ITMS in Canada?

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
I'm very pleased to see the iTunes Music Store launched in the UK, France and Germany as I have friends in those countries who believed it would take forever. Still, why has ITMS not yet launched in Canada? It seems especially odd, as we get most of the new techology (most because we don't have the iPod mini yet) when it is announced in the States.



Anyone have an idea when Apple plans to correct this oversight?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    pbg3pbg3 Posts: 211member
    It's legal to download music in Canada, Apple would have no stance to sell it.
  • Reply 2 of 19
    I dont think that is it at all. I think that its due to the fact that everything has to be offered in french and english. Everything else should be in place if not already in place for launch. Plus I dont think Apple is in a big hurry, Canada isnt a very large part of the big picture music sales wise. Just be patient, it will come soon enough.
  • Reply 3 of 19
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    I think it may be a combination of the two reasons.

    If it's legal, why would anyone want to pay for a song they can get for free (I know, i know, Karma and quality).

    And of course, Canada's population make it a small market, getting even smaller with the legal issues.



    As you say, it will probably come...but sadly they're not in any hurry.
  • Reply 4 of 19
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by satchmo

    I think it may be a combination of the two reasons.

    If it's legal, why would anyone want to pay for a song they can get for free (I know, i know, Karma and quality).

    And of course, Canada's population make it a small market, getting even smaller with the legal issues.



    As you say, it will probably come...but sadly they're not in any hurry.




    apple has confirmed that iTMS canada is "on the radar." just be patient.
  • Reply 5 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally posted by satchmo

    I think it may be a combination of the two reasons.

    If it's legal, why would anyone want to pay for a song they can get for free (I know, i know, Karma and quality).

    And of course, Canada's population make it a small market, getting even smaller with the legal issues.





    I agree, thanks to current laws in Canada, we can download anything we like and not worry about legalities. However, I'm getting a tad tired of going over the iTunes store catalog, thinking, 'hey, I'd like that', and then waiting for a hit on multiple p2p apps for the song. Karma aside, I'm willing to pay the buck to avoid the hassle of 'illegallly' downloading.
  • Reply 6 of 19
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    The problem is that Canada is a small market. And Apple has taken so long to grab that market that competitors already took some of it. So now the market is even smaller for Apple. Is it worth it anymore?
  • Reply 7 of 19
    leonisleonis Posts: 3,427member
    Canada - a country at the size that's roughly the same as the entire Europe - with a low population of just a thousand below 30 million people. Not a very big market
  • Reply 8 of 19
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    There's definitely trouble in Canuckistan.



    AOL is an Apple partner, and if I'm not mistaken, the iTMS is the preferred provider of music downloads on AOL in the U.S.



    Yesterday, AOL Canada announced a partnership with Puretracks for music downloads.



    If iTMS was close to launching here, AOL Canada would definitely know.



    Not a good sign. Not at all.
  • Reply 9 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Frank777

    Yesterday, AOL Canada announced a partnership with Puretracks for music downloads.



    That IS bad news, I investigated Puretracks when they first came out -- due mainly to a cool ad campaign -- and discovered that they don't use the mp3 format. I asked why and was told that they felt they'd have a wider audience among Windows users.



    Looks like I'll be p2p'ing for a while, yet.
  • Reply 10 of 19
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Candada= small market yet they seem to want to barain like their a large market. I don't think you see iTMS in Canuckland for a while. The rest of Europe and Japan will come first.
  • Reply 11 of 19
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Candada= small market yet they seem to want to barain like their a large market.



    <I'll ignore the typos>



    Huh? Whose bargaining? There are no fewer than four download services up and running in Canada. Outside of a few devoted Apple fanatics like us, nobody's waiting to "bargain" with Apple. Apple is losing here, not Canada.



    With regard to our "small size"...



    Canada isn't yet up their with South Korea, but we've rolled out Cable and DSL far faster than you guys south of the border. Add to that the sheer size and spread of the population (which makes net shopping attractive) as well as the weather factor (who wants to go to the record store in January!) and it's clear music download sales in Canada can be very lucrative.
  • Reply 12 of 19
    leonisleonis Posts: 3,427member
    Puretrack is operated by Canadian company. Sometimes the governement gives priority to the "local" corporations



    Anyway, in Canada it's legal to download music from p2p network, I don't know how iTMS will perform here.
  • Reply 13 of 19
    2 words. Puretracks sucks.
  • Reply 14 of 19
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Leonis

    Puretrack is operated by Canadian company. Sometimes the governement gives priority to the "local" corporations.



    The government isn't involved here. Apple has to negotiate with copyright associations.



    Personally, I think they're taking a quiet stand against the Canadian legal situation. They're sending a message that the Government should outlaw P2P or they won't bring the iTMS north.



    Apple has always been a vocal defender of copyrights.
  • Reply 15 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Frank777

    Personally, I think they're taking a quiet stand against the Canadian legal situation. They're sending a message that the Government should outlaw P2P or they won't bring the iTMS north.



    Apple has always been a vocal defender of copyrights.




    No offense to the rest, but I think that's the most intelligent analysis of the current situation. Canada is not a small market, I looked at the French site and the langauge doesn't stray from Quebequois french, so the language barrier is out..



    No, I agree, this must be a legal issue; how can Apple expect to be competitive in a counrty where you can download from p2p without fear of the law?
  • Reply 16 of 19
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Marc Grant

    No, I agree, this must be a legal issue; how can Apple expect to be competitive in a counrty where you can download from p2p without fear of the law?



    Not to mention all the bad karma that it brings.

    The record labels just went after the service providers a few weeks ago and lost at the Supreme court level.

    Their next plan of attack is to change the copyright laws.

    So eventually, I suspect new legislation will finally make P2P illegal...but as you know with government, this ain't gonna happen quickly.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    It's the music industry's own fault.



    As long as that copyright levy is charged on blank cds and dvds, Canadians will download without fear. To change the law, the suits would have to give up the $30 million or so collected so far and forego any further cashgrab.



    I wonder who'll end up with all that money?
  • Reply 18 of 19
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    I love that law. Let's charge a "music tax" on storage media that may or may not be used for music. It makes perfect sense!
  • Reply 19 of 19
    rolandgrolandg Posts: 632member
    With a levy on blank media and even burners and the fact that German judges and lawmakers do not regard the downloading of copyright protected material as illegal (but circumventing copyprotection mechanisms and providing it), we have are similar situation than the Canadians.



    It did not keep Apple from opening the iTMS over here. I guess it all depends on how big the countries stake in the international music market is.



    Maybe the Canadian store will be similar to the pan-European store that Apple is set to open in October. I guess this means bad selection and no adaption to local interests and artists. Selection and recent material is still the number one constraint over here.



    It seems, the European iTMSs are not regarded as full citizen compared to a physical music store as it is in the US.
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