New iTunes Released

[drater]

why don't you guys use itoner? its 15 bucks and 30 days free for a trial. put all the songs or mp3s on it you want. Love that program, and there is no hacking required

I'm not an iPhone user, but this was the worst part of today's announcements.

I understand that ringstones can be 99 cents. And I know that some carriers like Sprint can sell both the song and the ringtone of the same song, but Apple just screwed the pooch on this one.

If AT&T was behind this, I could understand the charging extra. Apple would have made a huge praise with iPhone users. I don't see this going anywhere except (eventually) free.

Apple was in contact with the record companies about this. why do you people think only 500k songs out of 6million can be used? Its them, not apple. but to not offer it at all would be a disgrace. what I think they should have done is open up the phone completely to just choose like on other phones. but this part could have been an ATT thing.

 

[chillywilly]

Apple was in contact with the record companies about this. why do you people think only 500k songs out of 6million can be used? Its them, not apple. but to not offer it at all would be a disgrace. what I think they should have done is open up the phone completely to just choose like on other phones. but this part could have been an ATT thing.

I forgot about that point when I posted my response. But there are all sorts of tools out there to make your own ringtones out of MP3 files.

I see the connection with Apple and the record industry, but am still bummed about the extra cost.

 

[mrrydogg]

- Ringtones are stupidly overpriced, Apple is gonna make a mint off of iPhone owners, but I bet potential iPhone customers will see Apple's trend towards devouring their money and shy away to some extent.
- iPod Touch is sort of cool but ultimately lame in that it has no cellular data access (for obvious reasons). If it wants to be a PDA, it should know that PDAs have all have internet now.

What are you talking about? Shy away from the iPhone?? Yeah, I bet that since they just dropped it $200 that is gonna scare away everyone. I think your placing a little too much importance on ringtones here.

Oh and the iPod Touch isn't trying to be a PDA. Where did you come up with that? If it had access to cell networks it would be called the iPhone. As it is now, its a sick iPod. I will wait though to see an increase in storage capacity....I am guessing around Christmas time!

 

[drater]

I forgot about that point when I posted my response. But there are all sorts of tools out there to make your own ringtones out of MP3 files.

I see the connection with Apple and the record industry, but am still bummed about the extra cost.

oh i agree with you, that's why it would have been prefered if they just opened up all mp3s like other phones, but I'm sure, cause they are a music STORE as well, that the music industries would want to get their greedy hands on the profit some how. their a dying industry...so they want everything they can get.

 

[mrrydogg]

why don't you guys use itoner? its 15 bucks and 30 days free for a trial. put all the songs or mp3s on it you want. Love that program, and there is no hacking required

iToner is AWESOME and SEAMLESS!!!

Mac and PC compatible and no hacks like the hacktastic iFuntastic!

 

[jblakeh1]

The whole idea of paying to use my own music is insulting, but Apple has to pick their battles. This is exactly the kind of compromise that lost NBC - I am guessing that additional fee is going to AT&T, the record companies, etc.

 

[GTiPhone]

Absolutely anyone that uses this new feature is 100% a total and complete moron.

 

[drater]

iToner is AWESOME and SEAMLESS!!!

Mac and PC compatible and no hacks like the hacktastic iFuntastic!

yup, putting songs on now as we speak. haven't upgraded yet, but probably when it ends. i'll wait till apple sort their **** out, or just keep using this.

so i'm putting about 20 songs on for free right now..that's 20 bucks with apple

 

[Master Atrus]

Ambrosia

All I have to say is that the President of Ambrosia software has got to be enjoying this decision by Apple imensly. Now all of a sudden iToner (though I don't care for the name) is the best mac product out there for ring tones.

Thank you Ambrosia!!!!!

 

[drater]

All I have to say is that the President of Ambrosia software has got to be enjoying this decision by Apple imensly. Now all of a sudden iToner (though I don't care for the name) is the best mac product out there for ring tones.

Thank you Ambrosia!!!!!

hahaha, yup, thanks Moki! Now I can listen to my Beatles and hear them as a ringtone!

 

[dr_lha]

Since this service doesn't really cost Apple anything

You can bet that a significant proportion of the 99cents goes to the record company.

 

[timothyjay2004]

People really need to calm down here. Seriously. I have verizon and if you want a real music ringtone, you have to pay $2.99 for it. If you want a polyphonic ringtone, you pay $1.99. Verizon does not decide on the price of the ringtones. Apple is only charging $1.98 for a real music ringtone.. that is cheap compared to what ALL other carriers charge. Apple also does not have much say on the ringtones. Lets face it, yes you did buy the song, but technically, the music companies still own the song through digital rights management and copyright laws. That's the truth here. Apple legally can't just let you make free ringtones with the music, they'd be sued endlessly by the record companies. They really didn't have a choice here, so quit flaming Apple here. They could have charged $2.99 like every other carrier does, but they didn't. I don't agree with the record companies. I'm on the page of, "It's my music I'll do what I want with it", but that isn't the way the way the law reads. If/When the law changes, you will see many changes occur, free ringtones using purchased music from Apple would probably be one of them. Once again, Apple, nor any other wireless carrier has much say in what they can charge.

And also, look at it this way. I have a song that I bought on iTunes that I really really like. It cost me $0.99. I want to buy that song as a ringtone from Verizon, it will cost me $2.99. In the end I have spent $3.98. Apple is giving you both for only $1.98. That's $2 less per song/ringtone combination. There seriously isn't much room to be bitc*ing here. If you don't want to pay it, make your own and get over it.

 

[CaptSaltyJack]

I smell a class action lawsuit. This is a clear violation of Fair Use. DRM is bad enough. But THIS? Charging 100% of the song price to use a 30 second clip of the very song YOU JUST PURCHASED???

Criminal.

 

[arkmannj]

Question

I have a question.
Does the 3rd party solutions for custom ring-tones, add to the list of ring-tones or do they "replace" current ring-tones on the phone ?

the reason I ask, is I bet the new .99 features adds to the list, if iTunes can, then I imagine 3rd party apps/hacks will be able exploit that functionality and to do it soon also.

 

[drater]

I have a question.
Does the 3rd party solutions for custom ring-tones, add to the list of ring-tones or do they "replace" current ring-tones on the phone ?

the reason I ask, is I bet the new .99 features adds to the list, if iTunes can, then I imagine 3rd party apps/hacks will be able exploit that functionality and to do it soon also.

they add to the list, they take nothing away

 

[timothyjay2004]

I smell a class action lawsuit. This is a clear violation of Fair Use. DRM is bad enough. But THIS? Charging 100% of the song price to use a 30 second clip of the very song YOU JUST PURCHASED???

Criminal.

No it's not. Fair use only applies to the song being used on a devise, not a ringtone made from that song. Sorry, but you are wrong here my friend.

 

[arkmannj]

they add to the list, they take nothing away

Thanks...I just might have to jump on the bandwagon then

 

[CWallace]

I look at it this way:

If I want convenience, I use the "service" of iTunes to make ringtones for me and pay them $0.99USD for that service.

If I don't mind spending some time, I buy a music editor to create my own ringtones and then buy iToner to get them onto my iPhone.

I have the technical expertise and free-time to do the latter (especially since I like to use anime tunes as ringtones since they're more likely to be "unique"), so it's far more cost-effective for me to buy the product.

But if I didn't - or only wanted a handful of ringtones - then the iTunes service would likely be a more cost-effective options.

 

[twoodcc]

i think the pricing seems fair, but i'm just gonna use the ringtones already on it

 

[Hattig]

Guess Steve Jobs is trying to find ways to get closer to Bill Gates income? .99 + .99 = Failure for Apple

I think most of the people here commenting simply don't understand how the ring tone industry works, nor how popular it is, nor the current cost of ringtones.

This will be a major success, it's cheap (for ringtones), high quality (for ringtones) and you get to select the section of ringtone you want.

Remember people have been buying ringtones that were simple monophonic MIDI files, then polyphonic MIDI files, and then low-bitrate MP3 files, for years, and paying up to £3 apiece for them.

It sucks if you're not willing to pay for something you know you can do in Audacity in a few minutes, apart from the hassle in getting it onto the iPhone. I'm totally with you here. But you can't claim it will be a failure at all. The price is good for the people that need dozens of ringtones, and to be honest it's cheap enough if you just want a single ringtone. And you won't have to do it anew for each new iPhone you buy over the next few years.

 

[soundsgoodtome]

"Apple has released..."?

The article begins, "Apple released a new version of iTunes at the "Beat Goes On" special media event today."

That is incorrect. Apple *announced* a new version. It has not been released. Sure, it's coming, this evening, but if you're going to report news, you should do it accurately.

 

[slffl]

Absolutely anyone that uses this new feature is 100% a total and complete moron.

Wow, so I guess the millions of people who buy ringtones on their phones are morons.

Ever heard of if you don't like it don't buy it?

 

[Random Ping]

I can do it for free and make my own with final cut and transfer it for free with bluetooth? Why are people still buying ringtones?

Umm, how much was Final Cut?

 

[slffl]

I don't care about songs for ringtones. How about just some regular ringtones and increase the volume on the speaker?

 

[Porco]

No it's not. Fair use only applies to the song being used on a devise, not a ringtone made from that song. Sorry, but you are wrong here my friend.

But just what is a ringtone?! In this case, it's [a copy of] an edited portion of exactly the same file in question. The only difference is it plays when someone calls you instead of you tapping the screen to play it. The software preventing you from playing files already on the device is probably more complicated than it would be to allow you to do so.

How is it "fair" to charge you 100% again simply for having a portion of the exact same file play when someone calls you? Or for preventing you from using your own musical compositions which aren't available on the iTunes Store in any form?

I think it's criminal ethically, even if not legally. I think everyone who disagrees with it should send feedback to Apple on the subject and let them know it's taking a liberty.