I think that only a few people will actually use iTunes LP, as the whole benefit of digital music was the ability to buy only those songs you wanted. This will be mostly for the enthusiasts. This means that apple has a new corporate hobby to indulge, along with apple tv.
Have you no imagination at all? This whole idea has the potential to be huge, huge I'm telling you. Not just for Music and Movies either, this could be an excellent format for many multimedia uses.
As long as their is provisions for the protection of IP I can see all sorts of uses for this standard.
Great - just what I've always wanted, yet another unwanted product to buy from my iTunes Jukebox, the AppleTV. Gee thanks Apple, maybe you should sell the Apple TV for $100 since all you do is keep adding more junk to buy from it.
Looks like I am not the only one wondering about this iTunes' new LP thing, the Digital Booklet! ...!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SinisterJoe
iTunes LP is a neat idea but I don't see it being any major selling point to the iTunes Store. I think if Apple was smart here they would have opened the format and tried to push it as a standard for all digital music distributers. Betting on their own ability to implement it better in the iPod than its competitors can in their products. If it remains some weird iTunes Store exclusive it's really not going to be anything more than a niche feature only available on some cherry picked albums.
Hope Apple creates an easy way to Create and Update this Digital Booklets!
Quote:
Originally Posted by saarek
I just bought the new Muse cd from iTunes, I only got it from iTunes as it's the LP version, I always felt cheated by the price of downloads as I could buy the cd from a shop for the same price, however considering all of the extras in the LP version I feel that I have gotten a fair deal.
I like the extras and feel it boosts the album, well done Apple and of course Muse.
I love the Extra material on DVD's! It would be great to have all of that Downloadable on iTunes, with the portability to iPhone and TV, Apple TV. Better yet, one should be able to Log into one's own Account and watch it from anywhere via Internet, whether it's coming from one's own computer, or Account in the Cloud!
Quote:
Originally Posted by gimpymw
MildlyBadJoe, iTunes LP is built using Javascript which is basically open and free to be used by anyone. I think Apple was smart to use an open standard rather than pushing a proprietary format.
Agree... There should be an Easy to use Application for authoring such Digital Booklets, updating them etc. to keep them alive, current, vs. written in stone on a physical media like DVD, CD etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveGee
Something I just thought about...
This new LP stuff....
Is it in any way... protected?
What I mean is, could I make my OWN LP for the Albums I have and inject them into iTunes?
Believe it or not 'fan art' is a HUGE thing with the HTPC crowd and the more detailed or interesting the better.
XBMC for example has many different skins, well all of them support 'fan art' in some way shape or form... but some of the skins really get into it they even have 'clear arts' (images without a background) that can be used when you pause a TV show you have in your system.
So..
Pause an episode of Buffy and a little image of buffy gets superimposed on top of the paused picture in the lower right corner of the screen. Or the cast of CIS if you're watching CSI etc etc etc. Just a neat 'on thats cool' feature.
Anyway... I could creative people (not me) trying to 'one up' each other designing their own LP covers. Yes this walks all over copyrights without question... but there are a lot of sites with tv and music 'fan arts' and they seem to be left alone for the most part.
Well I was just curious if with the right knowledge you could roll your own LP?
Anyone?
Dave
I assume that HTPC - Home Theater PC-Windows Crowd, right?
XBMC - X-Box? But what is MC?
Can that LP Digital Booklet extra content be added to the existing items on iTunes? That way it could be like the iTunes Plus, where one could pay small difference in $$ and Upgrade Previously Purchased Content to LP Version?
A WYSIWYG application for making & Previewing that Content before submitting it to iTunes, and can it be edited later, ala YouTube Accounts?
Would it be only by Apple made "Tool Kit" or an open format, or is it just for the Big Record Labels and Movie Studios to start with?
Ideally, that LP Booklet should be Built-in within iLife Suite and thus come with every Mac! Once the user is Authenticated as the Person in Charge of a LP Booklet, then on would be able to Sign In and Update it! Obviously to do that a lot of "dots" would have to be connected, so that the chaos doesn't blow up into everyone's face, with ID Theft and "oops, my data disappeared, how do I get it back!? Help!!!!!!!!!!!"
At least, it would be nice to see iTunes provide Artist Related Links, where the artists could Sign In & Update themselves! Thus far one can't even Copy and Paste Artist's Name or any other text from iTunes into Google, which is makes it more work to research that artist, and thus less attractive to buy things spontaneously!
Then, whenever the changes are made to LP, they become part of Artist Alerts, and can be Synced to iPhone, iPods if one already owns those items!
Hope Apple is reading this! And while at it...
As to the New iTunes 9, wish there was Play All Tracks, so that the Next Track could play automatically, allowing UNATTENDED Preview of all sample tracks, like it used to be.
Have you no imagination at all? This whole idea has the potential to be huge, huge I'm telling you. Not just for Music and Movies either, this could be an excellent format for many multimedia uses.
As long as their is provisions for the protection of IP I can see all sorts of uses for this standard.
Dave
I agree with the potential.
As to the protection of the IP...
Based on a sample of 1, the Norah Jones album, there is no protection at all. All the audio are m4a files and the videos, m4v.
With GarageBand it is trivial to make a ringtone. It is trivial to cut/paste the video with QuickTime 7 or with iMovie.
All of these AV files are contained in the outer Album Folder.
Inside that folder, also, is the itlp package. within that is everything else the HTML, CSS, JavaScript as well as the content images (jpgs and pings) text material (rtfs and pngs).
So all the content files are individually accessible, playable, copyable, modifiable.
But, to experience the LP album, you need to play it with iTunes-- it doesn't appear that you can do it just by loading the html file in a browser.
The "experience" is the synergy of the components, delivered through iTunes.
The "experience" is kinda like playing the file(s) from a ripped DVD, with DVD player-- except all the bits and pieces are also available in identifiable individual files.
This could revolutionize the concept of Albums if done properly: the content would fulfill the desires of the Artist and the Consumer rather than just pad the album with filler songs.
This can deliver something between listening to a song on an iPod and attending a live event.
The "experience" of the album could be well worth the additional cost.
... and this to applies to so much more that music...
Based on a sample of 1, the Norah Jones album, there is no protection at all. All the audio are m4a files and the videos, m4v.
With GarageBand it is trivial to make a ringtone. It is trivial to cut/paste the video with QuickTime 7 or with iMovie.
All of these AV files are contained in the outer Album Folder.
Inside that folder, also, is the itlp package. within that is everything else the HTML, CSS, JavaScript as well as the content images (jpgs and pings) text material (rtfs and pngs).
So all the content files are individually accessible, playable, copyable, modifiable.
But, to experience the LP album, you need to play it with iTunes-- it doesn't appear that you can do it just by loading the html file in a browser.
The "experience" is the synergy of the components, delivered through iTunes.
The "experience" is kinda like playing the file(s) from a ripped DVD, with DVD player-- except all the bits and pieces are also available in identifiable individual files.
Mmmmm........... ???
*
Synergy -- nice word...
The Big Studios & the rest of the world would have to accept that most people do not have enough of geek chops to mess around with those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, edit them and use them as they wish!
Hopefully, the fact that such LP Digital Booklet - DVD Extras-like paradigm being walled off within iTunes will slow down those who might try to take those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, and convert them into web pages that will be unstoppable online!
My guess, Apple and many smart folks have spent a lot of time pondering all this, and that will continue probably forever...
I am more concerned about the Independent Artists without the Big Studios behind them... If the musicians don't get paid for their work, how are they to pay their bills, and survive? That Q has been raised zillion times in every media!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
If one is not a Big Star, who can afford to sell large venues, and thus be able to give away their CD's ala business cards, how is a small Independent Artists, without the Big Studios behind them, is supposed to do that if they are not a Big Name yet?
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Putting a "beggar's tip jar, collection plate, street musician's hat etc" on the "Digital Sidewalk" a.k.a. iTunes might not be enough to keep countless great musicians, who are not Big Names, above the water!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Reminds me of Billy Joel's lyrics http://bit.ly/vNKw5 "Honesty is such a lonely word"
A vicious cycle!!! - As many ponder this IP, DRM stuff..., except those in the 3rd world who just try to get some clean water and food.... - hey, just to put it in a wider perspective...
What I mean is, could I make my OWN LP for the Albums I have and inject them into iTunes?
Believe it or not 'fan art' is a HUGE thing with the HTPC crowd and the more detailed or interesting the better.
XBMC for example has many different skins, well all of them support 'fan art' in some way shape or form... but some of the skins really get into it they even have 'clear arts' (images without a background) that can be used when you pause a TV show you have in your system.
So..
Pause an episode of Buffy and a little image of buffy gets superimposed on top of the paused picture in the lower right corner of the screen. Or the cast of CIS if you're watching CSI etc etc etc. Just a neat 'on thats cool' feature.
Anyway... I could creative people (not me) trying to 'one up' each other designing their own LP covers. Yes this walks all over copyrights without question... but there are a lot of sites with tv and music 'fan arts' and they seem to be left alone for the most part.
Well I was just curious if with the right knowledge you could roll your own LP?
Anyone?
Dave
Nope, its totally open and its mostly understandable. I've been working my ass off making one for the past 3 days, and its actually ready to show people: There's a video of my bands iTunes LP here: http://vimeo.com/6579465
It's been a while but the itlp bundle is quite similar to the DashCode dcproj bundle. So, I suspect that the "tool" that Apple provides (for artists) to create LPs is just a special template for DashCode.
DashCode was/is used primarily to create single-purpose Widgets-- essentially web apps that run on the desktop or can be shared by putting them on a web server such as MobileMe.
Most of the Widgets could be written entirely using "standard" HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These were quite portable as they could run on any platform that supported the "standard". I haven't tried it, but conceptually this means that a simple Widget could run on Windows or Linux.
*
So, where do you and I go to pick up the knowledge, templates, etc. that we need to create our own iTunes LP and iTunes Extras files?
The current AppleTV hardware doesn't come close to this CPU spec, so I'm VERY skeptical that it's targeted to the AppleTV - at least as we know it now.
Hmm... I wonder why playback of HD video on iTunes requires such a beefy CPU.
On AppleTV, the CPU is much weaker, yet it plays HD just fine.
Which makes me think it will also play iTunes LP's just fine too.
Don't you ever want to appreciate the music as the artist intended or give the rest of the album more than 30 seconds worth of judgement.
An LP length collection of music isn't some innate perfect length that artists have used - though I agree their ARE artists that design an album to sound better when listened to in-order, as an album.
I like that Apple now allows artists to make a package of content, though I find it a pity that they've presented it as "iTunes LP", which leaves artists understanding it in the same way they've understood LP albums. I would have liked Apple to offer a "collection" of songs of any length (from 10 mins to 3 hours) plus art, images, music videos, interviews, interactivity..... make it a new way of presenting their creation (that's also capable of mimicking an LP), rather than pushing it as LP.
I guess that's possible anyway with iTunes LP.... just seems backwards focussed.
When the very first CD's came out, one of the first uses was multimedia "magazines" and most computer magazines of the day had a multimedia edition in a plastic sleeve pasted on the front cover. ...
Imagine subscribing to whatever your favourite magazine is (that is if anyone reads magazines nowadays), on iTunes and receiving a package similar to this every month. This has so much potential it's scary IMO.
Yeah publishers can use all of the help they can get these days. I hadn't thought of it but finding a device that meets changing habits of consumers could really "save" publishing. In fact one of the creators of CSI is releasing a "Digi Novel" something the publisher saw as a needed "shot in the arm" for the industry.
The Big Studios & the rest of the world would have to accept that most people do not have enough of geek chops to mess around with those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, edit them and use them as they wish!
Hopefully, the fact that such LP Digital Booklet - DVD Extras-like paradigm being walled off within iTunes will slow down those who might try to take those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, and convert them into web pages that will be unstoppable online!
My guess, Apple and many smart folks have spent a lot of time pondering all this, and that will continue probably forever...
I am more concerned about the Independent Artists without the Big Studios behind them... If the musicians don't get paid for their work, how are they to pay their bills, and survive? That Q has been raised zillion times in every media!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
If one is not a Big Star, who can afford to sell large venues, and thus be able to give away their CD's ala business cards, how is a small Independent Artists, without the Big Studios behind them, is supposed to do that if they are not a Big Name yet?
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Putting a "beggar's tip jar, collection plate, street musician's hat etc" on the "Digital Sidewalk" a.k.a. iTunes might not be enough to keep countless great musicians, who are not Big Names, above the water!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Reminds me of Billy Joel's lyrics http://bit.ly/vNKw5 "Honesty is such a lonely word"
A vicious cycle!!! - As many ponder this IP, DRM stuff..., except those in the 3rd world who just try to get some clean water and food.... - hey, just to put it in a wider perspective...
I believe that the indie artists are the potential big winners, here (with the LP concept).
I certainly do NOT understand what it takes to publish a CD or DVD. But I have discussed this with some people who do.
There may be a need for a new way to bring an album to the marketplace.
As I understand, there are 5 major parts:
1) content creation
2) content preparation
3) content packaging
4) marketing
5) distribution
Step 1 is done by the artist, over time, or when the fit hits.
Step 2 is capturing that content into a usable & salable format-- usually involves studio sessions and other creative types (mixers, lighting, photos, compositors, accompaniment & backup, etc).
Step 3 When the content is [mostly] done some creative person(s) put together the LP Album to create the desired package.
Step 4 Marketing materials are prepared throughout the entire process, and they come into play when the package is near completion
Step 5 Just getting the goods to the customer.
Now, in todays world, there is at least one more step. step 6, which involves interaction between the customer and the artist-- call it: feedback, fan club; requests... whatever.
The labels have organizations to do this for "Big Talent". But, for the "New Talent", not so much... unless you indenture yourself.
And, the labels do not have mechanisms for feedback and interaction.
So what's an Indie Artist to do?
Damn good question!
Maybe there needs to a "New Game In Town"-- a different kind of organization that can work with the Talent, Creatives & Technicals as well as the Consumers... giving each, the most bang for the buck.
The advent of the LP format may be a contributing force in the creation of this new organization
Consider the tools that apple provides: GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto, QuartzComposer, Final Cut Studio, the rumored LP authoring tool, Pages, iTunes, MobileMe...
It is possible that the original artist, himself, can use friendly and familiar tools to create a large portion of the LP package.
The new organization could supply expertise and logistics similar to the way it would provide backup musicians... bring in whatever is necessary to do the specific job on a per job basis. The main organization would be very lean, say, 3-5 people.
It is kind of fun to think of how this would be done if we could ignore the legacy of the past way of doing things and reinvent the music biz of the future!
So, where do you and I go to pick up the knowledge, templates, etc. that we need to create our own iTunes LP and iTunes Extras files?
In the 9/09 preso, Steve Jobs mentions (at 14:49) that Apple gives special tools to the LP artists so they can participate directly in the creation of the extra LP content.
An LP length collection of music isn't some innate perfect length that artists have used - though I agree their ARE artists that design an album to sound better when listened to in-order, as an album.
I like that Apple now allows artists to make a package of content, though I find it a pity that they've presented it as "iTunes LP", which leaves artists understanding it in the same way they've understood LP albums. I would have liked Apple to offer a "collection" of songs of any length (from 10 mins to 3 hours) plus art, images, music videos, interviews, interactivity..... make it a new way of presenting their creation (that's also capable of mimicking an LP), rather than pushing it as LP.
I guess that's possible anyway with iTunes LP.... just seems backwards focussed.
I believe you are correct in that the LP can be anything you want it to be-- length, number of components, types of content, linking, navigation, interaction...
There is really no need for this to music-related-- it could be a package of drawings, formulae, pdfs on nuclear fusion.
Supposedly, the internal Apple code name for LP was "Cocktail". That may have been more appropriate. But to get it started, Apple apparently thought it easier to use the somewhat familiar "LP" name. It prolly also helped to pacify the record labels.
Nope, its totally open and its mostly understandable. I've been working my ass off making one for the past 3 days, and its actually ready to show people: There's a video of my bands iTunes LP here: http://vimeo.com/6579465
I have both AppleTV and a Mac Mini connected to a HD TV. The Mini is mainly for Eye TV.
I checked the Plex web site and it looks interesting...
What do you use for a remote control?
Is there an iPhone app equivalent the Remote app for AppleTV?
In the living room i have Harmony remote. There's a built in support for thatin Plex. In my office i use Apple's small remote that came with Macbook pro. Also pre-configured although i did change some keys to my needs ( very easy XML editing , but you dont have to do that , it works out of the box )
XBMC flavor ( Plex is yet another fork of original XBMC ) has very cool XBMCremote in app store for couple of bucks. Personally i'm running Plex in the living room and XBMC in the office and they're both great. Plex is only on 0.8 version and its already looking geat , especially if you spend few minutes installing unofficial Plex AEON skin.
Plex Aeon -> btw i use simple grandients for backdrops like these
The apple T was designed to connect to a TV and the mac-mini wasn't. It's that simple. If you haven't used one then you should go check one out and then get back to me. To say it's "incredibly limited" would be ignoring the point of what it does; deliver media.
I might ask what's the point of connecting an mac-mini up to your TV? Do you really want to surf the web or do work on your TV? Have you tried it? It looks terrible at 50" I can tell you that. I started out with a mac mni when there wasn't an apple TV and honestly it was a drag with screen rez/ line res, frequencies, colors etc etc. I was happy to switch.
Given I'm typing this on a mac mini connected to my HDTV I'd say you're full of it. The current mini works great with any 1080p HDTV. All you need is a cheap DVI to HDMI $5 cable from monoprice and a connection to your stereo for sound.
At 50" you need to sit a little further back (like couch distance with a wireless keyboard and mouse) but my 36" LG HDTV sits on my normal computer table. Size wise, it's not that much different from my 30" ACD at work. The resolution is lower but not much lower than the 27" Dell.
Zero issues with frequencies, colors or whatever and it plays media wonderfully.
Comments
I think that only a few people will actually use iTunes LP, as the whole benefit of digital music was the ability to buy only those songs you wanted. This will be mostly for the enthusiasts. This means that apple has a new corporate hobby to indulge, along with apple tv.
Have you no imagination at all? This whole idea has the potential to be huge, huge I'm telling you. Not just for Music and Movies either, this could be an excellent format for many multimedia uses.
As long as their is provisions for the protection of IP I can see all sorts of uses for this standard.
Dave
iTunes LP is a neat idea but I don't see it being any major selling point to the iTunes Store. I think if Apple was smart here they would have opened the format and tried to push it as a standard for all digital music distributers. Betting on their own ability to implement it better in the iPod than its competitors can in their products. If it remains some weird iTunes Store exclusive it's really not going to be anything more than a niche feature only available on some cherry picked albums.
Hope Apple creates an easy way to Create and Update this Digital Booklets!
I just bought the new Muse cd from iTunes, I only got it from iTunes as it's the LP version, I always felt cheated by the price of downloads as I could buy the cd from a shop for the same price, however considering all of the extras in the LP version I feel that I have gotten a fair deal.
I like the extras and feel it boosts the album, well done Apple and of course Muse.
I love the Extra material on DVD's! It would be great to have all of that Downloadable on iTunes, with the portability to iPhone and TV, Apple TV. Better yet, one should be able to Log into one's own Account and watch it from anywhere via Internet, whether it's coming from one's own computer, or Account in the Cloud!
MildlyBadJoe, iTunes LP is built using Javascript which is basically open and free to be used by anyone. I think Apple was smart to use an open standard rather than pushing a proprietary format.
Agree... There should be an Easy to use Application for authoring such Digital Booklets, updating them etc. to keep them alive, current, vs. written in stone on a physical media like DVD, CD etc.
Something I just thought about...
This new LP stuff....
Is it in any way... protected?
What I mean is, could I make my OWN LP for the Albums I have and inject them into iTunes?
Believe it or not 'fan art' is a HUGE thing with the HTPC crowd and the more detailed or interesting the better.
XBMC for example has many different skins, well all of them support 'fan art' in some way shape or form... but some of the skins really get into it they even have 'clear arts' (images without a background) that can be used when you pause a TV show you have in your system.
So..
Pause an episode of Buffy and a little image of buffy gets superimposed on top of the paused picture in the lower right corner of the screen. Or the cast of CIS if you're watching CSI etc etc etc. Just a neat 'on thats cool' feature.
Anyway... I could creative people (not me) trying to 'one up' each other designing their own LP covers. Yes this walks all over copyrights without question... but there are a lot of sites with tv and music 'fan arts' and they seem to be left alone for the most part.
Well I was just curious if with the right knowledge you could roll your own LP?
Anyone?
Dave
I assume that HTPC - Home Theater PC-Windows Crowd, right
XBMC - X-Box? But what is MC?
Can that LP Digital Booklet extra content be added to the existing items on iTunes? That way it could be like the iTunes Plus, where one could pay small difference in $$ and Upgrade Previously Purchased Content to LP Version?
If the artist submit an Album to iTunes via https://members.cdbaby.com/default.aspx how can one utilize this LP thing?
A WYSIWYG application for making & Previewing that Content before submitting it to iTunes, and can it be edited later, ala YouTube Accounts?
Would it be only by Apple made "Tool Kit"
Ideally, that LP Booklet should be Built-in within iLife Suite and thus come with every Mac
At least, it would be nice to see iTunes provide Artist Related Links, where the artists could Sign In & Update themselves! Thus far one can't even Copy and Paste Artist's Name or any other text from iTunes into Google, which is makes it more work to research that artist, and thus less attractive to buy things spontaneously!
Then, whenever the changes are made to LP, they become part of Artist Alerts, and can be Synced to iPhone, iPods if one already owns those items!
Hope Apple is reading this! And while at it...
As to the New iTunes 9, wish there was Play All Tracks, so that the Next Track could play automatically, allowing UNATTENDED Preview of all sample tracks, like it used to be.
Statistically speaking, I think it highly probable that evidence will support that the world is the way that it is.
That's hilarious!
Have you no imagination at all? This whole idea has the potential to be huge, huge I'm telling you. Not just for Music and Movies either, this could be an excellent format for many multimedia uses.
As long as their is provisions for the protection of IP I can see all sorts of uses for this standard.
Dave
I agree with the potential.
As to the protection of the IP...
Based on a sample of 1, the Norah Jones album, there is no protection at all. All the audio are m4a files and the videos, m4v.
With GarageBand it is trivial to make a ringtone. It is trivial to cut/paste the video with QuickTime 7 or with iMovie.
All of these AV files are contained in the outer Album Folder.
Inside that folder, also, is the itlp package. within that is everything else the HTML, CSS, JavaScript as well as the content images (jpgs and pings) text material (rtfs and pngs).
So all the content files are individually accessible, playable, copyable, modifiable.
But, to experience the LP album, you need to play it with iTunes-- it doesn't appear that you can do it just by loading the html file in a browser.
The "experience" is the synergy of the components, delivered through iTunes.
The "experience" is kinda like playing the file(s) from a ripped DVD, with DVD player-- except all the bits and pieces are also available in identifiable individual files.
Mmmmm........... ???
*
385 MB total Content
175 MB itlp additions (the LP experience)
210 MB Songs
99 MB Songs
23 MB Bonus Songs
88 MB bonus Videos
14 songs
3 bonus Songs
2 bonus Videos
LP Content
Price $13.99
On the Norah Jones Come Away With Me regular:
99 MB Songs
14 Songs
Price $9.99
Is it worth it?
IMO, It can be
This could revolutionize the concept of Albums if done properly: the content would fulfill the desires of the Artist and the Consumer rather than just pad the album with filler songs.
This can deliver something between listening to a song on an iPod and attending a live event.
The "experience" of the album could be well worth the additional cost.
... and this to applies to so much more that music...
*
I agree with the potential.
As to the protection of the IP...
Based on a sample of 1, the Norah Jones album, there is no protection at all. All the audio are m4a files and the videos, m4v.
With GarageBand it is trivial to make a ringtone. It is trivial to cut/paste the video with QuickTime 7 or with iMovie.
All of these AV files are contained in the outer Album Folder.
Inside that folder, also, is the itlp package. within that is everything else the HTML, CSS, JavaScript as well as the content images (jpgs and pings) text material (rtfs and pngs).
So all the content files are individually accessible, playable, copyable, modifiable.
But, to experience the LP album, you need to play it with iTunes-- it doesn't appear that you can do it just by loading the html file in a browser.
The "experience" is the synergy of the components, delivered through iTunes.
The "experience" is kinda like playing the file(s) from a ripped DVD, with DVD player-- except all the bits and pieces are also available in identifiable individual files.
Mmmmm........... ???
*
Synergy -- nice word...
The Big Studios & the rest of the world would have to accept that most people do not have enough of geek chops to mess around with those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, edit them and use them as they wish!
Hopefully, the fact that such LP Digital Booklet - DVD Extras-like paradigm being walled off within iTunes will slow down those who might try to take those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, and convert them into web pages that will be unstoppable online!
My guess, Apple and many smart folks have spent a lot of time pondering all this, and that will continue probably forever...
I am more concerned about the Independent Artists without the Big Studios behind them... If the musicians don't get paid for their work, how are they to pay their bills, and survive? That Q has been raised zillion times in every media!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
If one is not a Big Star, who can afford to sell large venues, and thus be able to give away their CD's ala business cards, how is a small Independent Artists, without the Big Studios behind them, is supposed to do that if they are not a Big Name yet?
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Putting a "beggar's tip jar, collection plate, street musician's hat etc" on the "Digital Sidewalk" a.k.a. iTunes might not be enough to keep countless great musicians, who are not Big Names, above the water!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Reminds me of Billy Joel's lyrics http://bit.ly/vNKw5 "Honesty is such a lonely word"
A vicious cycle!!! - As many ponder this IP, DRM stuff..., except those in the 3rd world who just try to get some clean water and food.... - hey, just to put it in a wider perspective...
Something I just thought about...
This new LP stuff....
Is it in any way... protected?
What I mean is, could I make my OWN LP for the Albums I have and inject them into iTunes?
Believe it or not 'fan art' is a HUGE thing with the HTPC crowd and the more detailed or interesting the better.
XBMC for example has many different skins, well all of them support 'fan art' in some way shape or form... but some of the skins really get into it they even have 'clear arts' (images without a background) that can be used when you pause a TV show you have in your system.
So..
Pause an episode of Buffy and a little image of buffy gets superimposed on top of the paused picture in the lower right corner of the screen. Or the cast of CIS if you're watching CSI etc etc etc. Just a neat 'on thats cool' feature.
Anyway... I could creative people (not me) trying to 'one up' each other designing their own LP covers. Yes this walks all over copyrights without question... but there are a lot of sites with tv and music 'fan arts' and they seem to be left alone for the most part.
Well I was just curious if with the right knowledge you could roll your own LP?
Anyone?
Dave
Nope, its totally open and its mostly understandable. I've been working my ass off making one for the past 3 days, and its actually ready to show people: There's a video of my bands iTunes LP here: http://vimeo.com/6579465
and if you want to download the free Kieronononon iTunes LP, click here http://bit.ly/kierononon-LP
I'm going to write up a blog post on how it all works over on http://blog.ortatherox.com tonight
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It's been a while but the itlp bundle is quite similar to the DashCode dcproj bundle. So, I suspect that the "tool" that Apple provides (for artists) to create LPs is just a special template for DashCode.
DashCode was/is used primarily to create single-purpose Widgets-- essentially web apps that run on the desktop or can be shared by putting them on a web server such as MobileMe.
Most of the Widgets could be written entirely using "standard" HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These were quite portable as they could run on any platform that supported the "standard". I haven't tried it, but conceptually this means that a simple Widget could run on Windows or Linux.
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So, where do you and I go to pick up the knowledge, templates, etc. that we need to create our own iTunes LP and iTunes Extras files?
From iTunes 9 system requirements:
The current AppleTV hardware doesn't come close to this CPU spec, so I'm VERY skeptical that it's targeted to the AppleTV - at least as we know it now.
Hmm... I wonder why playback of HD video on iTunes requires such a beefy CPU.
On AppleTV, the CPU is much weaker, yet it plays HD just fine.
Which makes me think it will also play iTunes LP's just fine too.
(Crosses fingers....)
Don't you ever want to appreciate the music as the artist intended or give the rest of the album more than 30 seconds worth of judgement.
An LP length collection of music isn't some innate perfect length that artists have used - though I agree their ARE artists that design an album to sound better when listened to in-order, as an album.
I like that Apple now allows artists to make a package of content, though I find it a pity that they've presented it as "iTunes LP", which leaves artists understanding it in the same way they've understood LP albums. I would have liked Apple to offer a "collection" of songs of any length (from 10 mins to 3 hours) plus art, images, music videos, interviews, interactivity..... make it a new way of presenting their creation (that's also capable of mimicking an LP), rather than pushing it as LP.
I guess that's possible anyway with iTunes LP.... just seems backwards focussed.
I was about to say the same thing.
...
When the very first CD's came out, one of the first uses was multimedia "magazines" and most computer magazines of the day had a multimedia edition in a plastic sleeve pasted on the front cover. ...
Imagine subscribing to whatever your favourite magazine is (that is if anyone reads magazines nowadays), on iTunes and receiving a package similar to this every month. This has so much potential it's scary IMO.
Yeah publishers can use all of the help they can get these days. I hadn't thought of it but finding a device that meets changing habits of consumers could really "save" publishing. In fact one of the creators of CSI is releasing a "Digi Novel" something the publisher saw as a needed "shot in the arm" for the industry.
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssR...37087520090902
Synergy -- nice word...
The Big Studios & the rest of the world would have to accept that most people do not have enough of geek chops to mess around with those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, edit them and use them as they wish!
Hopefully, the fact that such LP Digital Booklet - DVD Extras-like paradigm being walled off within iTunes will slow down those who might try to take those under the hood files, like ? itlp package ?, and convert them into web pages that will be unstoppable online!
My guess, Apple and many smart folks have spent a lot of time pondering all this, and that will continue probably forever...
I am more concerned about the Independent Artists without the Big Studios behind them... If the musicians don't get paid for their work, how are they to pay their bills, and survive? That Q has been raised zillion times in every media!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
If one is not a Big Star, who can afford to sell large venues, and thus be able to give away their CD's ala business cards, how is a small Independent Artists, without the Big Studios behind them, is supposed to do that if they are not a Big Name yet?
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Putting a "beggar's tip jar, collection plate, street musician's hat etc" on the "Digital Sidewalk" a.k.a. iTunes might not be enough to keep countless great musicians, who are not Big Names, above the water!
A vicious cycle!!!!!
Reminds me of Billy Joel's lyrics http://bit.ly/vNKw5 "Honesty is such a lonely word"
A vicious cycle!!! - As many ponder this IP, DRM stuff..., except those in the 3rd world who just try to get some clean water and food.... - hey, just to put it in a wider perspective...
I believe that the indie artists are the potential big winners, here (with the LP concept).
I certainly do NOT understand what it takes to publish a CD or DVD. But I have discussed this with some people who do.
There may be a need for a new way to bring an album to the marketplace.
As I understand, there are 5 major parts:
1) content creation
2) content preparation
3) content packaging
4) marketing
5) distribution
Step 1 is done by the artist, over time, or when the fit hits.
Step 2 is capturing that content into a usable & salable format-- usually involves studio sessions and other creative types (mixers, lighting, photos, compositors, accompaniment & backup, etc).
Step 3 When the content is [mostly] done some creative person(s) put together the LP Album to create the desired package.
Step 4 Marketing materials are prepared throughout the entire process, and they come into play when the package is near completion
Step 5 Just getting the goods to the customer.
Now, in todays world, there is at least one more step. step 6, which involves interaction between the customer and the artist-- call it: feedback, fan club; requests... whatever.
The labels have organizations to do this for "Big Talent". But, for the "New Talent", not so much... unless you indenture yourself.
And, the labels do not have mechanisms for feedback and interaction.
So what's an Indie Artist to do?
Damn good question!
Maybe there needs to a "New Game In Town"-- a different kind of organization that can work with the Talent, Creatives & Technicals as well as the Consumers... giving each, the most bang for the buck.
The advent of the LP format may be a contributing force in the creation of this new organization
Consider the tools that apple provides: GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto, QuartzComposer, Final Cut Studio, the rumored LP authoring tool, Pages, iTunes, MobileMe...
It is possible that the original artist, himself, can use friendly and familiar tools to create a large portion of the LP package.
The new organization could supply expertise and logistics similar to the way it would provide backup musicians... bring in whatever is necessary to do the specific job on a per job basis. The main organization would be very lean, say, 3-5 people.
It is kind of fun to think of how this would be done if we could ignore the legacy of the past way of doing things and reinvent the music biz of the future!
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So, where do you and I go to pick up the knowledge, templates, etc. that we need to create our own iTunes LP and iTunes Extras files?
In the 9/09 preso, Steve Jobs mentions (at 14:49) that Apple gives special tools to the LP artists so they can participate directly in the creation of the extra LP content.
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An LP length collection of music isn't some innate perfect length that artists have used - though I agree their ARE artists that design an album to sound better when listened to in-order, as an album.
I like that Apple now allows artists to make a package of content, though I find it a pity that they've presented it as "iTunes LP", which leaves artists understanding it in the same way they've understood LP albums. I would have liked Apple to offer a "collection" of songs of any length (from 10 mins to 3 hours) plus art, images, music videos, interviews, interactivity..... make it a new way of presenting their creation (that's also capable of mimicking an LP), rather than pushing it as LP.
I guess that's possible anyway with iTunes LP.... just seems backwards focussed.
I believe you are correct in that the LP can be anything you want it to be-- length, number of components, types of content, linking, navigation, interaction...
There is really no need for this to music-related-- it could be a package of drawings, formulae, pdfs on nuclear fusion.
Supposedly, the internal Apple code name for LP was "Cocktail". That may have been more appropriate. But to get it started, Apple apparently thought it easier to use the somewhat familiar "LP" name. It prolly also helped to pacify the record labels.
Nope, its totally open and its mostly understandable. I've been working my ass off making one for the past 3 days, and its actually ready to show people: There's a video of my bands iTunes LP here: http://vimeo.com/6579465
and if you want to download the free Kieronononon iTunes LP, click here http://bit.ly/kierononon-LP
I'm going to write up a blog post on how it all works over on http://blog.ortatherox.com tonight
Great effort!
One thing you need to fix, though: when you play a song, you need to programmatically stop any song that is currently playing.
I very much look forward to your blog.
I have both AppleTV and a Mac Mini connected to a HD TV. The Mini is mainly for Eye TV.
I checked the Plex web site and it looks interesting...
What do you use for a remote control?
Is there an iPhone app equivalent the Remote app for AppleTV?
In the living room i have Harmony remote. There's a built in support for thatin Plex. In my office i use Apple's small remote that came with Macbook pro. Also pre-configured although i did change some keys to my needs ( very easy XML editing , but you dont have to do that , it works out of the box )
XBMC flavor ( Plex is yet another fork of original XBMC ) has very cool XBMCremote in app store for couple of bucks. Personally i'm running Plex in the living room and XBMC in the office and they're both great. Plex is only on 0.8 version and its already looking geat , especially if you spend few minutes installing unofficial Plex AEON skin.
Plex Aeon -> btw i use simple grandients for backdrops like these
Fat chance aTV will ever look that good ...
The apple T was designed to connect to a TV and the mac-mini wasn't. It's that simple. If you haven't used one then you should go check one out and then get back to me. To say it's "incredibly limited" would be ignoring the point of what it does; deliver media.
I might ask what's the point of connecting an mac-mini up to your TV? Do you really want to surf the web or do work on your TV? Have you tried it? It looks terrible at 50" I can tell you that. I started out with a mac mni when there wasn't an apple TV and honestly it was a drag with screen rez/ line res, frequencies, colors etc etc. I was happy to switch.
Given I'm typing this on a mac mini connected to my HDTV I'd say you're full of it. The current mini works great with any 1080p HDTV. All you need is a cheap DVI to HDMI $5 cable from monoprice and a connection to your stereo for sound.
At 50" you need to sit a little further back (like couch distance with a wireless keyboard and mouse) but my 36" LG HDTV sits on my normal computer table. Size wise, it's not that much different from my 30" ACD at work. The resolution is lower but not much lower than the 27" Dell.
Zero issues with frequencies, colors or whatever and it plays media wonderfully.