of people). And who else can charge $.99 per 5MB of data transmitted?
 
and 90% of the people b!tching about DRM never put their music on anything but Apple products and only listen to their music in iTunes...

and u know that because u met all those ppl?

i cant agree more i'll never buy a DRM protected song in my life. Why would i pay for a ddl the same price as a physical disc when that one at least comes with something to "touch" and look nice on my shelve hehe

same goes to tv shows, i'd never buy a episode online if i can get it in a nice package with better quality for less

.... but its pointless to argue about that ... everyone has their own view on things
 
So if they close the ITMS are we going to lose all of the songs we've bought? I've spent hundreds of dollars in the ITMS over the years, and I know plenty of people who've spent far more than that. If all of that music were suddenly expired I would be outraged, to say the least.
 
...Also people that keep saying low quality.. 128 is fine and 320 is over kill...

That depends on the quality of your playback equipment. Are you listening to the music on an iPod with Apple brand ear buds or on a pair of $2,000 speakers? Is the listening environment quiet or are you listening at the gym? If you do have a good listening environment and equipment you can hear defects even in the studio recording equipment let alone the huge effect of compression to MP3 or AAC.
 
I don't understand the implication that iTunes isn't that profitable? Why not? Its just software and servers and bandwidth (plus a relatively small staff of people). And who else can charge $.99 per 5MB of data transmitted?
The money goes to the record companies and artists. Supposedly very little makes it back to apple once their overheads are met. The iTMS was originally set up to sell iPods (and did so awesomely. I'm not sure how the figures stack up these days with the volumes iTMS sells - they likely run healthily in the black.

So if they close the ITMS are we going to lose all of the songs we've bought? I've spent hundreds of dollars in the ITMS over the years, and I know plenty of people who've spent far more than that. If all of that music were suddenly expired I would be outraged, to say the least.
Of course not. Why would your music expire?
 
I'd have to echo the thought that this fight for more pennies shouldn't come at the distributors' expense, which will most likely fall on the consumer to pick up. The recording industry is wrought with problems in their monetary distribution.

As for Apple, I think they operate the iTMS at a near break-even point. Digitally, they bear the burden of higher costs as more songs become available(in the form of bandwidth and hardware). For the recording industry? Digital files are far FAR less expensive then physical media.

I don't know, but someone somewhere needs to pull their head out of something!
 
I don't think they'd close the entire store. They worked to hard just getting iPhone 2.0 ready & the podcast directory is to huge to give up. Just the music store since its about music, not everything else. Which if so, would as couple have already said, prove a point.

I hope thats how thats the situation anyway, but it makes sense.
 
Thirteen comments, my browser told me under this story.

Thirteen comments MY ARSE!

Anyway, of course Apple wouldn't shut down the store. They'd just charge more, and Jobs would put up one of his 'momentous' open letters to justify it and also stealth-whine about the increase.
 
As for Apple, I think they operate the iTMS at a near break-even point. Digitally, they bear the burden of higher costs as more songs become available(in the form of bandwidth and hardware).
True, but think about the falling costs of bandwidth and hardware?? Huh! So they may be making more money now then 5 years ago because the price of technology drops.

(Yes, I quoted and counter-argued myself!)
 
Songs from iTunes have been $.99 a long time. It isn't unreasonable to see Apple increase the cost for a song to offset the increase in royalties.

In this economy? Not a practical idea. As it is, $.99 is a cheap enough incentive for consumers to choose convenience over piracy. The NMPA will soon discover that they are being penny wise and pound (lb.) foolish here.
 
So if they close the ITMS are we going to lose all of the songs we've bought? I've spent hundreds of dollars in the ITMS over the years, and I know plenty of people who've spent far more than that. If all of that music were suddenly expired I would be outraged, to say the least.

That's not how the iTunes store works. You buy music from it and it's yours. Forever. iTunes can die and go away but you'll always have the music you bought from them and it will always work on your iPods. Sure, there might be some DRM stopping you from giving it to your mates for free, but it's not subscription-based DRM that calls home every time you want to play it.
 
Those kits are probably more idiot proof than your typical PC/Mac is.
:rolleyes:

Is the :rolleyes: really needed?

Seriously I don't know anyone who has rekeyed their home themselves. Everyone I know listens to music at home, and a few (including me, sometimes) go to gigs, but not the majority.
 
This can't happen :-(

Being a regular user of the iTunes store this would be terrible.

I think it's the best store out there offering fantastic things.

No other store i have used touches iTunes!



Come on Apple!


;-)
 
I still buy CDs when I find new releases I want on sale at Circuit City and BB, and then import them into iTunes. CDs have the best bit-rate possible and it is like I have a master copy ready made for me. So in that respect this doesn't matter a whole bunch to me.

Still...

Its an incredible act of greed by the record companies, who CONTINUE to try and find new ways to disenchant themselves with the public. I was PO'd enough at them first with DRM to begin with, then screwing people like Pandora, now this. They can go F themselves, I hope Apple does it if they are forced into this.
 
Its an incredible act of greed by the record companies, who CONTINUE to try and find new ways to disenchant themselves with the public.
Not the record companies:
Macrumors said:
According to Fortune, the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington D.C. is expected to rule on Thursday about a request by the National Music Publishers' Association to increase royalty rates for downloads from online music stores such as iTunes. The request asks for an increase in rates from 9 cents to 15 cents a track. It should be noted that this group represents the copyright holders of songs and is distinct from the record companies themselves.
 
Because that's exactly what happened to people who bought DRM protected music downloads from Walmart.

Given that Apple has sold 6 billion songs via iTunes, even if the store closed they'd be in for a world of pain if they stopped the music playing which people had bought.
 
That's not how the iTunes store works. You buy music from it and it's yours. Forever. iTunes can die and go away but you'll always have the music you bought from them and it will always work on your iPods. Sure, there might be some DRM stopping you from giving it to your mates for free, but it's not subscription-based DRM that calls home every time you want to play it.

Really? So what happens if the ITMS goes away and you buy a new computer? Whoops, can't authorize it. You're SOL.
 
I was under the impression that the artists are essentially employed by a record label, and subsequently the copyrights are owned by the employer, the record label, or that the copyright is under license to the record company.

Either way, its the record companies or the publishing companies that own the rights to sell the songs, and as a result dictate the price or royalties?

On the CDs i have, a few said the sound recording was owned by the record company, some said it was under license to the record company but most said nothing at all about copyright, or just that the rights were reserved.

Bands are not employees. They are under contract to produce one or more albums for the label.
Some labels will try to retain ownership of anything produced, but they rarely succeed in getting it. Always helps to hire a good IP attorney when negotiating with a label. Some bands have had their material "stolen" by labels because the band failed to have the contract reviewed by a competent attorney.

The exclusive right to distribute and sell is not the right of ownership.

Most of the stuff I have done is licensed exclusively to a particular entity for a set amount of time. After that time period, I have the right to license or sell my material to anyone else.
But I always retain ownership of the copyright.

Royalty rates are typically set in the contract. This varies widely, so I cannot say for a fact how they are for everyone. They are used as negotiating points in many contracts.
 
That depends on the quality of your playback equipment. Are you listening to the music on an iPod with Apple brand ear buds or on a pair of $2,000 speakers? Is the listening environment quiet or are you listening at the gym? If you do have a good listening environment and equipment you can hear defects even in the studio recording equipment let alone the huge effect of compression to MP3 or AAC.

Well I do not sit in front of a speaker listening to music from CDs or MP3 and AAC players to see if I can hear a different even if it very little to nothing.. It sound good then I see no point in wasting time and even money if there little to no difference..

I play music in game in both MP3 and AAC on the PS3 and 360. It sound as good as the music that was on the game it's self on a home theater... So again it sound good and you REALLY CAN'T HEAR the difference I do see the problem or the point..
 
yep

Given that Apple has sold 6 billion songs via iTunes, even if the store closed they'd be in for a world of pain if they stopped the music playing which people had bought.



Agreed, i think it would turn out to be a right mess....



I don't think it would be all music downloaded from the store, eg the iTunes plus format music.

The DRM protection music will as you cant really do anything else with it. Most of my music from there is that protected stuff.

Worrying
 
stick it to the consumer, apple!
consumer is used to getting shafted anyway, $.99 or $1.5 makes no difference....

Math skills gone wild?
from $.99 to $1.5(0), there is a 50% increase.:rolleyes:

Anyways - Such a comment about closing the store is a little harsh.

I don't use iTMS much (only to sample music), I buy mostly from Amazon both physical CD's and MP3's, but this would be a HUGE, HUGE loss for Apple and a major failure.
 
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