iTunes Australia Arrives

[xrayzed]

Delighted it's finally open, but I still wonder why there is a 27% premium if you download from Australia compared to US prices.

All the traditional rhetoric music companies used to disguise the time-honoured tradition of price gouging the colonies (extra shipping costs, retail stocking fees, cocaine bribes for DJs, BS ad infinitum) don't really apply to digital media.

I'm waiting for some knob from BMG to argue that 27% of electrons get lost trying to find Australia.

Still, given where the music companies' heads have been over the past few years (in a state of acute cranial rectal inversion) it is a clear step forward.

 

[zen]

Interesting comments from the Australian launch posted at the NZMac forum:

Click!

Pretty much conclusive then - New Zealand access is a loophole and a mistake.

 

[aafuss1]

Renaissance have replied (wow, that was quick!)

I agree-let's hope Renaissance launches a NZ iTMS soon.

 

[winmacguy]

No I got a personal one.
I know the guys in there.
I used to work in Renaissance a few years ago, they are a nice bunch of guys(and girls)

Well I know their webmaster. He studied web design @ MDS where I studied graphic design

 

[Nermal]

Pretty much conclusive then - New Zealand access is a loophole and a mistake.

And what will they do about it? If we say we're from Australia in our account details, how would they be able to stop us?

 

[zen]

And what will they do about it? If we say we're from Australia in our account details, how would they be able to stop us?

Hmm, true. As I understand it, the credit card number is accepted because the first four digits of NZ cards are also used on some Australian cards. If anybody has a non-Aust non-NZ card and tried to register, the card should be declined.

Which means you're right- essentially, they can't stop it.

Also, if Renaissance are being hit with queries, then surely Apple Australia also now know and have done for a few hours now. But I just bought another track, so my account is still active. They would have had time to cancel it by now.

Fingers crossed then!

 

[Skareb]

And what will they do about it? If we say we're from Australia in our account details, how would they be able to stop us?

they couldn't

but you could also download it for free, or better yet go to the CD store.

Jordan

 

[appleguy]

Well I know their webmaster. He studied web design @ MDS where I studied graphic design

I use to buy my bus tickets off him.
He is a good bloke

 

[Nermal]

I think there is going to be a bit of noise about this one!!!

You're quite right. There are more posts about NZ in this thread than there are about Australia!

 

[yinyang]

just tried to buy an iTMS music card from Coles and K-Mart - they had no idea what I was talking about, but hopefully in the next few days they'll have got that sorted out....

http://www.giftcards.com.au/itunes/

resellers must be a bit annoyed though that they won't be allowed to sell music cards for a while....

http://forums.appletalk.com.au/index.php?showtopic=13197&st=120

 

[fartheststar]

Seems you aussies love your Van Halen.

Wikked. Welcome to iTunes Australia!!!!!!

 

[Marlor]

I haven't as yet, but I can think of one good reason! Price!!!
Why $1.69 AUS when the exchange rates for $US0.99 is $AUS1.32 ???? Why, are aussie having to pay alot more?

Because sales tax (GST) is built in to the Australian price, but not with the US price. So, the price is more like $1.54 pre-tax. This works out to be about US$1.15 per song.

Given that the AU$ has been in a strong position against the US$ lately, it would be expected that Apple would add in some "padding" in case it falls, so the price seems reasonable enough to me.

 

[winmacguy]

You're quite right. There are more posts about NZ in this thread than there are about Australia!

keep a look out in the NZ Herald as well either tomorrow or Friday, as well as the next issue of NetGuide (Print)

 

[johnji]

keep a look out in the NZ Herald as well either tomorrow or Friday, as well as the next issue of NetGuide (Print)

Computerworld.co.nz put a story up about it early this afternoon

http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/0/8515A04BC338B24BCC2570A5000C063D?OpenDocument

 

[oskar]

I haven't as yet, but I can think of one good reason! Price!!!
Why $1.69 AUS when the exchange rates for $US0.99 is $AUS1.32 ???? Why, are aussie having to pay alot more?

That's not too bad. It's about $US0.25 more. At least Australia's finally getting a Music Store. There are so many other countries where we could only wish to get an Apple Store at least.

Won't affect me, though, because I would never buy AAC or MP3 perceptually encoded songs, which sound like crap on my system....and yes, the difference IS obvious to my ears
I will always prefer the CD quality, PCM encoded, as mastered quality...and I'm happy to pay $20 for it, instead of $16.99 for the AAC, compromosed copy, Apple asks us to pay.

That discussion is old and has been held many times. Some people who can, prefer to buy their music online. For others their's no replacing their CD's (yet... ) I don't think you would mind paying less if you could download music in the lossless format. BTW, the original objective of the iTMS was for people to buy singles and not have to spend on a whole CD. So initially the iTMS store idea wasn't a replacement for complete CD's, but the growing demand and availablity of content (complete CDs and collections, audiobooks, podcasts, videopodcasts and videos, and now TV Shows) has brought to the store everything there is today.

 

[aafuss1]

several Jackson 5 albums are on the iTMS and many Michael Jackson songs (I love his music) songs-no Epic/Sony ones. No Ultimate Collection box set.

No Bad, Thriller, Dangerous, Blood on the Dance Floor or even Invincible.

Almost no Peter Gabriel music.

 

[Marlor]

I will always prefer the CD quality, PCM encoded, as mastered quality...and I'm happy to pay $20 for it, instead of $16.99 for the AAC, compromosed copy, Apple asks us to pay.

Just don't rip those CDs onto your iPod, since it is technically illegal to do that in Australia

 

[Nermal]

OK, I have a genuine question now.

Can you send gift certificates to yourself? I personally don't have a credit card, so instead of borrowing dad's card over and over on a song-by-song basis, I'd rather take, say, a $30 lump sum which I can then use at my convenience.

Edit: Yes, it works.

 

[ingenious_7]

iTunes Music Cards

Here in the US, you can purchase iTMS gift cards at retail shops (with cash or whatever) and then use that to purchase songs online. Don't know if such things are available down there.....

iTunes music cards will be available from all major supermarkets and department stores in Australia - http://www.apple.com/au/pr/library/2005/oct/25itmsoz.html

I was getting worried unitl I read that cause I don't own a credit card. All I can say is bring on legal music downloads

 

[oingoboingo]

Pricing?

I'm looking at Bodyjar's latest album on iTMS AU for $20.99. It's only $24.99 at HMV (for example). The pricing has to be more divergent than that to be attractive. I'll take the actual CD for an extra $4 thanks.

 

[mclosers]

Video Podcasts

The podcast section seems to also have been updated, highlighting video podcasts.
BTW if anyone likes Fall Out Boy, MxPx, or Funeral For A Friend,
check out my video podcast here...
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=80234155

Sorry about the free plug

 

[ebunton]

hooray

now where r those tv shows?

 

[Chundles]

hooray

now where r those tv shows?

Well, we can't get the US ones (neither can the rest of the world) and after thinking about it for weeks I still can't think of one good Aussie TV show worth licensing. None.

 

[skullsplitter]

New zealand

Seems weird the main post has all this NZ talk.

So...Manu and Gamima playschool episodes for viPod? Adventures of Utu?

Cool

(Taking piss)

 

[aafuss1]

Well, we can't get the US ones (neither can the rest of the world) and after thinking about it for weeks I still can't think of one good Aussie TV show worth licensing. None.

We need Nickelodeon (Invader Zim, Sarvo-there's already a podcast) and ABC kids shows .