Apple acquires music streaming service Lala

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 72
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by djg View Post


    My worry in this deal is that Apple realises that lala can never turn a profit and changes these rather nice prices and terms.



    Music content is "software" for Apple's hardware products, which is where Apple gets its profits. Thus, if Apple were to offer a lala-type service, it would only need to break even. And that would be easier under Apple since it would share its infrastructure (storage, payment, distribution) with the rest of the iTunes Store.



    Given that Apple is clearly moving to flash memory, I fully expect Apple to offer a well-integrated all-your-music-in-the-cloud option for iPhones and its rumored tablet. This will be a strategic advantage over other smartphones and tablets, since Apple owners can have equal functionality with less flash memory in their device (and thus be able to buy devices with less memory, which are cheaper).



    ADD: As stated earlier, the lala service looks like it is dead as the music contracts don't transfer to Apple. But Apple can use lala's technology and sign new contracts and still have the same prices and terms.
  • Reply 42 of 72
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dr Millmoss View Post


    Does anyone know how much Apple paid? I've seen some rumors but no hard numbers.



    It seems this might be mainly a defensive acquisition. Apple could be less interested in the service or the technology, and more interested in preventing anyone else from acquiring them.



    As someone referenced earlier, the NYTimes and others report that Lala initiated talks as they came to believe that they would never be profitable.



    And Spotify seems more like the company to buy if you wanted to prevent someone else from acquiring a cloud-music company.
  • Reply 43 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aaarrrgggh View Post


    Does apple still have $31B? Balance sheet from last quarter makes it look like reserves have dropped significantly



    Actually, it has more. As of end-Sept 2009, their 'reserve' balance was even higher, about $34B. A lot of cash (almost $8B) was moved from 'short term marketable securities' to 'long term marketable securities' between 2008 and 2009.



    According to Apple's 10K: Cash = $5.3B, ST Mkt Sec = $18.2, and LT Mkt Sec = $10.5B.
  • Reply 44 of 72
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    Actually, it has more. As of end-Sept 2009, their 'reserve' balance was even higher, about $34B. A lot of cash (almost $8B) was moved from 'short term marketable securities' to 'long term marketable securities' between 2008 and 2009.



    According to Apple's 10K: Cash = $5.3B, ST Mkt Sec = $18.2, and LT Mkt Sec = $10.5B.



    I believe that's more than MS' now.
  • Reply 45 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    I believe that's more than MS' now.



    Has been for a long time, probably a year or more. Microsoft gave a bunch of their excess cash back to the stockholders.
  • Reply 46 of 72
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Apple is sure on a buying binge again. First the maps company and now Lala. It is all centered on mobility.



    I can see Lala benefiting a device like the tablet/netbook/eReader that Apple is rumored to be making. Such a tablet device would have limited storage and streaming content would be a good match. The places that you would actually use such a device would most certainly have wi-fi (e.g. home, coffee shop, or office) so bandwidth for streaming would not be an issue.



    So this is one of those Pod issues. What will be the Apple tablet's niche? The iPod Touch has found music/movies/pictures/games/web as its multi purpose niche. The Touch is not ideal for electronic books and watching movies on the device is so-so. So and ereader and web browser might be the ideal start and then morph into a device that people read with and play mood music in the background. Apple will need the rumored addition to Safari to make that ideal - volume control within the browser so internet ad cannot disrupt the mood while sipping coffee and eating a biscotti while absorbing the morning news wire. Plus if a user were to select a video the background music would need to fade-out while the video or audio stream comes to the forefront.



    I can see the novelty of such a tablet device and can draw its origins from Star Trek the Next Generation. Make it so!
  • Reply 47 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post


    I can see Lala benefiting a device like the tablet/netbook/eReader that Apple is rumored to be making. Such a tablet device would have limited storage and streaming content would be a good match. The places that you would actually use such a device would most certainly have wi-fi (e.g. home, coffee shop, or office) so bandwidth for streaming would not be an issue.



    I think that is a very real possibility. I also think that it will allow Chrome OS, which I think is going to overtake the low-end OS market by creating an even larger low-end market, to have an iTunes-like experience. Apple can?t forego it and they are dedicated to HTML5 and other open standards support so I think we?ll likely to see something like MobileMe?s Mail matching Mac OS X Mail pretty accurately. I just hope they make it an www.itunes.com login and don?t require a MobileMe subscription to gain access.
  • Reply 48 of 72
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post




    I can see the novelty of such a tablet device and can draw its origins from Star Trek the Next Generation. Make it so!



    If it'll be as cool as this, count me in!













    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I think that is a very real possibility. I also think that it will allow Chrome OS, which I think is going to overtake the low-end OS market by creating an even larger low-end market,



    So what do you think this will mean for Windows?
  • Reply 49 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    If it'll be as cool as this, count me in!

    image: http://deadcityradio.org/noise/silly...l_narcosis.jpg



    Are you suggesting that MobileMe will eventually be an actual cloud?
  • Reply 50 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    So what do you think this will mean for Windows?



    I speculate that MS will lose marketshare while still gaining sales. Windows will take the very large and growing middle segment. Only their marketshare will noticeably affected as Chrome OS will allow for a lot more possibilities, especially in poor, developing nations.
  • Reply 51 of 72
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Are you suggesting that MobileMe will eventually be an actual cloud?



    I didn't, but your question actually gives me quite a bit to tink about. Trippy!
  • Reply 52 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    I didn't, but your question actually gives me quite a bit to tink about. Trippy!



    They can call it MobileMelllvar


    "That?s Melllvar with three ?L?s?

    ?I think I?ve been to enough conventions

    to know how to spell Melllvar"
  • Reply 53 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brucep View Post


    links to fat right wing neo nazi groups

    suck

    and these guys rape and pillaged whole area's

    what

    hub

    oh damn

    i forgot i was just on the COD 4 game fighting the neo's cristian right nut jobs

    sorry





    i guess i a link to hilters spring time in love poems are cool too



    peace 9





    apple is so far ahead of the crowd

    any crowd

    that anything is possible

    is possible



    NANO PHONE



    Man, just jump on the sword already and do us all a favor. Give yourself up for the overall cause of the group you support.
  • Reply 54 of 72
    This is bad news for all of us. Apple is not going to offer us this Lala Service at 10 cents a song. They will just close this shop.



    If I were the current Lala owners, I'd create another digital music company with the hopes of selling that one to Apple as well. I bet they had to sign a no-competition clause



    Apple....you disappoint us once again.
  • Reply 55 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    This is bad news for all of us. Apple is not going to offer us this Lala Service at 10 cents a song. They will just close this shop.



    If I were the current Lala owners, I'd create another digital music company with the hopes of selling that one to Apple as well. I bet they had to sign a no-competition clause



    Apple....you disappoint us once again.



    For someone whose name is noexpectations you sure have some very negative expectations.



    I have no idea what Apple's plans are for Lala, but I disagree with your assessment. Lala uses your iTunes DB in their service Apple could easily out-do, out-market and out-pace Lala in every aspect of their business if the plan was simply to close shop without utilizing their IP our talent.
  • Reply 56 of 72
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    This is bad news for all of us. Apple is not going to offer us this Lala Service at 10 cents a song. They will just close this shop.



    If I were the current Lala owners, I'd create another digital music company with the hopes of selling that one to Apple as well. I bet they had to sign a no-competition clause



    Apple....you disappoint us once again.



    LOL, they were hardly competition. And LaLa approached Apple. Hell, I've never even heard of LaLa until now.
  • Reply 57 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by addabox View Post


    The NYT article specifies that LaLa's music licensing doesn't carry over to a change in ownership, so Apple isn't just going to start offering the same services, at any cost.



    Let's hope not. Lala's business model sets a horrible precedent for the music industry. As internet access becomes ubiquitous, streaming a song on demand is basically equivalent to having a local digital copy. This means that a $10 album would now cost consumers only $1, which represents a 90% drop in revenue. Any publishers that would agree to these terms are either foolish or desperate.
  • Reply 58 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by The-Steve View Post


    Let's hope not. Lala's business model sets a horrible precedent for the music industry. As internet access becomes ubiquitous, streaming a song on demand is basically equivalent to having a local digital copy. This means that a $10 album would now cost consumers only $1, which represents a 90% drop in revenue.



    Assuming you have internet everywhere, which does seem to be case these days for most of us, it does have the appearance of killing revenue. Maybe they could make up on volume for such inexpensive buys, but I doubt it.



    Quote:

    Any publishers that would agree to these terms are either foolish or desperate.



    Is there a 3rd alternative since they have a catalog that seems to match iTS pretty closely?
    Quote:

    EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and over 170,000 independent labels are onboard with over 6 million songs



  • Reply 59 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCJ001 View Post


    People who say "Umm...." repeatedly when they speak are hard to listen to.



    I assume that, when people say "Umm...." it's not something that is consciously/intentionally said.



    But why do some people type "Umm...." instead of just typing their question or statement?



    I also assume that when someone types "Umm...." it is consciously/intentionally typed.



    This post about your irritation at another poster using "umm" in a post is far more irritating than the use of "umm" in the original post. Umm...
  • Reply 60 of 72
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    As someone said elsewhere, it's to get the operation and perhaps licenses to stream music, but probably music you already own. They'll scan your iTunes and then give you access to those songs anywhere.
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