As much as I am against illegal file sharing these idiots bring it on themselves. They were behind the times for digital distribution and illegal file sharing just skyrocketed. Now they are refusing to sell un DRMed tracks even though the customer is demanding it.
Either way Apple needs to start selling >128k tracks. People really want this and they are starting to go illegal for this reason.
I wouldn't even consider paying for digital downloads unless they were CD quality. I buy my CDs around $5 each from BMG in lots. Of course, I don't buy DRM'd music either.
Maybe Apple should get a cut of every CD sale. Everyone knows CDs are just iPod food.
Totally Agree.
CD's only exist as raw material for my iPod to process into music.
There are > 28,000 songs in my iTunes, every single one of them legally obtained. I do not *ever* download illegally and refuse to accept "burned" or bootleg cds.
Who does this clown think he is? I am a customer not a criminal. If it was practical to boycott Universal I would, but frankly its not - they're just too big.
I hope Apple fights this tooth and nail and refuses to give in, even if it means losing universal from iTunes. Universal needs Apple as much as Apple needs them. Maybe more.
Why should Universal get royalties for each iPod sold? Do iPods now come bundled with music and movies from Universal? No. So what do they have to do with the iPod? Nothing. If I have a bunch of songs on my iPod from other music publishers why should I be paying their competition to listen to them? It makes no sense. If I buy a CD from Sony Music do I have to pay Panasonic for the privilege of playing it on one of their CD players? Of course not. That would be as stupid as this idea. If Apple agreed to this it would be the end of them. Every other music publisher would follow suit and demand Apple give them a share of iPod profits. Universal has been backwards and corrupt for some time now. This isn't surprising.
Steve Jobs wears the pants in this relationship. All he has to say is that anyone with a decent internet connection and an iPod will no longer have access to UMG's catalog, then they'll cave. (Remember, Apple talked all of the labels down from increasing the per-song charge.) Morris is an idiot for playing his hand this long before the talks.
And I don't doubt that Apple will push hard for the song credit when users want to buy albums after buying singles.
I don't completely buy the story that Microsoft approached UMG about the kickbacks. Microsoft probably wore the skirt on that deal but figured they might mess up Apple's edge in the market.
The iPod has a coolness factor that musicians want to be associated with. Universal may find their artist list dwindling if they refuse their music to Apple's users. iPod friendly labels will attract these performers. Frankly, in a purely digital world, music can travel from artist to iPod without a "record company" involved. The breaking point will be when digital sales are greater than CD sales. At that point an artist can simply create their work and sell it to the market via iTunes, without Sony, Universal, BMG, etc.
Well, illegal downloading was really hot starting in 1999, which means that computers are, in fact, illegal storage devices. Moreover, a portion of revenues from iTunes Player distribution should be given to the RIAA members. Do you realize how much Apple has made aiding and abetting illegal music-listening by giving away the iTunes media player? With computers and software, Apple is no different than the makers of soft-tipped bullets. And un-American too. And remember, if you don't watch the commercials, you're stealing television.
This is hot air and posturing from a scared industry and will result in nothing. Nothing.
Universal got a sniff of free money from Microsoft; that one didn't pan out, but now they are hungry for more. It's also disingenuous to say that the royalty kickback is to offset the losses due to piracy; if so how are they figuring out how to compensate the artists that aren't getting their royalties? I suspect they haven't given it a thought. The fact that piracy exists stems from the fact that the music industry failed to move with the market. A technology was around for so long untouched that random users built I giant market around it without any distributor help whatsoever.
I remember having MP3s in 1994 folks, not only should the distro houses all be put out of business by default, If I were a musician of note I'd fire them immediately for incompetence (and likely contracts would be easy to argue out of in court) and find or start a distribution company that didn't suffer from a total lack of will and intelligence.
I don't completely buy the story that Microsoft approached UMG about the kickbacks. Microsoft probably wore the skirt on that deal but figured they might mess up Apple's edge in the market.
"Microsoft said it will offer similar arrangements to other music labels."
So it sounds to me like this is primarily Microsoft doing the talking here. They're willing to villainize their entire Zune customer base just to win cheap points with the record companies.
The way I see it, if someone charges you for piracy then you are legally entitled to pirate. Bring it on I say. $1 is cheap for every song I could ever want.
UMG gets $1 for every Zune sold? So that's 12..13 dollars so far!
LOL.
If universal tries to pull that with apple, SJ will turn around, put his pinky to his mouth and say, "How about no Scott?"
I am proud to say that I have only illegal music on both my computer and shiny new 4g nano. Well, actually, thats not entirely true, I get the free download of the week each week, and I did copy a lot of stuff off freinds/siblings, which would make it semi-legal. But screw the RIAA, I live in Australia and I'm a minor, so I'm reasonably sure they cant touch me. Yet
And If they can, well, Ive just boned myself royally if it comes to a court case
I will sleep with a magnet under my pillow at all times
EDIT: and by the by, I have over 7000 tracks on my computer. Just to be a prick and brag
Well, this turns out, what many of us doesnt see, why zune could be a major milestone. Everyone is trashing and bashing it a ive got to agree, that zune is no an ipod killer. But its not so bad either, its an alternative.
If you read relevant sources (not such an crap like the analysts, who post on the web, only to send the stock price up or down, like the idiot hu), than in this battle, the mostavaluable asset for microsft is so called defensive business. So microsoft goes in each market, which could treatened its two most valuable assets - windows or office. That was the point with sony playstation (when there was a fear it could turn on a multimedia hub or computer in households) sou we got an xbox. It lost billions of dollars, but the point was to slow down sony a financialy bleed them - after 5 years we can see the impact.
The same for zune. Apple was growing far too strong, so build an mp3 player. If it doesnt make profits for 5 years, no problem. Each year the products gets better and gains more market share (like xbox 360). If it suceeds, great, even more profits (xbox 360 is sligthly getting profitable now, but compare the earnings from windows or gaming division:o). What is the point of fighting apple in market, where apple is superior and loved by many........royalties from music - universal is just the beginning. Music industry wants more, msft gives it to them and why? Because when the music industry accepts this (and they would be dumb when not), than apple has to pay a lot of money, a lot more than today and a lot more than msft, just count how many millions of ipod will be sold x royalties for each music player sold.
To win, you dont have to be better. You can win also, if you just slow down and hurt your opponent. So the assumption, the better always wins is false. For msft the ultimate goal is to protect windows and office - and in that they cannot lose (in foreseable future), cause either zune or xbox succeeds or fails, the goal will be accomplished.
PS.If you think its unmoral or unethic, well you might be right, but business is not moral or ethic, its about win and lose, like our lifes.
PS. Just 2 cents to xbox or xbox 360. It lost a lot of money (lets say 3-4 billions for the 5 years). But what it gained in windows or offices. And what it could lost, if sony would exist with no major opponent in every household and making windows for these people obsolete. So you just trade some losses in this business for profits in another one. The same like selling some stuff in a shop under the wholesale price, only to lure customers in my shop and sell them another stuff with a lot more profit. The same goes to mp3 and music business.....
those fool at the M$ camp are like spoill kid with their money an oe can fool the in some supid thing like royalties on the Zume.
could you imagine all that interlectual property that was poured into the ipod and now apple has to pay UMG for their interlectual property well if that the rules they are setting down well im going right back to illegal downloads .It is becasue of itunes/apple i went the legal path with music.
well it would be apple and the consumers waging war on umg
imagine they are thieves as well thats like holding a Gun to steve head for his interlecutal property
Because I remember we had such a charge on tapes in germany (or might still have), and it allowed you to copy music. At least from radio, but I think also from anything else. If it woulnd't, well, then what the hell would apple be paying for?
Comments
no no no, I sent them an email asking if they were legal and they said, "yes".
wow...they can read english?
As much as I am against illegal file sharing these idiots bring it on themselves. They were behind the times for digital distribution and illegal file sharing just skyrocketed. Now they are refusing to sell un DRMed tracks even though the customer is demanding it.
Either way Apple needs to start selling >128k tracks. People really want this and they are starting to go illegal for this reason.
I wouldn't even consider paying for digital downloads unless they were CD quality. I buy my CDs around $5 each from BMG in lots. Of course, I don't buy DRM'd music either.
Maybe Apple should get a cut of every CD sale. Everyone knows CDs are just iPod food.
Totally Agree.
CD's only exist as raw material for my iPod to process into music.
There are > 28,000 songs in my iTunes, every single one of them legally obtained. I do not *ever* download illegally and refuse to accept "burned" or bootleg cds.
Who does this clown think he is? I am a customer not a criminal. If it was practical to boycott Universal I would, but frankly its not - they're just too big.
I hope Apple fights this tooth and nail and refuses to give in, even if it means losing universal from iTunes. Universal needs Apple as much as Apple needs them. Maybe more.
Steve Jobs wears the pants in this relationship. All he has to say is that anyone with a decent internet connection and an iPod will no longer have access to UMG's catalog, then they'll cave. (Remember, Apple talked all of the labels down from increasing the per-song charge.) Morris is an idiot for playing his hand this long before the talks.
And I don't doubt that Apple will push hard for the song credit when users want to buy albums after buying singles.
I don't completely buy the story that Microsoft approached UMG about the kickbacks. Microsoft probably wore the skirt on that deal but figured they might mess up Apple's edge in the market.
these record companies are just ridiculous man.
This is hot air and posturing from a scared industry and will result in nothing. Nothing.
I remember having MP3s in 1994 folks, not only should the distro houses all be put out of business by default, If I were a musician of note I'd fire them immediately for incompetence (and likely contracts would be easy to argue out of in court) and find or start a distribution company that didn't suffer from a total lack of will and intelligence.
I don't completely buy the story that Microsoft approached UMG about the kickbacks. Microsoft probably wore the skirt on that deal but figured they might mess up Apple's edge in the market.
"Microsoft said it will offer similar arrangements to other music labels."
That was in an article at the following URL.
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seatt...l?surround=lfn
So it sounds to me like this is primarily Microsoft doing the talking here. They're willing to villainize their entire Zune customer base just to win cheap points with the record companies.
UMG gets $1 for every Zune sold? So that's 12..13 dollars so far!
LOL.
If universal tries to pull that with apple, SJ will turn around, put his pinky to his mouth and say, "How about no Scott?"
I am proud to say that I have only illegal music on both my computer and shiny new 4g nano. Well, actually, thats not entirely true, I get the free download of the week each week, and I did copy a lot of stuff off freinds/siblings, which would make it semi-legal. But screw the RIAA, I live in Australia and I'm a minor, so I'm reasonably sure they cant touch me. Yet
And If they can, well, Ive just boned myself royally if it comes to a court case
I will sleep with a magnet under my pillow at all times
EDIT: and by the by, I have over 7000 tracks on my computer. Just to be a prick and brag
If you read relevant sources (not such an crap like the analysts, who post on the web, only to send the stock price up or down, like the idiot hu), than in this battle, the mostavaluable asset for microsft is so called defensive business. So microsoft goes in each market, which could treatened its two most valuable assets - windows or office. That was the point with sony playstation (when there was a fear it could turn on a multimedia hub or computer in households) sou we got an xbox. It lost billions of dollars, but the point was to slow down sony a financialy bleed them - after 5 years we can see the impact.
The same for zune. Apple was growing far too strong, so build an mp3 player. If it doesnt make profits for 5 years, no problem. Each year the products gets better and gains more market share (like xbox 360). If it suceeds, great, even more profits (xbox 360 is sligthly getting profitable now, but compare the earnings from windows or gaming division:o). What is the point of fighting apple in market, where apple is superior and loved by many........royalties from music - universal is just the beginning. Music industry wants more, msft gives it to them and why? Because when the music industry accepts this (and they would be dumb when not), than apple has to pay a lot of money, a lot more than today and a lot more than msft, just count how many millions of ipod will be sold x royalties for each music player sold.
To win, you dont have to be better. You can win also, if you just slow down and hurt your opponent. So the assumption, the better always wins is false. For msft the ultimate goal is to protect windows and office - and in that they cannot lose (in foreseable future), cause either zune or xbox succeeds or fails, the goal will be accomplished.
PS.If you think its unmoral or unethic, well you might be right, but business is not moral or ethic, its about win and lose, like our lifes.
Maybe Apple should get a cut of every CD sale. Everyone knows CDs are just iPod food.
haha.
The Music Companies are unbelievable. This could (edit: SHOULD) be thought of as extorition.
could you imagine all that interlectual property that was poured into the ipod and now apple has to pay UMG for their interlectual property well if that the rules they are setting down well im going right back to illegal downloads .It is becasue of itunes/apple i went the legal path with music.
well it would be apple and the consumers waging war on umg
imagine they are thieves as well thats like holding a Gun to steve head for his interlecutal property