Apple should stop saying they have 700,000 songs available here. That's the same number as in the US, and as far as I can see, only about a quarter of the songs available in the US are available here.
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iTMS Now Available in the UK, France & Germany
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Huge numbers of songs are unavailable here: out of 37 Artists in the A's of the "Blues" genre listed on iTMS US, only 2 have no albums available. The same list on the UK site produces 21 Artists with no listed output, including several UK bands. If this is representative of the whole catalogue, I'd say this was dishonest marketing. If the US catalogue is 700,000 songs, then by extrapolation the UK catalogue can be no more than 300,000. NOT GOOD ENOUGH, APPLE.mrpod said:
How many times have you heard them say it? You're making it sound like they're outside your home with picket signs, shouting "700,000 songs", over and over again.skunk said:
Complain all day, but it truly makes no sense... you're acting like you caught Jobs in a lie -- we don't have the numbers and you don't know exactly what's being offered. It really makes no sense to blame Jobs. In his position of having to steer so many ships, it seems pretty obvious that he wouldn't know just EXACTLY the content of the different stores. It is a lot of music afterall. I'm sure the next time he talks about the stores' content, he'll tell a different story.
And being pissed that certain songs are not available everywhere is goofy, too... This kind of thing has been going on forever. Case in point: The Beatles.
"Introducing the Beatles", "The Beatles Second Album", "Something New", "Hey Jude", "Yesterday... and Today" ... just a few of the US Released albums from The Beatles that were simply chopped-up versions of the "real" UK versions. The UK generally got 14 songs per album and the US got only got 10... extra albums were created to put the leftover songs on. The same music, just more albums for the US to have to purchase. The US got pretty screwed on that one, but that's the way the contracts were negotiated by the people who own the music.
Chill, deal with it and be glad that you finally have the opportunity to download music in the firstplace. There's just too many people here who sound like the ungrateful 8 year old on her birthday... "I didn't want THAT doll. I want the other one."
Good News!
Heya,
Some Good news - I've been continously checking for a couple of artists over the past week, to see if they get more songs, and it has happened...i.e.:
Bond - Born (New Age Classical) - before it was a partial album with one track, now its the full thing.
Sugababes - All of their albums are now on there. The latest was added within the last couple of days.
Enrique Iglesias - his latest album is now there too.
Black Eyed Peas - I've been waiting for the Hey Mama radio edit for AGES and now its there (i dont think its on the us store..but it is in the uk one).
There was a couple of others, but they've slipped my mind. My download total now stands at 458 songs Way to go Apple!!
P.S. This one download think is terrible for impulse buyers like me - but I'm not going to turn it off
Heya,
Some Good news - I've been continously checking for a couple of artists over the past week, to see if they get more songs, and it has happened...i.e.:
Bond - Born (New Age Classical) - before it was a partial album with one track, now its the full thing.
Sugababes - All of their albums are now on there. The latest was added within the last couple of days.
Enrique Iglesias - his latest album is now there too.
Black Eyed Peas - I've been waiting for the Hey Mama radio edit for AGES and now its there
(i dont think its on the us store..but it is in the uk one).There was a couple of others, but they've slipped my mind. My download total now stands at 458 songs
Way to go Apple!!P.S. This one download think is terrible for impulse buyers like me - but I'm not going to turn it off
Stella said:
Steps is an indie, on Jive Records. Don't worry, Apple will get the indies online soon enough
It's up there on the website, plain as day.JGowan said:
It should be easy enough to find out. Someone wrote the copy, and someone passed it for publication.
Obviously the Beatles is a special case, seeing as they are suing Apple. It does not excuse the very limited choice of some artists' material over here when the US collection is far more comprehensive.
It's hardly unreasonable to expect honest claims in advertising. A lot of these download companies are making competing claims as to the size of their online catalogues. If the claims are so wildly untrue (over 50% out is no typo) they should be taken to task.
Sony to blame
Just read an (I think) interesting tidbit which seems to shed some light on how the iTunes listing of tracks (and the lack thereof) comes about.
Apparently a German band, 'Die Fantastischen Vier' has been complaining about Sony (via their own label '4 Four'). Sony is the sales and distribution 'partner' of 4 Four (as of many other labels).
What happens is that the band is complaining about its iTMS presence. In fact, only one of their albums is listed completely, one partially (2 tracks). No current albums. They say this "completely counters reason" and "is totally arbitrary". Now, both them and their label would like to be present with *all* their music. That's why they are trying to force Sony to put up all their stuff, otherwise they're threatening to withdraw completely from the iTMS. In fact, apparently they wanted to talk things over with Sony in the running up to the opening of the iTMS but Sony wouldn't have it. 'Die Fantastischen Vier' are also complaining that some 'voice bits' and intros are listed as tracks and cost 0.99 which, they say "isn't right".
I guess that gives us some idea about the problems the European iTMSs are having. I wonder why Sony would do such a thing...
P.S. I got this info from here: http://www.mac-tv.de/index.lasso?-d...el.lasso&-keyField=id&-keyValue=31222&-search
(in German). BTW, one of the comments to this article states that he has written to a number of labels and that 'Off Limits' claims not to have gotten any feedback from Apple regarding their enquiry to upload to iTMS. The German Phonoverband (record label association) answered they didn't even know with who and what about Apple are negotiating...
Well, seems like Apple didn't address the right people either. If Apple, as it would seem, really basically only approached the big 5 they have deals with in the US, a lot is explained: Lack of local knowledge might cost Apple and its customers over here. And this lack is nothing new.
Ah, and lastly. If you're looking for un-DRMed downloads for 0.99 (192kbps MP3), go here: http://www.independentdance.com/
Just read an (I think) interesting tidbit which seems to shed some light on how the iTunes listing of tracks (and the lack thereof) comes about.
Apparently a German band, 'Die Fantastischen Vier' has been complaining about Sony (via their own label '4 Four'). Sony is the sales and distribution 'partner' of 4 Four (as of many other labels).
What happens is that the band is complaining about its iTMS presence. In fact, only one of their albums is listed completely, one partially (2 tracks). No current albums. They say this "completely counters reason" and "is totally arbitrary". Now, both them and their label would like to be present with *all* their music. That's why they are trying to force Sony to put up all their stuff, otherwise they're threatening to withdraw completely from the iTMS. In fact, apparently they wanted to talk things over with Sony in the running up to the opening of the iTMS but Sony wouldn't have it. 'Die Fantastischen Vier' are also complaining that some 'voice bits' and intros are listed as tracks and cost 0.99 which, they say "isn't right".
I guess that gives us some idea about the problems the European iTMSs are having. I wonder why Sony would do such a thing...
P.S. I got this info from here: http://www.mac-tv.de/index.lasso?-d...el.lasso&-keyField=id&-keyValue=31222&-search
(in German). BTW, one of the comments to this article states that he has written to a number of labels and that 'Off Limits' claims not to have gotten any feedback from Apple regarding their enquiry to upload to iTMS. The German Phonoverband (record label association) answered they didn't even know with who and what about Apple are negotiating...
Well, seems like Apple didn't address the right people either. If Apple, as it would seem, really basically only approached the big 5 they have deals with in the US, a lot is explained: Lack of local knowledge might cost Apple and its customers over here. And this lack is nothing new.
Ah, and lastly. If you're looking for un-DRMed downloads for 0.99 (192kbps MP3), go here: http://www.independentdance.com/
Right... and you're just the man to do it.skunk said:
According to "timesonline.co.uk"
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8903-1146354,00.html
"Apple users will not enjoy all the music available in the stores, however. The Association of Independent Music today said that negotiations between Apple and a number of its members had broken down. That means iTunes users will be unable to download the likes of White Stripes and Dizzee Rascal. The company has also failed to sign up The Beatles' back catalogue."
It seems that sometimes things "promised" just can't happen due to legal problems. Again, it might be nice for people in the countries just added to simply count your blessings, download your music and be glad in the same pants you got mad in.
JGowan said:
I do not know where you get the 'legal' problems from. If negotiations break down, there's probably no legal but a money problem. Add to that, that Apple
failed to even contact some labels you get more of an idea of what's happening. Still, that's what Apple chooses to offer. If we don't like the offer, we don't have to buy, right ?
Myself, I bought 2 songs from iTMS so far. Still, I don't think I'll buy anymore DRMed tracks. I'll bite my time for the real thing.
things they are a changing....
Looking for couple of classical tracks just now on the UK iTMS, I noticed that there's a whole lot of stuff appearing. Not the independents as yet, as I'm sure that will be announced somewhere and it may take a few weeks yet, but some back catalogue filling in. More Velvet underground for a start, and loads more Lou, more Bowie (mind you looking at the Bowie pages it's not hard to see how they get close to 700,000, there are eleven copies of the same studio recorded version of Space Oddity, and about 15 copies of the best of album, NOTE steve never said 700,000 DIFFFERENT tracks to chose from did he?).
More Yes, should that interest anyone. No Costello yet, but his girl's doing better, Diana Krall's got most of her stuff there now. More Sting and so on, things are popping up all over the place, and it makes me wonder whether a lot of this is down to big technical glitches rather than rights problems..., apart from the specific cases about which we already know.
Anyway, the only way is up (Yazz ain't there yet, though).
Looking for couple of classical tracks just now on the UK iTMS, I noticed that there's a whole lot of stuff appearing. Not the independents as yet, as I'm sure that will be announced somewhere and it may take a few weeks yet, but some back catalogue filling in. More Velvet underground for a start, and loads more Lou, more Bowie (mind you looking at the Bowie pages it's not hard to see how they get close to 700,000, there are eleven copies of the same studio recorded version of Space Oddity, and about 15 copies of the best of album, NOTE steve never said 700,000 DIFFFERENT tracks to chose from did he?).
More Yes, should that interest anyone. No Costello yet, but his girl's doing better, Diana Krall's got most of her stuff there now. More Sting and so on, things are popping up all over the place, and it makes me wonder whether a lot of this is down to big technical glitches rather than rights problems..., apart from the specific cases about which we already know.
Anyway, the only way is up (Yazz ain't there yet, though).
music still appearing at the rate of knots
Just a day ago, there was only one or two album's from the Observer's Top 100 British Album's, now it's 30! And there are some great and odd other selections.
Well done Apple, may you should have waited just a week!
No we're getting there.
Just a day ago, there was only one or two album's from the Observer's Top 100 British Album's, now it's 30! And there are some great and odd other selections.
Well done Apple, may you should have waited just a week!
No we're getting there.
wow, they really have ramped up their ad spend ont he ipod silhouette ads.
i saw 7 ads on a 1/2 km journey today! that's like 50% of the bus stops covered.
well done apple.
i saw 7 ads on a 1/2 km journey today! that's like 50% of the bus stops covered.
well done apple.
450,000 songs! in a week in the UK
Way to go, Apple!
I think I read somewhere that OD2 had sold 500,000 in the UK since the beginning of the year. and that in total across Europe just over a million, Apple's done this (nearly) in a week - 800,000 or so for three european markets...
And as I keep saying the catalogue is improving dramatically all the time.
This is how the BBC saw it:
bbc report (among others)
Way to go, Apple!
I think I read somewhere that OD2 had sold 500,000 in the UK since the beginning of the year. and that in total across Europe just over a million, Apple's done this (nearly) in a week - 800,000 or so for three european markets...
And as I keep saying the catalogue is improving dramatically all the time.
This is how the BBC saw it:
bbc report (among others)
Cool. Nice to see a strong showing in the UK. Not surprising though, considering that it's the world's 3rd largest music market.
Nice to see it crushing the others too. Lets hope the sales remain strong. It may eventually cause a change in tactics and see other mp3 players supporting AAC (including DRM AAC).
Nice to see it crushing the others too. Lets hope the sales remain strong. It may eventually cause a change in tactics and see other mp3 players supporting AAC (including DRM AAC).
rhoughton said:
and nothing explains why the france/germany price is higher than US, given the current currency exchange rate. ok, there are taxes, and the 0.99 is a good number for marketing. i don't blame apple, and in fact i'm happy about the price.
uk just keeps paying the price for their decision to keep their own currency. had they chosen the euro, they would also have the same price. once they adopt euro, the price will change. imagine... 0.99 currency units per song for everyone, be it euros or dollars
JFreak said:
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Maybe they leaked the higher 1.29 price, just so everyone would be pleased when the actual 0.99 price was revealed? </conspiracy theory>
2 free songs
I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed - but there are actually 2 free songs available on iTMS. If you go to the free song, click on the album, and then click on top rated imixes (iTunes free songs up to date) you will notice that there are 2 free songs at the end of the list.
I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed - but there are actually 2 free songs available on iTMS. If you go to the free song, click on the album, and then click on top rated imixes (iTunes free songs up to date) you will notice that there are 2 free songs at the end of the list.
That iMix is a great find, choogheem. As it turns out, you don't even need to go through all those steps. Just click here (or save this URL for later). I also put a link to that URL in the first post in this thread.choogheem said:
whooleytoo said:
Yeah ... I always thought that. And personally I wouldn't have minded such a sales price, I just wanted the bleedin system up and running. So to have it in action AND at such low low prices is like a gift from The Gods.
prior to ITMS launching, i browsed through the US store, and compiled a list of tracks i'd want to buy. bought a whole heap that first week, but was disappointed - not hopping mad, disappointed - about the lack of so many, and the thing with the indies.
but i had another look last night, and loads of stuff has been added. give it a couple of months, get the indies sorted, and it'll be peachy, and we can all stop getting our knickers in a twist. besides, you think i've got enough spare cash to buy everything right away?
Iain
but i had another look last night, and loads of stuff has been added. give it a couple of months, get the indies sorted, and it'll be peachy, and we can all stop getting our knickers in a twist. besides, you think i've got enough spare cash to buy everything right away?
Iain
whooleytoo said:
no, it doesn't.
before itms uk/ger/fra announcement i calculated it myself - and the 0.99eur pricepoint is just the same as 0.99usd plus tax. i said i would be happy for 0.99eur price point before launch and i'm still happy with it. i just cannot buy anything yet, because this rumoured euro itms was just a crappy three-big store.
that was expected, in other words. it's still not charity, but anyway... for the rumoured 1.29eur price i would not even wait for the euro-wide store opening later this year. now i'm waiting.