This whole thing is really a litmus test which probably explains the limitation to the US for sales. The 5 labels also only have a 1-year contract with Apple for this. For all we know, they might just take the model if it works and run with it on their own after that.
That is exactly what I was thinking. I would think they may want to take Apples cut for themselves if this pans out.
Beware all. The store is not a safe place to be. Extremely tempting during that 30 second stream to jump on that buy button.
I'm pretty sure that songs are taxed based on a question it asked me during my account set up (do you live inside of the city or outside of the city? that's only ever asked of me for tax purposes) So now it's going to be more than 99 cents per song, it's going to be over $1 per song. Just a few cents more, but not as attractive.
And some albums are indeed over $9.99 - Kylie Minogue's latest album is $13.86 for 14 songs.
Since Apple is offering product legally, rights issues are a problem Don't blame Apple, blame the record companies in Europe. By the end of the year I'm sure the service will be available outside the U.S.
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Here is a newspaper article from today's paper here in Rochester, NY. It was on the frontpage of the Democrat & Chronicle. Click on thumbnail of article for bigger picture to read from.
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Jeez, steve, give us a break now and then.
It has to do with the realities of the music business. It's not us vs. you. The fact that Apple got the 5 major labels to agree to this program is amazing. At the moment artists get different royalties based on country of origin. I would guess that when the music service is localized by country, perhaps then you'll be able to buy product... and some of the product will be more in tune with localized artists of the country of origin as well.
after some inital problems, the store seems to be working fine now...
i'm making my first album download right now, as a matter of fact...
this could become horrible addictive.
Tell me about it. Just been merrily clicking away - one song took about 15 seconds at most. One album, beautifully quick. Good-bye $20 in 5 mins.
That's incredible - Apple just made $6 off me. Here was I bitching about other charges such as .Mac - but this is such good business. Guess what - it's OK. It's great for me and good for them.
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Jeez, steve, give us a break now and then.
not wanting to rub it in, but I'm currently happily living as an Englishman in New York!
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Jeez, steve, give us a break now and then.
However, Sherlock sux IMHO - no great use for it. The airline schedules are never up to date, ebay is better on the website itself, movies are not that good especially as you can't buy tix for where you want to go, and the search I find to be annoying vague.
Great servce all together but i searched for Guns N' Roses and their Live Era cd cost 19,98$. I previously bought it as a gift for my cousin for 15,99$
It has to do with the realities of the music business. It's not us vs. you. The fact that Apple got the 5 major labels to agree to this program is amazing. At the moment artists get different royalties based on country of origin. I would guess that when the music service is localized by country, perhaps then you'll be able to buy product... and some of the product will be more in tune with localized artists of the country of origin as well.
The localizations you are suggesting imply restrictions on the choice given to people living in different countries.
These are what the entertainment industry desires but in the globaly networked times we live have no right to exist. The Internet knows no borders. Altough the entertainment industry tries to create artificial ones - think of the Region Code on DVDs.
And, no offense, you sort of miss the point: It is not just the new music service. What sets most users outside the US up is the fact that recent services that represent the added value a Mac offers are simply unavailable. No online photo prints or book ordering out of iPhoto, hardly any Sherlok channels and as of yet no iTunes Music Store.
All of these were promised to be worked on - but nothing changed as of now. And it remains to be seen whether the music service will make its way out of the US and around the world - well at least most of it.
This is really frustating. And you wouldn't want to be treated as second class customer either, would you?
I understand what you're saying. Don't you have artists in Germany that don't have large followings in the U.S. or say, Japan? What I'm trying to say is that to be a better service in your country the Music Store needs to take those things into consideration I believe. Once it is up and running and proves to be successful (or not) in the U.S. I think you'll see your own store (just as you have a local Apple Store website). The other things you talk about are unrelated to this particular topic although I understand your frustration. Write a letter to Apple Germany perhaps?
I understand what you're saying. Don't you have artists in Germany that don't have large followings in the U.S. or say, Japan? What I'm trying to say is that to be a better service in your country the Music Store needs to take those things into consideration I believe. Once it is up and running and proves to be successful (or not) in the U.S. I think you'll see your own store (just as you have a local Apple Store website). The other things you talk about are unrelated to this particular topic although I understand your frustration. Write a letter to Apple Germany perhaps?
Peter
Have you ever written to Apple? I fear it has no effect.
And sometimes the German Apple Store - or the whole site for that matter - is not properly localized: lots of original english language paragraphs within an otherwise German page, text graphics and even whole pages. I haven't seen a serious advertising campaign here since the beginning of 2001. And Apple's refusal to open Apple Stores outside the US, not even in capitals and metrolos. No wonder marketshare is shrinking.
The point I was trying to make by listing all the other shortcomings in Apple's parctizes outside the US was to express my fear that we will never see this music service as we don't get the other goodies - altough they were quotably promised by Apple officials.
I think that localizing the music service is a good instrument to some extent - to support the local bands and artists you mentioned. But every user should be able to access the whole spectrum. So why not have a unified database with differing content at start-up?
I think that localizing the music service is a good instrument to some extent - to support the local bands and artists you mentioned. But every user should be able to access the whole spectrum. So why not have a unified database with differing content at start-up?
A unified database would certainly be a good thing, but there are certainly going to be issues with licensing that would almost certainly stop this. licensing is a total bitch.
128 kbit aac is abominable. Persoanlly, I think the music should be distributed 256 kbit for acceptable audio quality. Apple should be using aacPlus too. I'm not sure what the max bitrate for aacPlus, but I think somewhere in the vicinity of 160 kbit aacPlus would be good enough. If we're expected to buy tracks for $1 each, they should be at least somewhat close to the CD quality we're used too.
~160 kbit VBR aacPlus or ~256 kbit VBR aac please.
Comments
This whole thing is really a litmus test which probably explains the limitation to the US for sales. The 5 labels also only have a 1-year contract with Apple for this. For all we know, they might just take the model if it works and run with it on their own after that.
That is exactly what I was thinking. I would think they may want to take Apples cut for themselves if this pans out.
Beware all. The store is not a safe place to be. Extremely tempting during that 30 second stream to jump on that buy button.
And some albums are indeed over $9.99 - Kylie Minogue's latest album is $13.86 for 14 songs.
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
Since Apple is offering product legally, rights issues are a problem Don't blame Apple, blame the record companies in Europe. By the end of the year I'm sure the service will be available outside the U.S.
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Jeez, steve, give us a break now and then.
http://www.petitiononline.com/AppleInt/petition.html
Here is a newspaper article from today's paper here in Rochester, NY. It was on the frontpage of the Democrat & Chronicle. Click on thumbnail of article for bigger picture to read from.
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Jeez, steve, give us a break now and then.
It has to do with the realities of the music business. It's not us vs. you. The fact that Apple got the 5 major labels to agree to this program is amazing. At the moment artists get different royalties based on country of origin. I would guess that when the music service is localized by country, perhaps then you'll be able to buy product... and some of the product will be more in tune with localized artists of the country of origin as well.
Originally posted by pesi
after some inital problems, the store seems to be working fine now...
i'm making my first album download right now, as a matter of fact...
this could become horrible addictive.
Tell me about it. Just been merrily clicking away - one song took about 15 seconds at most. One album, beautifully quick. Good-bye $20 in 5 mins.
That's incredible - Apple just made $6 off me. Here was I bitching about other charges such as .Mac - but this is such good business. Guess what - it's OK. It's great for me and good for them.
Originally posted by jimdad
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Jeez, steve, give us a break now and then.
not wanting to rub it in, but I'm currently happily living as an Englishman in New York!
Originally posted by jimdad
No offence, but there speaks a non-european. I now have a Sherlock I can't find anything on, an iphoto i can't order prints on and a music service i can't download music from.
Jeez, steve, give us a break now and then.
However, Sherlock sux IMHO - no great use for it. The airline schedules are never up to date, ebay is better on the website itself, movies are not that good especially as you can't buy tix for where you want to go, and the search I find to be annoying vague.
not wanting to rub it in, but I'm currently happily living as an Englishman in New York!
Tawk about a fish out of wader!
edit: No Red Hot Chili Peppers!?! WTF
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
It has to do with the realities of the music business. It's not us vs. you. The fact that Apple got the 5 major labels to agree to this program is amazing. At the moment artists get different royalties based on country of origin. I would guess that when the music service is localized by country, perhaps then you'll be able to buy product... and some of the product will be more in tune with localized artists of the country of origin as well.
The localizations you are suggesting imply restrictions on the choice given to people living in different countries.
These are what the entertainment industry desires but in the globaly networked times we live have no right to exist. The Internet knows no borders. Altough the entertainment industry tries to create artificial ones - think of the Region Code on DVDs.
And, no offense, you sort of miss the point: It is not just the new music service. What sets most users outside the US up is the fact that recent services that represent the added value a Mac offers are simply unavailable. No online photo prints or book ordering out of iPhoto, hardly any Sherlok channels and as of yet no iTunes Music Store.
All of these were promised to be worked on - but nothing changed as of now. And it remains to be seen whether the music service will make its way out of the US and around the world - well at least most of it.
This is really frustating. And you wouldn't want to be treated as second class customer either, would you?
I understand what you're saying. Don't you have artists in Germany that don't have large followings in the U.S. or say, Japan? What I'm trying to say is that to be a better service in your country the Music Store needs to take those things into consideration I believe. Once it is up and running and proves to be successful (or not) in the U.S. I think you'll see your own store (just as you have a local Apple Store website). The other things you talk about are unrelated to this particular topic although I understand your frustration. Write a letter to Apple Germany perhaps?
Peter
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
RolandG
I understand what you're saying. Don't you have artists in Germany that don't have large followings in the U.S. or say, Japan? What I'm trying to say is that to be a better service in your country the Music Store needs to take those things into consideration I believe. Once it is up and running and proves to be successful (or not) in the U.S. I think you'll see your own store (just as you have a local Apple Store website). The other things you talk about are unrelated to this particular topic although I understand your frustration. Write a letter to Apple Germany perhaps?
Peter
Have you ever written to Apple? I fear it has no effect.
And sometimes the German Apple Store - or the whole site for that matter - is not properly localized: lots of original english language paragraphs within an otherwise German page, text graphics and even whole pages. I haven't seen a serious advertising campaign here since the beginning of 2001. And Apple's refusal to open Apple Stores outside the US, not even in capitals and metrolos. No wonder marketshare is shrinking.
The point I was trying to make by listing all the other shortcomings in Apple's parctizes outside the US was to express my fear that we will never see this music service as we don't get the other goodies - altough they were quotably promised by Apple officials.
I think that localizing the music service is a good instrument to some extent - to support the local bands and artists you mentioned. But every user should be able to access the whole spectrum. So why not have a unified database with differing content at start-up?
Originally posted by RolandG
I think that localizing the music service is a good instrument to some extent - to support the local bands and artists you mentioned. But every user should be able to access the whole spectrum. So why not have a unified database with differing content at start-up?
A unified database would certainly be a good thing, but there are certainly going to be issues with licensing that would almost certainly stop this. licensing is a total bitch.
128 kbit aac is abominable. Persoanlly, I think the music should be distributed 256 kbit for acceptable audio quality. Apple should be using aacPlus too. I'm not sure what the max bitrate for aacPlus, but I think somewhere in the vicinity of 160 kbit aacPlus would be good enough. If we're expected to buy tracks for $1 each, they should be at least somewhat close to the CD quality we're used too.
~160 kbit VBR aacPlus or ~256 kbit VBR aac please.