More Competition -- from Napster

[billyboy]

Not being funny, but anyone can announce they are going to launch a Music Store with more records and better prices than the last company on the musical bandwagon of announcements.

But being realistic, apart from MS, arent Apple the financial heavyweights in the current "race" to capture the Windows world´s music hearts? And arent their developers and product managers the most switched on - if the interface and the music industry deals they are aiming for are anything to go by? And havent they been hard at it for 18 months already?

Having read what Bumble buy.com are pewking out to the world, I just dont see that anyone can just hustle in within a few weeks and not risk being completely humiliated. The real contenders with less financial muscle than Apple but a realistic view to the future will have to put in a lot of work to get things even half right, and that takes time too.

Obviously the MS bandwagon is humiliation proof to a certain degree, but even with his billions, will Gatesy care to blow Apple out the water with an avalanche of marketing ****e to promote his version- iStoleiTunesMusic StoreandruinediT

 

[bigjohn]

Originally posted by arn
well - napster is under new ownership.

Really the name is the only thing the same I think.

While down in Hollywood this past Friday to see an awesome band at the Troubadour, we were parking the car and across the street, emblazoned on an office building was the Napster logo. Roundabout the corner of Santa Monica and Doheny if anyone's the area...

 

[dynamicd]

I don't know if anybody has noticed, but if you go to the ITMS and go to the just added section, check out how many albums were added for this past week compared to the other weeks. There's a s%$# load of albums that were added this past week.

 

[rjwill246]

BuyMusic has hit a brick wall!! Yo!!

Reported today in USA today about BuyMusic.com. This is so funny.
Poetic justice at its best!

Quote:
Early customers have found they can't transfer the tunes they buy on BuyMusic.com to digital portables.


"It's unfortunate they had this glitch," says Creative's Craig McHugh, adding that many customers have been calling seeking help. "We've been really excited about BuyMusic and its potential."
BuyMusic.com's tech support staff was of little help when contacted Thursday. An e-mail response read: "We are unable to provide technical assistance after you have downloaded the music ... to your primary computer. In addition, we are unable to credit you back for failed or damaged copies once you have successfully downloaded the music."
Apple has sold 6.5 million songs since April; BuyMusic won't release figures, but "it's not millions," Blum says. End quote.

it's probably not hundreds!
If only Apple had the Wintel version ready to go!

 

[rojazz]

Originally posted by bigjohn
While down in Hollywood this past Friday to see an awesome band at the Troubadour, we were parking the car and across the street, emblazoned on an office building was the Napster logo. Roundabout the corner of Santa Monica and Doheny if anyone's the area...

I saw that too. I was driving down to Westwood from Hollywood, and made a wrong turn and ended up on that tiny little street near Santa Monica with the Napster logo on the side. Very strange, indeed.

 

[Flowbee]

Re: BuyMusic has hit a brick wall!! Yo!!

Originally posted by rjwill246
Reported today in USA today about BuyMusic.com. This is so funny.
Poetic justice at its best!

Here's the link... for the curious but lazy

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-07-28-buymusic_x.htm

 

[Phil Of Mac]

Re: Time will tell...

Originally posted by tazznb
I hope Apple comes out on top. I won't make a prediction one way or another.

Something to chew on; The RIAA is pushing all the competition now seeing how successful ITMS is, and EVERYTIME a song is sold (Whether it be ITMS, buymusic.com[they should rename it to leasemusic.com]) you know who gets a cut; The RIAA! (those bastards have Apple to thank for saving their sorry asses).

Not as much as you may think. After all, Apple just might provide an integrated solution for artists to record music at a high quality and submit it to iTMS, sans record label.

Originally posted by MhzDoesMatter
Napster II...Son of Napster...Napster: The Return...iTMS vs Napster: Rise of the Machines

Was all that really necessary?

Originally posted by rinnin
I have a very strong feeling Apple will launch a worldwide iTMS service in September at MacWorld Paris.

Europe? I doubt it. Europe is going to take quite awhile because of oddities between individual national economies, laws, and local laws and contracts regarding music sales and the labels. Not to mention taxes.

Originally posted by bertagert
The only way Apple Music won't make it, is for companies of mp3 players to NOT support AAC. Not everyone will be toting a ipod.

In theory, but it's starting to veer toward everyone toting an iPod

Originally posted by simX
But that doesn't change the reality that Apple forces you to use iTunes to at least download your music, if not play it as well, and Apple forces you to use the iPod to play the music on the go.

They don't force you to. If someone else made an AAC player, you could use that. It's not Apple's fault people don't go and compete with them.

 

[zim]

Originally posted by dynamicd
I don't know if anybody has noticed, but if you go to the ITMS and go to the just added section, check out how many albums were added for this past week compared to the other weeks. There's a s%$# load of albums that were added this past week.

I was just about to post the same. WOW! it just keeps scrolling and scrolling... I think that this week is a record for the most songs added. If apple can keep pulling in this much content every-week, then there is no doubt that by the time anything is released by anyone else they will have to have 500,000 songs. I am also happy to see some stuff that I have been looking for starting to appear in iTMS.

 

[Phil Of Mac]

I wonder how much of the new additions is indie music. I recognize a lot of the names, but not all of them. So I suppose not that much of it is indie. Good to see new additions though.