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U2 Manager Discusses $100M 'Songs of Innocence' Marketing Deal and Future Plans With Apple
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Over generalization. I am by no means a "U2 fanboy". They aren't even close to being my favorite band, but I appreciate getting the album for free.
It's an ad in our iTunes library!
... and it's BULLPYSS!
I happen to like U2, but that has no bearing. Do you want to see a bunch of ads in your library? Any at all of whomever? I sure don't. Did anyone get banged for data usage? Lose any storage?
First Beats by Dre, then 18K Gold plating on a highly perishable gadget, ads in our libraries, holy hell. Why not just let Kanye West run the company. $300 headphones that look like turds and sound like $20 headphones. Wow. Just Wow. Gaudy gold plating on the Watch for who? Russian mafia?
... and it's BULLPYSS!
I happen to like U2, but that has no bearing. Do you want to see a bunch of ads in your library? Any at all of whomever? I sure don't. Did anyone get banged for data usage? Lose any storage?
First Beats by Dre, then 18K Gold plating on a highly perishable gadget, ads in our libraries, holy hell. Why not just let Kanye West run the company. $300 headphones that look like turds and sound like $20 headphones. Wow. Just Wow. Gaudy gold plating on the Watch for who? Russian mafia?
Everybody here bitching about something they got for free. Its music, broaden your horizons or something. Im a huge electronic music fan, i listened to the whole album, it wasn't half bad. If you didn't know you got it for free, i bet you wouldn't even know and would be going about your business as usual. Just pretend you didn't get it so you can complain about not getting it when you find out other people got it for free. It could have been a LOT worse, "hey everybody, were pushing an assortment of themed U2 desktop and iPhone backgrounds to help promote their album" could have been WAY worse. lol
Shareholders should be looking very closely at Tim and whomever else thought it was wise to approve this. Regardless of how much is in the coffers this appears to be a poor business decision on Apple's end.
U2 on the other hand made out like a bandit.
U2 on the other hand made out like a bandit.
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Supermarket music. Put it on in the background, ignore it mostly, and concentrate on picking out the GMO food of your choice. Bono's got a great recipe for Whirled Peas.
Is that what you are calling free? An ad? "Broaden your horizons"? What if a person already decided they don't like that music? Something wrong with that person? It's a freaking ad!
Clearly, Apple isn't getting music. First, the beats acquisition and now this. I don't see how this is going to help Apple... It certainly won't help them look cool in the eyes of the younger demographic. If anything, it makes them look old and stodgy; a brand for old people.
With a $100MM, they should've partnered with several, more relevant artists across several genres and given users a choice.
With a $100MM, they should've partnered with several, more relevant artists across several genres and given users a choice.
U just insulted an apple product on macrumors. Brace yourself for the horde of fanbois incoming to defend it
I was looking for new music to listen to when I go running and surprisingly this new U2 album is pretty decent to run to.
A lot of people don't seem to have thought this through... Making it free on iTunes would have meant it being free for only a certain amount of time (some people would miss out if they didn't hear about it) or forever, meaning there's no reward for being an Apple customer when they 'hit the button' because you could just sign up for a new account to get it.
With it being under my purchased music I can download it if I feel like it, delete it when I don't want it any more and all without a ticking clock. Who can really complain about free songs anyway?! People can really act like a bunch of ungrateful kids sometimes, it's like Santa didn't get you the right toy for Christmas - grow up!
With it being under my purchased music I can download it if I feel like it, delete it when I don't want it any more and all without a ticking clock. Who can really complain about free songs anyway?! People can really act like a bunch of ungrateful kids sometimes, it's like Santa didn't get you the right toy for Christmas - grow up!
Isn't the point of an ad to try to get you to buy something? Well, then this isn't an ad, because they gave it for free.
Maybe that's the new generation. It's free, it won't hurt you. You don't ever have to listen to it. For most people it is to download manually because they did deactivate automatic downloads (which is good). I have quite a few albums in my purchased list I will likely never listen to. All by apple during 12 days 12 presents Christmas event.
In a time not long ago...When I was a child my parent taught me to be nice and thankful for a gift. I did not have to like, play with, or eat it... whatsoever. But I had to say thank you (later also no thank you, but I hardly ever did this,) because a person thought of me and gave me something for free. The last thing my parents wanted to see that I act out and behave like a spoiled kid. Times have changed quickly.
In a time not long ago...When I was a child my parent taught me to be nice and thankful for a gift. I did not have to like, play with, or eat it... whatsoever. But I had to say thank you (later also no thank you, but I hardly ever did this,) because a person thought of me and gave me something for free. The last thing my parents wanted to see that I act out and behave like a spoiled kid. Times have changed quickly.
Yes, because Tim has the power to spend $100m without the consent of the board.
I'd be shocked if the board needs to give Tim
approval for such tactical decisions. $100MM is a drop in the bucket for Apple.
That said, it really was a horrible waste of shareholder dollars. Apple clearly is out of touch when it comes to music and that should be the most concerning issue for shareholders.
One silver lining here is that this will force a lot of people to learn the ins and outs of iTunes music management who would have otherwise never had the opportunity
I like U2 ended up being a sweet deal for me.
But I can see how pissed some would be about a random band showing up in their iPhone or iPad.
I know this is going to sound like a broken record, but I really don't think Steve would of done this, he was very hesitant to even let U2 put Product (RED) on the outside of it's products..
"As the story goes from Bonos account, Jobs was an early believer in the Product Red initiative but did not want to display the parentheses from the Product Red branding, (RED) or (Product) RED. Bono made the case that the parentheses served to united the various companies that partner with Product Red and argued it was the branding of Product Red. Jobs, according to Bono, agreed to participate in Product Red but said Apple would not use the parentheses.
After an exchange over email and phone, Steve Jobs conceded to using the (Product) RED and (RED) logo, parentheses and all, on products under the partnership, but the parentheses would never be featured in the Apple Store as a compromise. Bono said that approach is still in tact to this day."
Source:http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/23/jony-...d-product-red-at-cannes-lions-festival-video/
I think it was a bit gimmicky.
But I can see how pissed some would be about a random band showing up in their iPhone or iPad.
I know this is going to sound like a broken record, but I really don't think Steve would of done this, he was very hesitant to even let U2 put Product (RED) on the outside of it's products..
"As the story goes from Bonos account, Jobs was an early believer in the Product Red initiative but did not want to display the parentheses from the Product Red branding, (RED) or (Product) RED. Bono made the case that the parentheses served to united the various companies that partner with Product Red and argued it was the branding of Product Red. Jobs, according to Bono, agreed to participate in Product Red but said Apple would not use the parentheses.
After an exchange over email and phone, Steve Jobs conceded to using the (Product) RED and (RED) logo, parentheses and all, on products under the partnership, but the parentheses would never be featured in the Apple Store as a compromise. Bono said that approach is still in tact to this day."
Source:http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/23/jony-...d-product-red-at-cannes-lions-festival-video/
I think it was a bit gimmicky.
I remember a while ago in their "12 days of Christmas" campaign, there was some stuff I liked, some stuff that my wife liked and I really disliked, ...
and as a result, some of these items were really absolutely down voted in the store, because people got something for free that they didn't want.
Like you, I just don't get it. So I don't like that Bieber kid. Do I go on iTunes and give him 1 star ratings? Of course not. I don't care about him. If Apple gave me an album or "Justin Bieber complete works" for free, would I give him 1 star ratings? Of course not. It's the kind of thing you ignore.
(I _have_ given low ratings to books that I found interesting but turned out to be rubbish. So it's not "I don't complain/give low ratings", it's "I don't complain/give low ratings for things I don't care about").