New iPods, New Apple Music Service

[eric_n_dfw]

International users

While I empathise with all of the non-US readers out there, I distinctly remember Job's saying in his keynote that international capabilities are coming. It's not like Apple has forsaken you all out there, it's coming!
Let us yank's be the guinee pigs!

 

[Doctor Q]

Originally posted by iN8
How does iTunes 4 know what country I am in. I can't find anywhere on my system where I can set this. I live in the Bahamas, but I have a US credit card. The first time I launched iTunes 4 and went to the music store it said it is not available in my country yet. Can I trick it some way, or change some setting somewhere?

I spotted the answer: "For now, Apple's music service is for users in the United States only. The iTunes Music Store requires a valid credit card with a U.S. billing address in order to purchase music."

 

[caveman_uk]

Re: parental controls

Originally posted by wrylachlan
I asked this earlier but got no response. In Jobs presentation he made a point of mentioning that the Store automatically tagged "Adult Content" songs like Eminem. Does this mean there is a parental control built into iTunes to prevent your kids from buying these tracks? Anyone? Anyone?

Do kids have credit cards? Over here you have to be 18 and have a job.

 

[pyrotoaster]

More and more iPod thoughts...

The iPod software made available yesterday was version 1.3. The iPod software with all the cool new features (and Solitaire!) is version 2.0.

Apple may just be waiting until Friday's iPod release to make version 2.0 available to us "old" iPod folks (let's hope so).

 

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
Do kids have credit cards? Over here you have to be 18 and have a job.

There's a Visa card for teens called the Visa Buxx card. It's actually like a debit card, but it works like a Visa.
And no, you definately don't need a job to have a credit card.

 

[trose]

You can open a checking account well before 18 and get a Bank Card then, which is the exact same thing as a CC, except your not spending money you dont have

 

[McFreggle]

Originally posted by Abercrombieboy
One other comment...

THANK GOODNESS the purple icon is gone! I like the green note!

Yeah, the purple icon was really ugly.
I like the green one, but I like the blue one (iTunes 2) even more; I replaced the ugly purple thing with the nice blue one...
I will wait some time before I decide whether I want to replace the green icon with the blue one too...

k.

 

[dynamicd]

Originally posted by McFreggle
Yeah, the purple icon was really ugly.
I like the green one, but I like the blue one (iTunes 2) even more; I replaced the ugly purple thing with the nice blue one...
I will wait some time before I decide whether I want to replace the green icon with the blue one too...

k.

How did you change the icon to the itunes 2 one?

 

[j33pd0g]

Re: More and more iPod thoughts...

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
The iPod software made available yesterday was version 1.3. The iPod software with all the cool new features (and Solitaire!) is version 2.0.

Apple may just be waiting until Friday's iPod release to make version 2.0 available to us "old" iPod folks (let's hope so).

hmmm! I may have been thrown off by the read me file that came with 1.3 iPod updater. They worded something like how it will also work with scroll wheel, touch pad iPods without the base station. So I asumed that this was the same iPod software. Thanks for pointing out 2.0. I must have missed seeing that. Where is 2.0 mentioned BTW?

 

[MacBandit]

Re: Re: More and more iPod thoughts...

Originally posted by j33pd0g
hmmm! I may have been thrown off by the read me file that came with 1.3 iPod updater. They worded something like how it will also work with scroll wheel, touch pad iPods without the base station. So I asumed that this was the same iPod software. Thanks for pointing out 2.0. I must have missed seeing that. Where is 2.0 mentioned BTW?

Scroll whell iPods are ones with the physical wheel. Touch pad iPods are ones with the touch sensitive circular area.

 

[Snowy_River]

Originally posted by Snowy_River
Okay, I admit, I haven't read all of these posts. I just don't have time. So, please forgive me if I reitterate anything that's already been said.

Well, I'm not yet sure what I think of all of this. I thought that I'd try downloading a song to see how it worked, but apparently my taste in music isn't mainstream enough. I looked up four artists that I like, and didn't find a single song by any one of them. Hmm... Well, I guess my saying that I won't use this service because of DRM is somewhat redundant, huh?

I am excited about the new iPods, though. I was thinking about getting a 10GB model, but then I started to take certain things into consideration. Namely, if you simply add the extra accessories on that the 15GB model comes with (i.e. remote, dock, belt clip, etc.), you essentially get up to the same price with 5GB less space. Suddenly the 15GB model started looking much better to me. So, now I just have to wait for my new 15GB iPod to get here!

Well, from what I've read in this and other threads I think that DRM is more manageable than it at first seemed.

Oh, and I decided not to wait. I stopped by the store today, and they had 20GB iPods for $399, so I bought one. A little more space than the 15GB, but no dock. I think I can live with that. Besides, it helps to satisfy a wee bit of instant gratification in me. (The store told me that it would be a couple of weeks before they'd have the new iPods in. Besides, I still have to wait for the new 15" PowerBooks to come out.)

 

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
There's a Visa card for teens called the Visa Buxx card. It's actually like a debit card, but it works like a Visa.
And no, you definately don't need a job to have a credit card.

The reason I ask is that in the UK the over 18 requirement would mean that only adults could buy tracks. You have to be over 18 to enter any credit agreement here. Minors can have bank accounts but their legal guardians control them until they're 16 or 18 (can't remember which) I don't think you can have debit cards until then either... 18 is the big legal age here. You can buy alcohol, get credit, vote etc at 18. The only things you can do earlier are smoke (at 16), drive a car (17) and die for your country (16).

 

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by j33pd0g
hmmm! I may have been thrown off by the read me file that came with 1.3 iPod updater. They worded something like how it will also work with scroll wheel, touch pad iPods without the base station. So I asumed that this was the same iPod software. Thanks for pointing out 2.0. I must have missed seeing that. Where is 2.0 mentioned BTW?

I first stumbled upon 2.0 at the iPod Feedback Page, where it's a choice on a drop down menu. Other recent rumors have confirmed it.

It's all a little confusing really. It would have made more sense for Apple to just release 2.0, and skip this whole 1.3 thing.

 

[comrade]

The iPod material

I realized that I haven't seemed to notice this information (and I didn't really notice it on Apple's page). Is the iPod still the same mirror type finish on the back? Anyone know?

 

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by comrade
I realized that I haven't seemed to notice this information (and I didn't really notice it on Apple's page). Is the iPod still the same mirror type finish on the back? Anyone know?

The iPod still has a mirror-ish metal back, that appears to be made of the same material as "old" iPods.

 

[areyouwishing]

Apple Music service backend

So, I will admit I have not read EVERY single post, but I agree with the general consensus that the Indies need to be there, actually, EVERYTHING needs to be there. I own a PC so I can't check out selection, but I think I have an idea that could work great.

Everyone asking Apple for a certain label, or band is just ridiculous. Apple needs to come up with a system for labels to upload their own music. This diversifies the demanding task of one company (Apple) doing all the encoding for all the different labels. Apple could send an AAC encoding kit for the labels that request one. The labels could upload at will, using Apples servers, but still paying apple, and agreeing to whatever licensing agreement.

Apple of coarse could not control quality like they do now on the music, because they would not be doing the encoding, but they could have a disclaimer saying that apple cannot guarantee the encoding quality, and if there is a problem to notify apple, and apple will contact the label.

In a large part this eliminates apple as the middle man, but they still get their royalties for the server space that everyone is using, and the encoding technology.
People would contact their favorite labels instead of Apple to get the songs on the service, so Apple can focus on my 970 workstation.

Each label could have a templated page that has an exclusive artist, or a new artist feature, but they would still be a part of the main database.

This system has other beny's too! With the label uploading their own music, they could flag a song, or a single for a free download, to promote the song, and album. If apple made this AAC encoding kit available only for Macs the labels would have to go buy at least one Mac to be apart of this grand music "evolution." Thus selling more macs....which is why apple is here to begin with.

 

[pyrotoaster]

Effective effects?

Here's a topic I haven't seen mentioned, yet.

Does iTunes 4 have new visual effects, or are they the same ones in iTunes 3?

I haven't used the effects enough to know, although they did look pretty familiar.

 

[e-coli]

Seems like an EXTREMELY limited music selection.

I couldn't even find The White Stripes.

 

[TheInevitable]

Re: Apple Music service backend

Originally posted by areyouwishing
. . . Apple needs to come up with a system for labels to upload their own music. This diversifies the demanding task of one company (Apple) doing all the encoding for all the different labels. Apple could send an AAC encoding kit for the labels that request one. The labels could upload at will, using Apples servers, but still paying apple, and agreeing to whatever licensing agreement.

I second that notion!

I don't know about the free song thing. If musicians want to give out free songs, they can do that through mp3.com. I like free stuff, but I don't want to cheapen Apple Music.

 

[deepkid]

Originally posted by Shaktai
Let's get a few things clear about the economics. The physical CD before burning costs about 3 cents if you buy the cheapest available. Actual production of a finished CD for reasonable quality costs about 50 cents. That is only the CD production, not the packaging, shipping, etc. which adds quite a bit more. Now then add on the additional costs of anti-theft measures that must be added on the retail end (as in anti-shoplifting) and retail overhead. Don't forget the royalties that have to be paid to the artists. We are now at a few "Dollars". Then you have to factor in the "big dollar items" such as marketing, promotions, etc. Then there is the retail profit. Before the record lables even get their cut, they have to pay out several dollars per CD just to get it out there. Yes they make plenty of money, but it isn't the very excessive amounts some folks use to justify their pirating. The retail outlets typically make more per unit profit then the record companies, who make their money off of volume.

Amen to that, and I say that as an artist and a record label owner.

I had about 1100 cds made and Discmakers at that time made them for about $1,700. You have to factor in the art work I had done and the money I paid to the artists. A big cost is shipping. INCREDIBLY expensive. But a compilation cd cost me about $5 to make and sold to distributor at about $8. They only mark it up $1 or so..

IT IS the retail store that marks them up so highly.

 

[Snowy_River]

Re: Re: Apple Music service backend

Originally posted by areyouwishing

. . . Apple needs to come up with a system for labels to upload their own music. This diversifies the demanding task of one company (Apple) doing all the encoding for all the different labels. Apple could send an AAC encoding kit for the labels that request one. The labels could upload at will, using Apples servers, but still paying apple, and agreeing to whatever licensing agreement.

Why have an AAC encoding 'kit'? Why not have an automated server that, when you upload a song in AIFF format, it converts it over to AAC. That way Apple would still maintain some control on the quality of the encodings. Plus, who cares who uploads to it? So long as they 'sign' an agreement with Apple, does it matter if it's a record label, or a backyard band that paid for some studio time to record a few songs? Isn't this the ground work for the advent of Publish-on-Demand for the music industry?

While I'd love to see this come true (there are a couple of local bands that I've enjoyed over the years that broke up because they couldn't get their name out, or their local 'label' that helped them produce CDs didn't promote them very well at all), I do wonder if the big Labels wouldn't have seen this as a possibility, and insisted that there be some kind of control over who can have songs available through this service. I don't know. Maybe I'm getting too cynical in my old age...

 

[duffyb]

iTunes and MP3 CD's

I have a CD player in my car that plays CD's with MP3 files. I?ve never used iTunes when making these disks (which can hold up to 12 'albums') because iTunes does not allow me to organize the 'albums' by individual folders. Instead it puts the 100+ mp3 files on a CD loose, and without any organization by artist or album title.

With Toast, I can use folders so when in my car I can skip from song to song or, more importantly, from album to album. Why can't I do that with iTunes, Apple?

So, I can't use the m4p format in Toast and this music service is essentially useless to me. Too bad, it looks nice and probably the friendliest of this type of service God only knows what Microsoft will eventually come out with. I?ve heard nasty things.

 

[woodsey]

Re: International users

Originally posted by eric_n_dfw
While I empathise with all of the non-US readers out there, I distinctly remember Job's saying in his keynote that international capabilities are coming. It's not like Apple has forsaken you all out there, it's coming!
Let us yank's be the guinee pigs!

Eric. What did SJ say about iPhoto support and Sherlock support for countries other than the US?

iPhoto has been around for a year and a few months now, and still no support for getting prints done outside the US.

Sherlock has been around for well over six months, and still no indication that apple is working on location specific channels for countries outside the US.

Thats why the international apple community is skeptical about Steve's Words.

Although we want to believe Steve, we can just too easily see it happening all over again.

 

[MacBandit]

Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by duffyb
I have a CD player in my car that plays CD's with MP3 files. I?ve never used iTunes when making these disks (which can hold up to 12 'albums') because iTunes does not allow me to organize the 'albums' by individual folders. Instead it puts the 100+ mp3 files on a CD loose, and without any organization by artist or album title.

With Toast, I can use folders so when in my car I can skip from song to song or, more importantly, from album to album. Why can't I do that with iTunes, Apple?

So, I can't use the m4p format in Toast and this music service is essentially useless to me. Too bad, it looks nice and probably the friendliest of this type of service God only knows what Microsoft will eventually come out with. I?ve heard nasty things.

I have the same gripe about MP3 CDs and iTunes. iTunes assumes that the MP3 cd will be used in a MP3 intelligent device that can organize based on the ID3 tags. That is stupid if you ask me. I wish Apple would give us folder options for not only burning but for viewing my MP3s rather then having a list of thousands and thousands of songs in one long list.

About the MP4 I know it doesn't work in the car cd player but you could just convert the MP4 to MP3 and then use it in the car. That's what I am going to try. The only question I have is about the end quality.

 

[comrade]

Re: Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by MacBandit
I wish Apple would give us folder options for not only burning but for viewing my MP3s rather then having a list of thousands and thousands of songs in one long list.

If you have iTunes organize your files just use the Finder and you will have all your artists in seperate folders. I know it's not exactly what you are looking for but it's an idea...