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I will never forgive Apple for forcing this into my personal Library.

That sets a horrible precedent - next time they push Justin Bieber onto everyones devices because they struck a deal with the label...

Or all of a sudden apps that you don't want show up on your devices, because of a marketing campaign.

NEVER TO THIS AGAIN.

Fire Robert Kondrk immediately!
 
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if you convinced a company to cut you a check for $100 million dollars up front for your work, would you really care about those things?



U2 has already won. Every artist should be very envious.


Well, sounds about right if all the artist cares about is money.
 
U2, the rock band you back when you want to offend absolutely no one.

Just just feel so bland. I never understood how anyone liked them after the 80's.
 
Can I have a tiny fraction of that $100M to pay off my student loans, pay for my education, get my own car and move out of my parent's house? :(
 
LOL shows how old and unhip Apple has become.


I dunno, I think they just went about it the wrong way. It should not have been forced on us.

If they did the same for Iggy or Nicki's album I'm sure there would be a huge backlash too.
 
Well, sounds about right if all the artist cares about is money.

I agree that money is not the end-all. But I'd also argue that as an artist if all you are concerned about are sales numbers, chart positioning, and awards you are equally as superficial.

True artists are invested in influence, which is often linked to getting their works in the hands of as many people as possible. U2 has done just that, even if it ruffled a few feathers.
 
Considering 99% of customers are complaining about having U2's album put on their iTunes and iPhones, I don't think they should be discussing future plans of any kind.

I think it would have been closer to 99% if it were a Justin Bieber 'album'.

But on one level, it does raise an interesting question: What else can they 'gift' us with? I mean, Ford forbid Tim gets a hard on for Ted Nugent. How would people feel if Ted Nugent's new tripe showed up as a 'gift'?

I look at the 'gift' as a feature of the new iTunes. It was perhaps questionable to push it out like that, but it is what it is.

Yet every time I read about someone 'disappearing' things, or automatically pushing things onto people's devices/computers, I get a little edgy... I wouldn't want someone coming into my house and filling my refrigerator with Pepsi, or Odwalla, or swapping my toilet paper...

And if this drop results in high charting for that album, now you know how a certain aspect of the book publishing business works. For some niche authors, their 'books' are mysteriously sold by the pallet loads while the local bookstore (if you are lucky enough to have one (Walmarts don't count BTW)) can't give them away. Most of those pallets are either shipped to a pulp mill, or the books are given away as 'perks', or just for something to give...

Sales numbers are often inflated, and gamed... (Like movie releases. They say 'screens' because a theatre company is contractually required to 'show' the movie on a 'screen'. I witnessed this once by coming in late for a not very well reviewed movie. They were 'playing' the movie with the light off. They had to send someone up to turn the projector bulb, and sound system on)
 
Yep it's selling so well that they had to force Apple users to have the album on iTunes even if we didn't like it or want it. Really, on my Purchased Songs Apple? :rolleyes:
I don't understand what's such a big deal. It's just a couple of free songs that you don't even have to listen to and that you can hide from your library.
 
I'm not a big U2 fan but I think the stunt was a good one*.
I did not download the album and probably won't but it doesn't bother me that it's there, siting in my purchased. Who knows...

(there is so much of my real purchases that I won't download again on my future iDevice.. :eek:)

Anyway, I can see why some people are mad about it.





*The "free" part, not the countdown!
 
I agree that money is not the end-all. But I'd also argue that as an artist if all you are concerned about are sales numbers, chart positioning, and awards you are equally as superficial.



True artists are invested in influence, which is often linked to getting their works in the hands of as many people as possible. U2 has done just that, even if it ruffled a few feathers.


Hmm, I see what you're saying but if I were an artist I would never force my music down people's throats. I would want them to want it. The sales numbers and awards would then validate that I produced 'quality' work.

But that's just me.
 
Sub par filler material

The new album by U2 is just simply bad. It's all basic filler rehashed music with no creativity whatsoever. At least Apple could have got a band with more to offer for the launch.
 
It was a questionable strategy by Apple. I'm not sure what to think about it. On the one hand I don't like stuff being forced upon me, but on the other hand it wasn't much of a transgression. Now if the album had started downloading onto my phone automatically then that might have been an issue. But it's fairly easy and painless to remove it from the iCloud list. However, I think their music is decent (I like a wide variety of things), so I'll keep it around. But I mainly use Rdio anyway so yeah. Don't really store music on my device aside from some offline Rdio playlists. Will probably expand that with my 128GB iPhone 6 Plus on the way next Friday :D
 
I was not pleased to find a direct marketing blast (this album) in my list of iTunes purchases. Oh, I need to jump through some hoops to "hide" it? Weak. Also invasive. I can feel the greed radiating from Cupertino and Dublin alike. Urgh.

Seriously considering a Galaxy S5 instead of an iPhone 6 after this stunt. iOS has been feeling a bit stale anyway...
 
Life is so tough

OK, I'm not a U2 fan at all. But is it so awful to get a free album, even if not your first choice? Maybe I'll listen to it some day. Maybe not. Meanwhile, I can easily ditch it if I decide it takes too much room on my phone. All this angst about something that cost nothing, that can be easily thrown away if not wanted. People are interesting -- "I want a different free prize." Get a life. "I'm so mad I'm going to get a SamDung." Good luck with that.
 
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Do we really need this Monsanto shill involved with Apple? He and Bill Gates are involved with spreading GMOs into Africa and the rest of the thrid world under the guise of doing something good for people.
Bono makes me barf
 
Then delete it and stop complaining they gave you a freebie.

You can not delete it, you can only hide it. It will stay in your purchased receipts forever AND iTunes starts to recommend (genius) you other U2 music because it thinks you bought an Album...an so on.

Robert Kondrk should be fired immediately!
 
Unpleasant Association

At least I bought all my Apple gear before this event, because from now on it's all tainted, in my view, by association with this bunch.
 
Presumably this could disappear from people's purchased lists if they haven't downloaded or streamed it by the time it stops being free? Do we know what will happen then?

I don't really understand people getting upset about a free album they have absolutely no obligation to download or listen to if they don't want to.

I think more big acts like U2 should give albums away, it's basically PR for their gigs nowadays anyway, it's a good idea. But yeah, maybe make it free to 'purchase' rather than automatically pre-purchased if people are going to freak out so much, or it defeats the purpose of the promotional value a little, I guess.

#firstworldproblems
 
I don't understand what's such a big deal. It's just a couple of free songs that you don't even have to listen to and that you can hide from your library.


I think an issue (I was tracking some tweets yesterday of people complaining) is that hiding / deleting the album is impossible without iTunes on your computer.
 
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