Apple offers free taste of iTunes LP format with 'Holiday Sampler'

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited July 2014
Apple is promoting its new iTunes LP format with a free downloadable selection of 20 holiday songs from a variety of popular artists.



The free iTunes Holiday Sampler download includes a variety of artists from wide-ranging genres, such as Toby Keith, Weezer, Glasvegas, Barry Manilow, and comedian Stephen Colbert. The iTunes LP collects the songs from a variety of albums and compilations, with Christmas classics such as "The First Noel," "Silent Night, "Twelve Days of Christmas, and "O Holy Night."



First released in September, the unique iTunes LP format bundles an entire album with additional bonus content and accompanying graphics and design, all encased in an iTunes window. Apple reportedly created the format with the intent of spurring sales of entire albums, rather than just singles.



iTunes LP content, originally codenamed "Cocktail," is a multi-party collaboration between Apple and large record labels EMI, Sony, Warner and Universal. LP albums add audio, video, pictures, liner notes and more, exclusively to full-album purchases.



The iTunes Holiday Sampler includes lyrics for some of the songs, and album art showcasing what record the song was originally a part of. The winter graphics include falling snowflakes in the background.







Apple updated its Apple TV software to version 3.0 in October, bringing support for iTunes LP, as well as the movie bonus material iTunes Extras. With the update, users can view and play back iTunes LP content on their HDTV via the Apple TV.







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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 56
    pg4gpg4g Posts: 383member
    Apple really needed to do this; how is anyone supposed to trust that an LP is worth the cash if they have to shell out the cash just to find out? Good move on Apple's part, probably because they saw iTunes LP sales were slack for this very reason.
  • Reply 2 of 56
    So, anyone know if album sales have actually increased due to LP?
  • Reply 3 of 56
    What, no link to the sampler? =/
  • Reply 4 of 56
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Good idea. I?ve been curious about these.
  • Reply 5 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple is promoting its new iTunes LP format with a free downloadable selection of 20 holiday songs from a variety of popular artists.





    This is only available from the US store. I can't get this through the Canadian store. Pity.
  • Reply 6 of 56
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PG4G View Post


    Apple really needed to do this; how is anyone supposed to trust that an LP is worth the cash if they have to shell out the cash just to find out? Good move on Apple's part, probably because they saw iTunes LP sales were slack for this very reason.



    Perhaps, but I never expected this to take off like wildfire. When this first appeared I first thought of an open standards format for print subscriptions to migrate over to the tablet and other devices easily. Then I thought about the one area of movie and TV downloads that have always been lacking: the Extras and DVD-like interface.



    I think that the liner notes from CDs are the least compelling reason for this basic format. Sure, if you really love an artist/group you may get it but it will have to contain some original suff (which it apparently does) and it needs to have ALAC audio files (which it apparently doesn?t).
  • Reply 7 of 56
    dcj001dcj001 Posts: 301member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dagamer34 View Post


    What, no link to the sampler? =/



    http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/itu...affId=1503186#
  • Reply 8 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Larry767 View Post


    This is only available from the US store. I can't get this through the Canadian store. Pity.



    If you happen to have a friend or family member in the US, get them to buy a gift card, send you the code and register it using their US address.
  • Reply 9 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Larry767 View Post


    This is only available from the US store. I can't get this through the Canadian store. Pity.



    Yes, I really wish these article writers would remember that there's a world outside the US. I'm very excited about this announcement by Apple, but if it's US-only, it doesn't do me any good. \
  • Reply 10 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I think that the liner notes from CDs are the least compelling reason for this basic format. Sure, if you really love an artist/group you may get it but it will have to contain some original suff (which it apparently does) and it needs to have ALAC audio files (which it apparently doesn?t).



    No, the least compelling reason is the custom UI for every album. It's like myspace iTunes style.
  • Reply 11 of 56
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Something free from Apple?

    Did hell freeze over again was it the Red Sea that parted?
  • Reply 12 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post


    Yes, I really wish these article writers would remember that there's a world outside the US. I'm very excited about this announcement by Apple, but if it's US-only, it doesn't do me any good. \



    As above (#9), or go to the Apple store in Lynnwood Washington and buy a gift card.
  • Reply 13 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Something free from Apple?

    Did hell freeze over again was it the Red Sea that parted?



    I see the Grinch is back.
  • Reply 14 of 56
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Quote:

    The iTunes Holiday Sampler includes lyrics for some of the songs, and album art showcasing what record the song was originally a part of. The winter graphics include falling snowflakes in the background.



    Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but I downloaded the album and only seem to be able to play the tracks. How does one access the extra material?
  • Reply 15 of 56
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post


    I see the Grinch is back.



    Dr. Seuss would fit your level of reading comprehension, yes.
  • Reply 16 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Dr. Seuss would fit your level of reading comprehension, yes.



    Merry Christmas, Scrooge
  • Reply 17 of 56
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wesley84 View Post


    So, anyone know if album sales have actually increased due to LP?



    Apple doesn't divulge that kind of line by line information- may prove too embarassing. But Apple is giving away something free which never happens- so you do the math.
  • Reply 18 of 56
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but I downloaded the album and only seem to be able to play the tracks. How does one access the extra material?



    Access the iTunes LP, not the individual songs. It’ll have Various Artists under Artists if you click on your "Recently Added” Smart Album. Play the iTunes LP and you then get a webpage-like interface. Frankly, this one is pretty poorly done.
  • Reply 19 of 56
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by joelsalt View Post


    Merry Christmas, Scrooge



    Dicken's Scrooge is cool- number one at the iMax box office. And I am always being taunted by 3 scaryassed personas around here. So I get your point.
  • Reply 20 of 56
    I hope this works better on a computer - I downloaded this last night and played with it this morning on my AppleTV and it was a bit of a dog navigating through the different portions.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but I downloaded the album and only seem to be able to play the tracks. How does one access the extra material?



    If you purchased the album as a whole, you should have a "LP" 'track' with an icon that looks a bit like a book. Selecting that fires up the content.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post


    If you happen to have a friend or family member in the US, get them to buy a gift card, send you the code and register it using their US address.



    I have done this with the Japan store. Just know that it requires an additional iTunes account (tied to a different email address than any existing accounts you may have) as well as an address local to the account's country - but you can simply look up a business address (or that of a friend) and use it...
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