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Music Industry Fears Apple and is also Subject to iTunes Popularity Rankings
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Oh well, that's where greed gets ya. Hmm.. now we have to do something about these disgusting phone companies. Lets go Apple, build some towers and charge your customers fair prices. I guarantee you sales would go beyond the roof, it would be a historical phenomenon. Anything done with the care of the customer in mind ends up being lucrative in many more ways than one. 
I would actaully like Apple to have a bit less power, which is why I support Amazon's MP3 store.
It is never good when one entity holds too much influence over the market, be it the record companies, Apple, or Wal-Mart.
I am hoping that with DRM dying that the online retail music scene would transform so it was more similar to back in the day when there were more independent records stores that each catered to a more specific specific market or genre.
When I was in college, there were several record stores in State College, but I always liked one or two more than the rest because they concentrated on, and had a deep catalog of, music that I wanted to listen to.
I think this would be a good way to get some old out of print stuff in front of people that actaully want it and a way to get some meaningful revenue off this stuff.
If I'm the labels, I would try to make it easy for anyone that wants to to setup a music store. I'd want to be a wholesaler for music and you can be the marketer. Then you get a cut of whatever you sell.
Oh wait, I'm sorry. I forgot I am supposed to say something like " Yeah Apple! Screw those record companies good! They get what they deserved! The Apple way is the best way!"
It is never good when one entity holds too much influence over the market, be it the record companies, Apple, or Wal-Mart.
I am hoping that with DRM dying that the online retail music scene would transform so it was more similar to back in the day when there were more independent records stores that each catered to a more specific specific market or genre.
When I was in college, there were several record stores in State College, but I always liked one or two more than the rest because they concentrated on, and had a deep catalog of, music that I wanted to listen to.
I think this would be a good way to get some old out of print stuff in front of people that actaully want it and a way to get some meaningful revenue off this stuff.
If I'm the labels, I would try to make it easy for anyone that wants to to setup a music store. I'd want to be a wholesaler for music and you can be the marketer. Then you get a cut of whatever you sell.
Oh wait, I'm sorry. I forgot I am supposed to say something like " Yeah Apple! Screw those record companies good! They get what they deserved! The Apple way is the best way!"
While on one hand I'm glad Apple has enough clout to keep the attention of the major labels, on the other I don't like idea of trading one 'all powerful' international corporation for another. I also wouldn't necessarily crucify the major music labels, studios, TV networks, etc., for being cautions w/internet distribution models because they are largely unproven (especially at the scale these massive corporations operate at). From the latest things I've read download sales still aren't at a point where they can offset the drop in physical album sales and good luck depending on downloads for profitability for movies or TV shows. IIRC movie downloads make up less than 1% of movie studio revenue. Until there are proven, viable business models for online distribution expect these big companies to keep straddling the fence between the old and the new.
Lethal
Lethal
Oh well, that's where greed gets ya. Hmm.. now we have to do something about these disgusting phone companies. Lets go Apple, build some towers and charge your customers fair prices. I guarantee you sales would go beyond the roof, it would be a historical phenomenon. Anything done with the care of the customer in mind ends up being lucrative in many more ways than one.
It's interesting. If you'd asked me 5 years ago what the least consumer-friendly industries in America were, I'd have said music, movies, and cell phones.
Funny how Apple has put themselves in the position to challenge all 3 of those. I guess it's because no one else would. It's like taming a wild horse...everyone was too afraid.
I suspect that in 10 years the cell-carrier market will be have changed even more than the music industry changed over the last 10. This change will not come from the iPhone, but rather the iPod. It's gonna be fun. :-D
I don't know- this seems kind of scary to me. I'm all for iTunes and I think its a great way to distribute music. I furthermore agree with iTunes' policies like 99 cents per song (presumably the new system will still be somewhat similar), owning music rather than renting, the move toward and eventual removal of DRM.
But, iTunes seems to already wield a whole lot of power, and stories like these lead me to believe that iTunes will soon have too much power. It looks to me like we are replacing the "big four" with one. Even if we all like apple as it stands now, it may not always maintain the policies that employs now (think say 50 years down the road, just as the current record companies have taken to grow to their current state.) With a new generation of management that will have profited of the majority of U.S. music sales, who knows what they will do?
But, iTunes seems to already wield a whole lot of power, and stories like these lead me to believe that iTunes will soon have too much power. It looks to me like we are replacing the "big four" with one. Even if we all like apple as it stands now, it may not always maintain the policies that employs now (think say 50 years down the road, just as the current record companies have taken to grow to their current state.) With a new generation of management that will have profited of the majority of U.S. music sales, who knows what they will do?
Because of greed, it blinds you. Take a look at Pg.1 where a former artist explains how his people were treated in the sixties by the company they were dealing with. Believe me this has not changed one iota. As a matter of fact it has gotten worse. As a matter of fact there are many extremely talented artists who never get to shine because they won't get with "the program". It's amazing what these people get away with behind closed doors. I see apple's itunes, as a start to change.
But that's the thing, Apple holds no influence per se in this situation. The itunes store is just like going to fye, coconuts or Virgin megastore to buy music. All they are doing is giving us the opportunity to choose only what we like instead of being forced to buy anything these record companies decide to strategically release.
The music industry should shut its mouth!
They have always allowed hardware folks to control the media that plays it music. If they were serious about keeping their swag in control, they should have created a proprietary format. Period!
They have always allowed hardware folks to control the media that plays it music. If they were serious about keeping their swag in control, they should have created a proprietary format. Period!
Yes it is going to be fun and not necessarily just because we are sticking it to the kings of the hills in a sense you know? It's more so because these kings are evil and bring about destruction, so someone needs to overthrow them. Morality, honesty and being responsible for doing the right thing even if it doesn't affect you either way per se has gone down the drain. People need to get back to their center, the Lord. However that's a topic for another forum lol. I'm just glad it has begun.
But that's the thing, Apple holds no influence per say in this situation. The itunes store is just like going to fye, coconuts or Virgin megastore to buy music. All they are doing is giving us the opportunity to choose only what we like instead of being forced to buy anything these record companies decide to strategically release.
That is almost what it is like, now that most DRM is eliminated. It was nothing like that before. And before people flip out, I know the labels wanted the DRM...but it doesn't change the fact that, even today, there is music (and plenty of other content) that you can buy from iTunes that only works on iPods.
To me, this is the main problem. CDs and DVDs work in all players. Online distribution needs to as well.
I don't know why I think some Music execs would like to *buy* the #1 spot at iTunes ... business as usual
They now have MTV2 that plays 100% videos ALL DAY. You just need to turn to a different channel.
Tony
The music industry just can't deal with not being able to dictate terms to someone. If it weren't so sad it would be very funny.
Unfortunately, I don't believe the movie industry will undergo the same fate as the music industry yet. It is still way to hard to share a digital copy of a movie with someone - who doesn't ultimately want it burned to a DVD. Additionally, most people are not clamoring for the ability to view their purchased DVD on their iPod. The industry still believes that most people trying to rip/burn a DVD are doing it to resell them illegally.
Those of us who buy a DVD and only want fair use rights to rip the DVD into formats usable on portable devices are in the minority. The Movie industry is not losing any significant revenue because people cannot go to iTunes to get their movies. Apple therefore has no leverage point. Apple wants their content more than the movie industry needs their content on iTunes.
The bottom line is that the movie industry believes that DRM is the only way to protect their revenues. Apple will need to support them in this because it needs their content.
Unfortunately, I don't believe the movie industry will undergo the same fate as the music industry yet. It is still way to hard to share a digital copy of a movie with someone - who doesn't ultimately want it burned to a DVD. Additionally, most people are not clamoring for the ability to view their purchased DVD on their iPod. The industry still believes that most people trying to rip/burn a DVD are doing it to resell them illegally.
Those of us who buy a DVD and only want fair use rights to rip the DVD into formats usable on portable devices are in the minority. The Movie industry is not losing any significant revenue because people cannot go to iTunes to get their movies. Apple therefore has no leverage point. Apple wants their content more than the movie industry needs their content on iTunes.
The bottom line is that the movie industry believes that DRM is the only way to protect their revenues. Apple will need to support them in this because it needs their content.
NOT TRUE
you obviously know nothing about audio formats. Without drm, anything that supports AAC can play the song, and if not it's one click away from being MP3. The reason apple uses aac is because it's much higher quality. It's not that it can only by played on iPods, it's that only iPods support a good format, other playesr can if they want (EX: the zune plays aac INCLUDING from the store now that drm went away.)
Steve
I think it's great that arguably one of the most powerful men in the computing industry was able to call the record companies to task. I can just imagine Steve in the meeting, "You don't let us drop all DRM and BOOM we'll drop all your songs from iTunes! Just like that. BOOM!"
Steve you're a legend.
I think it's great that arguably one of the most powerful men in the computing industry was able to call the record companies to task. I can just imagine Steve in the meeting, "You don't let us drop all DRM and BOOM we'll drop all your songs from iTunes! Just like that. BOOM!"
Steve you're a legend.
Operated in fear? please. I highly doubt that a huge company such as Sony would "operate in fear". If they didn't like what they were getting into, they would have pulled out.
As it should be. Instead of whatever the industry is trying to "sell" or "push" at that time, we get music that is actually interesting to the consumer.
Well done Apple.
Exactly. F*** record companies. They've had this coming for a long time.
