Report Insists Apple Will Eliminate iTunes Store Music Downloads in Future

[GreyOS]

I have tried streaming at home and was left with an overwhelming "meh". I will never stream music (or anything else) with my iPhone because there is no way I am running the risk of going over my data allotment.

To you and all the others going on about data... They are talking about iTunes downloads where you purchase an m4a file. IF (big IF) they stopped selling them as speculated may happen one day, I'm pretty sure that has no impact on the ability that Apple Music, and other streaming services like Spotify have, which is to download songs from their library for offline listening.

Yes, there is still a huge difference between the traditional model and this- you're tied to paying a subscription (cancel and you lose the music), you don't get a file that you can take elsewhere, you can only listen to it in the service's app, etc. etc.

BUT, if your only concern is really only data usage, then you could use Apple Music with the same data you use for iTunes. Find the tracks you want, download them for offline listening, job done. You just have the added option of also streaming music you don't have saved offline- but that's your choice.

 

[SMIDG3T]

Will it be a disaster like 12.4?

Tell me, how was 12.4 a disaster?

 

[2457282]

"View" menu, "Media Kind", "Internet Radio" or Command-9, and you have 100s of internet radio stations.

That is not what I was referring to.

 

[Michael Goff]

Obviously that won't be a thing anymore...

It's only a thing now for some artists who want you to buy a whole EP or LP in order to get access to a single or few select songs.

If downloads are removed, it will force their hand. Or they'll just remove it from the Apple Music sphere all together.

As long as they can just get their fans to buy from somewhere, they will. This will just lower the amount people rely on iTunes.

 

[0004838]

Can't help but be reminded of the "Vacuum Cleaner Beast" from Yellow Submarine - sucks up everything until it eventually consumes and destroys even itself, restoring Pepperland to the peacefulness it enjoyed before it ever existed…

I think I'm referring to the impulse to cloud everything (yes, I verbed that noun), and it just strikes me as so… fragile and intrinsically ephemeral. Personally I prefer optical discs as the sources for all my digital media: higher quality (for the most part, especially Blu-Rays), more robust, can be sold on when unwanted.

EDIT: Oh, and generally platform agnostic, which is a huge plus.

 

[Art Mark]

I think the answer is pretty obvious. They need to decide WHAT THE HECK iTunes actually is. And then split it out. I don't want a music streaming service, but I get that many people do. So get me a new app for downloading and ownership and tie that to a personal library function interface. Well, now that I say all that I realize it is a pretty big mess actually when you consider that iTunes has movies and TV shows in it...and what if Apple steps into an on demand streaming video service which seems likely...So Maybe iTunes becomes the music streaming app PERIOD. And a new app supports rental and ownership of movies and TV and music ownership with library functionality......??? Maybe???

 

[jamessnell]

I hope this is bogus. My last two iPhone purchases were driven by iTunes. For work I routinely fly around surveying things and I love that I can be on the tarmac, purchase an album (or 3) on the spot and shortly afterwards (while out of reach of the cellular network) I'm listening to my tunes. I would have gone Android many years ago but I felt Google Music's lacking support in Canada combined with their (then) streaming-only model made iTunes the only game in town.

I tried Apple Music while it was free, it's pretty nice, but the price tag is way way way way too high for my taste. And now that I've unsubscribed, the occasional ads for it when I open iTunes on my iOS devices is wearing on me. If they actually get Apple Music to gradually completely consume iTunes, that could be a major deal-breaker for my use case.

And this leads me to another depressing past choice - the discontinuation of the 17" MBP line. Apple does great work and their customer support is remarkable. I guess they're aiming their products at a demographic that I'm in the extreme fringes on, or worse. I hope they can expand their scope a little in the coming years. And I hope Apple Music separates to its own thing from iTunes. Both systems are awesome and have great merit. But they're two separate things and should be operated as such.

 

[Breaking Good]

I already explained this. But you skipped that portion of my analysis. Consider how much value Hollwood films provided to Apple by showcasing the 17" MBP in like literally every single movie featuring a computer from 2005-2012. I'm a business owner too and sometimes there are aspects to profit that extend beyond simply sales volume.

Pissing off your core audience, for example is probably not the best way for Apple to gain marketshare.

Please name the movies. And would they look any different if they has used a 15" MBP versus a 17" MBP?

 

[sigmadog]

If it is true that Apple will discontinue selling music for download via iTunes, then from my perspective a couple things will happen:

1. Because purchasing and choosing the music I listen to is my preferred method, I will still purchase music, but from another source (Amazon, most likely - despite what some here have suggested I don't think Amazon will stop music purchases any time soon because they're in the "selling stuff" business)
2. My ties to Apple's ecosystem in general will lessen, and
   
3. My irritation with iTunes will grow, causing me to look at the many alternatives for music library management
4. When the time comes to replace my iPhone, I will be very much open to a non-Apple smartphone, because I won't be engaged in the iTunes music purchase/download/manage ecosystem
5. With my non-Apple smartphone and my non-Apple music management system, how long do you think it would be before I start looking at Windows PC's?

Apple surely realizes that giving customers lots of ways of being in the Apple ecosystem keeps them from looking elsewhere. Don't they?

Those advocating for streaming miss a major point for people like me. It's not about having a wide variety of music to listen to. That's a great benefit of streaming. I get that. What I really want, however, is the ability to choose the songs I listen to: I like building playlists and listening that way.

Additionally, for many of us with large collections, a music purchase may be a once every several months event. For us, even $10/month is too much. I don't buy $120 worth of music in a year, so Apple Music is too expensive for me.

Finally, I don't like wasting my very limited data plan on streaming.

 

[Tallgrass]

This is an open letter to Apple.

DON'T EVEN!

or it's bye bye Apple!

 

[iReality85]

Downloads are a dying business. The the idea of paying for specific downloaded files is completely foreign to the younger generation. For them, it's been Spotify/Pandora/Netflix/Youtube, all access or nothing. It won't happen overnight, but downloads are going to look like Blockbuster Video in 5 years.

And that's sad, because streaming music services are essentially the resurrection of DRM, something that the now 25-40 year old generation fought hard against back in the early 2000s. People younger than that probably wouldn't know, since they most likely didn't use Napster/Limewire/Bit Torrent, or had to contend with DRM'd music files in the early digital download days.

Now DRM is returning and it's even more insidious. Not only do you have to listen to music in a certain way (i.e. through whatever streaming service), you don't even own it in any particular form (i.e. digital file, or CD, or vinyl). Under streaming, if you stop paying for 'access' then you have no music, at all. Literally, this is the worst case scenario of DRM that people feared. Apparently people now welcome it with open arms.

But it's indicative of a wider societal trend. One moving more and more toward lack of ownership of anything, and simply paying for access.

 

[WardC]

This means that now is a better time than ever to stock up on vinyl! Digital downloads are going to be obsolete, so gotta have those tunes on hard copy if you still wanna own your music! For real!
[doublepost=1465405959][/doublepost]Time to ressurect the CD player, as well....

 

[kwikdeth]

Ah usability decisions factored by profit motive. "We're not making millions on this feature anymore, remove it"

This really is like Microsoft in the 00s. It's kind of fun to watch them slowly alienate their whole customer base.

 

[baryon]

Apple was the first to successfully get people to buy and download music in an age where CDs and piracy were pretty much the only way to do this. Now, buying a song on iTunes is the most common way to buy a song.

Streaming requires a monthly fee. You can listen to your favorite songs all you want, if one day you no longer want to pay, you can immediately say good bye to all your music. If you buy a song on iTunes, that's the last time you've paid for that song in your life. In 10 years, that song will still be there and you can listen to it for free, forever, just like CDs or records or cassettes. Even if you're broke, you can still listen to your music.

The monthly fee means you're constantly diverting a fixed amount of your money whether you currently use the service or not. If you're not earning much at the moment, should you cancel your subscription to save as much as you can? But then you can't listen to music at all? In the good old days when you could own music, you could pay for it when you had money, and then listen to it even when you were on a low income.

Of course, what do companies like more than a predictable, steady stream of money that they receive regardless of what they do? Adobe, for example. Making more and more money is always better for companies. And most people will just go with it because they have no other options, and they don't really care.

Soon we'll be living in a world where if you want to save money, you'll instantly lose all the stuff you had because you don't ever own any of it, and they all cost a recurring monthly fee forever. Cars, houses, and now even the contents of your computer will be loaned to you for a monthly fee that you'll pay for the rest of your life.

 

[CaptFuzzyBuns]

New sources have come forth claiming that Apple is in fact aiming to phase out digital music downloads on iTunes, despite the fact that Apple rep Tom Neumayr specifically stated such rumors were "not true" in May.

Speaking with Digital Music News, the insiders said that Apple is simply "keeping their options open" while moving forward, intending to keep a watch on how Apple Music performs in comparison to the digital sales numbers in iTunes.

According to the sources, Apple might be gearing up for an iTunes revamp that would introduce software architecture with the ability for the company to "more easily drop iTunes music downloads" down the road. This would allow Apple to subtly shift the service towards the streaming and radio side of things in the event that paid music downloads drop off precipitously.

The same sources suggest such a refresh could be discussed at WWDC next week, bringing "harmony" between Apple Music and iTunes while preparing for the potential closure of paid downloads down the line.
The early rumors in May suggested that Apple was looking at a three-to-four year timeline on ending iTunes music downloads, with a staggered termination plan based on regional popularity of paid downloads. Projected gross from downloads in 2019 are around $600 million, down from the $3.9 billion users paid for downloads in 2012.

With many artists refraining from streaming services -- and fan support of owning their music remaining relatively strong -- DMN's sources admit that, for the time being, "downloads are here to stay."

Read DMN's full report on the iTunes download situation here.

Article Link: Report Insists Apple Will Eliminate iTunes Store Music Downloads in Future

"Apple may or may not make a drastic change that may or may not cause mass riots"

 

[Sedulous]

Ridiculous. There is no way Apple would throw away such a revenue stream.

 

[mtnDewFTW]

I'm confused as to why so many people are upset/surprised that technology is advancing and someday things might change. I know that no one likes change but we should all expect iTunes to evolve at least a little bit (especially given how much criticism it constantly receives). While I'm sure many people still do download music through iTunes, I'm personally having a hard time remember the last time I actually went onto iTunes to buy something as opposed to just streaming it. It would be great for Apple to figure out a way to really unify their streaming/download services into one. However, the music industry still has a lot of maturing to do before any of this could be done, as there are still many obstacles in the way of truly being able to enjoy your music without limitations to where/how you can play it.

In the past, Apple's focus was very heavily based around the iPod and other tools for listening to music. Now they have to work on discovering and cataloguing your existing library better. And I truly believe that unification of platforms is the best way to go about it.

 

[sigmadog]

Soon we'll be living in a world where if you want to save money, you'll instantly lose all the stuff you had because you don't ever own any of it, and they all cost a recurring monthly fee forever. Cars, houses, and now even the contents of your computer will be loaned to you for a monthly fee that you'll pay for the rest of your life.

I'm going to adopt the Apple/Adobe model with my business. From now on, I'll design logos for free, but charge a monthly subscription for them. If the client stops paying… goodby identity!

I'm gonna be rich! RICH, I SAY!!!!

 

[AndreStm]

Streaming is to unreliable for me. The content providers will dictate the content available. You won't have the possibility to listen to music that is no longer available in the store/library. At least in my country Apple is used to pull titles as they like from the iTunes Music Store.

 

[Sir Thomas]

I'll go somewhere else then. I'm not always on a network where I can stream, and don't always want to use my data plan to listen to music. What is one to do on a plane if they don't want to pay for an expensive WiFi plan? I doubt this will ever happen, but it's a stupid move if it does.

Are you and a lot of other people here aware of the fact that you can download all the songs you want from Apple Music to listen to offline without the need to stream any song at all?? It works exactly like a download from ITunes. You don't need to pay any expensive wifi plan on a plane, you can just download a gazillion songs and keep on your iPhone to listen to whenever you want.

 

[KindredMAC]

WELCOME TO THE LIBRARY!
We have all the latest Music CDs ready for you to rip!

 

[Sir Thomas]

I'll go somewhere else then. I'm not always on a network where I can stream, and don't always want to use my data plan to listen to music. What is one to do on a plane if they don't want to pay for an expensive WiFi plan? I doubt this will ever happen, but it's a stupid move if it does.

Are you and a lot of other people here aware of the fact that you can download all the songs you want from Apple Music to listen to offline without the need to stream any song at all?? It works exactly like a download from ITunes. You don't need to pay any expensive wifi plan on a plane, you can just download a gazillion songs and keep on your iPhone to listen to whenever you want.

 

[Shirasaki]

When people say they want to 'own' their music, they obviously aren't talking about the copyrights... They simply don't want to be dependent on a monthly fee or being online to enjoy their music. With CDs, vinyl, cassettes, and DRM-free digital files, you are free of those issues.

I played a few DRM protected games, and time dealing with DRM was long enough and annoying. Every time before uninstalling system I would need to deactivate the game, which would likely be forgotten. Once this happen, boom. Your CD-KEY is LONG GONE for good.
Same for deauthorising computer before uninstalling OS, be either Mac or Windows.
I find such copyright protection brings more trouble than good at the first place.
[doublepost=1465406935][/doublepost]

Are you and a lot of other people here aware of the fact that you can download all the songs you want from Apple Music to listen to offline without the need to stream any song at all?? It works exactly like a download from ITunes. You don't need to pay any expensive wifi plan on a plane, you can just download a gazillion songs and keep on your iPhone to listen to whenever you want.

But if what I remembered was correct, after a while those "offline" songs would need you to connect to internet to "renew" them. But for those purely local, this is not an issue.
You can argue "we are not living in such area where internet is highly limited". Then good luck.

 

[petsounds]

Hey Apple – sell lossless versions of albums like you should have done years ago and as competitors such as Bandcamp do – and I'll buy tons of music from your service.

 

[happydude]

You've read the article wrong. You can still download the actual file to your computer (and sync to your iPod) and listen to it without continually burning data. You can do that right now with both Apple Music and Spotify allowing 'offline' listening. Of course they wouldn't remove that ability.

They are just talking about removing paid purchases of individual songs or albums. So no more .99 songs or $14.99 albums.

Basically, going full Spotify style and just having Apple Music as the only 'paid' way to get music from Apple.

Makes a lot of sense if paid downloads were $3.9 Billion in 2012 and forecast for $600 Million in 2019.

Personally I think it sucks as artists get destroyed by streaming services and barely make a thing. It's tough enough for them now as it is. But I guess that's the way consumers are going. The sales figures don't lie.

good clarification, thanks.