Nah, vertical integration isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's actually quite a good thing from a user-experience perspective (when done right). It becomes a bad thing when it means that the only supplier you can work with is the supplier who provided the vertically integrated stack, and that's not the case with the iTunes -> iPod/iPhone stack (and never has been). Even with iPhone apps, where you can only go to one store for apps, you've got a wide selection of apps from a variety of suppliers.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Sony Hoping to Pull Music From iTunes Store If 'Music Unlimited' Service Succeeds
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Nah, vertical integration isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's actually quite a good thing from a user-experience perspective (when done right). It becomes a bad thing when it means that the only supplier you can work with is the supplier who provided the vertically integrated stack, and that's not the case with the iTunes -> iPod/iPhone stack (and never has been). Even with iPhone apps, where you can only go to one store for apps, you've got a wide selection of apps from a variety of suppliers.
Exactly. When Steve Jobs had the press conference over antenae-gate's iPhone 4, Steve basically said "You don't like it, don't buy it. If you bought it and don't want it: bring it back."
Apple really wants their customers to be happy. Customer is First; Money Second. They've bent over backwards to personally make me happy. I could site examples... I don't believe this about Sony. They care about Money First.
-------------------------
Someone explain to me how Sony could offer their music on their service, Amazon and other places and then to deny Apple. Seems that shouldn't be allowed. I can see how Apple could have their hands tied a bit and have to give in more, but to lose them altogether? Is that legal?
I think Apple should kick them to the curb for a few months and see how they like it.
-------------------------
I'll continue to do what I've doing: wait a couple of weeks after an album drops and buy a LIKE NEW used copy from Amazon. Sorry artists, but I want the physical media and I want it cheap. Screw the labels. I'll continue to buy singles from iTunes though. Got a good one last night:
Far East Movement's Rocketeer:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/free-wired/id394918462
Last edited:
Where does Sony think those artists they represent will go at the
end of their contracts. iTunes is the record store of America.
end of their contracts. iTunes is the record store of America.
But this is sony you know Rootkit
in your game, Rootkit that crashed actually computers and made you have to reformat the system from scratch , lots of news on it and it was not that long ago. I've never used a Sony piece of software that didn't suck terribly. OK, the XMB on PlayStation is decent. Every other program has blown hard. Their hardware is usually beautiful though...
Between your excellent login haha and this post your killing me with laugher so well said.
SonicStage was woeful. I still remember the frustration i suffered from that POS program!!
For the artiste, yes. The performer takes a much larger cut when performing live.
But for overall takings (esp. for the distributor), single and album sales still bring in the most money by far.
SonicStage was woeful. I still remember the frustration i suffered from that POS program!!
I had a Sony Vaio, a Sony HDD player and Sony Sonic Stage and it was all rubbish!!
It was 5 years ago that Sonic Stage suddenly lost ALL my music, never to be recovered, that pushed me on to an iPod and then a Macbook Pro, iPhone etc etc.
VCR Wars
You know the Beta VCR was better........smaller tape box, better specs..ya da ya da......
I just can't see Sony wining this one either.
You know the Beta VCR was better........smaller tape box, better specs..ya da ya da......
I just can't see Sony wining this one either.
Why would other labels want to be part of Sony's store and give a cut of their revenue to Sony, with whom they are in direct competition? A service that is limited to Sony's catalog doesn't have much chance.
I hope they poll the members of all company boards involved as to what their musical tastes are. Stock holders should know whether access to recording artists is being decided by a bunch of people who think Britney spears has a great "natural" voice and do not have a clue who some one like Neil Young is.
Sony smokin' crack
"Publishers are being held to ransom by Apple and they are looking for other delivery systems."
Nonsense. Nobody's being held ransom. Apple is no different than say, Walmart. They are a retailer when it comes to media. They sell what they want at the price they want in their stores.
If Sony wants to sell its media thru iTunes, they can. If they want to sell it through Walmart or Amazon or anybody else, they can. Apple just happens to be the most popular, but there is no hostage, there is no ransom.
"Publishers are being held to ransom by Apple and they are looking for other delivery systems."
Nonsense. Nobody's being held ransom. Apple is no different than say, Walmart. They are a retailer when it comes to media. They sell what they want at the price they want in their stores.
If Sony wants to sell its media thru iTunes, they can. If they want to sell it through Walmart or Amazon or anybody else, they can. Apple just happens to be the most popular, but there is no hostage, there is no ransom.
Hi guys...I cant remember which keynote it was, Steve has had 100s now.....but in one of these keynotes, i remember him saying, very clearly, that his vision of digital music is one in which the listener buys a copy of a song or album, and has it for life, for whenever he feels like listening to it. He stated that, listening to music, is not like watching tv or video, but rather, something closer to your heart, that you should be able to summon up on demand and something you own, and not something that should be subject to having a connection to stream from a subscription.......
Does anyone remember this keynote? I cannot remember which one it was.
Anyway, knowing how Steve believes in his visions, we will never see Apple go down the stream/subscription route.
Does anyone remember this keynote? I cannot remember which one it was.
Anyway, knowing how Steve believes in his visions, we will never see Apple go down the stream/subscription route.
Unless sony was able to produce a portable music device to put the ipod/iphone to shame it will never happen.
On a side note I am very surprised that record labels actually have any big name artists or any artists for that matter, with the distribution methods such as itunes I would be cutting out the middle man all together a big artist could easily market and deliver their own content 30% for apple and 70% for yourself, invest some of that 70% into production of some CD's (if that market still exists I haven't purchased an album on CD in close to 10 years)
On a side note I am very surprised that record labels actually have any big name artists or any artists for that matter, with the distribution methods such as itunes I would be cutting out the middle man all together a big artist could easily market and deliver their own content 30% for apple and 70% for yourself, invest some of that 70% into production of some CD's (if that market still exists I haven't purchased an album on CD in close to 10 years)
What Sony is planning sounds like it would violate both US and EU antitrust laws. Decades ago, movie studios were prohibited from owning the exhibitors...how is this different? Plus, why would ANY non-Sony producer sign with Sony as a retail distributor? It would be like Apple counting on Dell to sell its products. Not a good management decision in my opinion: "Let's just sell all iMacs for cost and hand the revenue back to the shareholders."