Apple pays iTunes Festival performers with promotion instead of cash, Kanye West says

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  • Reply 21 of 78

    "I know you might have heard about this thing where I was on stage, like calling Tim Cook out and saying why do you have these guys performing at South by Southwest and you don't want to pay them," West said in an interview at the Cannes Lions festival. "You just want to give us extra space on the iTunes page and stuff, you know."

     

    Since Kanye is having a problem with not being paid to perform to an audience of 250+ million people around the world, that is HIS problem not Apple's. I watched the iTMF in London nearly every day last summer and was introduced (as well as reintroduced) to great artists and music. Avicii, Jesse J, Kings of Leon, Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Pixies, Jack Johnson, Elton John, 2CELLOS, Aloe Blacc, The Lumineers, Ellie Goulding, Haim, Queens of the Stone, Bastille, Lady Gaga (was not impressed with her), Ludovivico Einaudi and many, many more made me glad that Apple was streaming their live performances. 

     

    The great thing for the artists and Apple is I bought a lot of music while watching the festival performances or soon after the performances ended. Being able to watch a missed or favorite performance repeatedly for 30+ days was fantastic. I am looking forward to this year's iTMF in London!

     

    By saying what he is saying to a worldwide audience, Kanye is showing who and how he truly is. Apple most likely will never work with him thanks to the venom he is spewing. It will be interesting to see how the Beats crew and music artists who are #1s and less than #1 have reacted and continue to react to Kanye. The man seems to be toxic right now.

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  • Reply 22 of 78
    larz2112 wrote: »
    Because cash gives you the option to use your compensation they way YOU want to, not the way the person paying you wants to. What if instead of paying you in cash your employer compensated you with goods and or services from their company? What's the big diff, right? It's compensation, right? Umm, somehow I don't think most people would feel that way. I think Kanye West is the epitome of a meglomaniac, but I do think he has a valid gripe.

    ...and if you don't like the compensation being offered, you don't have to do it. It is a basic tenet of a free enterprise marketplace.
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  • Reply 23 of 78
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Larz2112 View Post

     

    What if instead of paying you in cash your employer compensated you with goods and or services from their company?


     

    Like shares of stock, 401K matching, holiday pay, health insurance, etc?

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  • Reply 24 of 78
    MacPromacpro Posts: 19,873member
    Ok I am going to delete all the Kane West music from my iTunes music catalog ... Oh wait a minute I never bought any. ... who is he again?
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  • Reply 25 of 78
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    "I know you might have heard about this thing where I was on stage, like calling Tim Cook out and saying why do you have these guys performing at South by Southwest and you don't want to pay them," West said in an interview at the Cannes Lions festival. "You just want to give us extra space on the iTunes page and stuff, you know."


    [...]




    "Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, it's that they are geniuses. Both of them are cultural geniuses, what they had done for so many years." he said. "And they just, they connected with the right company, by the way."

     

    Such a well-phrased and articulate argument clearly BEGS to be taken very seriously...

     

    (Is the /s necessary?)

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  • Reply 26 of 78
    Not sure this is a valid criticism.  No artist is obligated to play the iTunes festival.  Those who do must believe that promotional space (the lifeblood of the industry) is worth it.

    So this year's iTunes Festival took place at, and in conjunction with South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival, which doesn't pay artists either except collaterally through promotion via the festival itself. And artists like John Mayer have used their SXSW performances to sign music label deals for studio albums. So, you know, Kanye needs to get off the "it's only evil when Apple does it" meme. Artists (*sell outs*) who feel compelled to only perform FOR MONEY should stop bad mouthing music festivals.
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  • Reply 27 of 78
    That boy is desperate for attention.
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  • Reply 28 of 78
    larz2112larz2112 Posts: 291member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post

     

     

    But participating in iTunes Festival is a choice. Artists either accept the terms or they don't. Increased promotion at iTunes results in increased sales, which is cash in their pocket, so they are being paid in cash, just indirectly. It's not like Apple is asking them to perform for nothing, and it's not like Apple is pocketing ticket fees. It's a free concert.

     

    Apple and iTunes are major forces that re-energized the music industry, creating many very rich artists. Why bite the hand that feeds you?


    Working for anyone is a choice.  It's a stretch to call it "being paid in cash, just indirectly". Again, if your employer replaced your entire salary with non-monetary compensation like stock options that may or may not retain value depending on the market, the same way promotional advertising may or may not result in song sales, I think most people would have some issue with it.

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MacSince1988 View Post





    ...and if you don't like the compensation being offered, you don't have to do it. It is a basic tenet of a free enterprise marketplace.

    As far as I know, he didn't. A basic tenet of the United States is free speech and the right to express your opinion, and that's what he did. 

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DroidFTW View Post

     

     

    Like shares of stock, 401K matching, holiday pay, health insurance, etc?


     

    Whether he participates or not, the guy is allowed to have an opinion, and I happen to think that this is one of the rare times when it has a little merit. Shares of stock, 401K, insurance, etc. are benefits above and beyond a salary, not a replacement of it.  I'm not saying Apple's deal is unfair, just that I can understand why someone might not prefer that type of compensation. He didn't accept the terms, and as far as I know he didn't participate... and he was vocal about it, as usual. 

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  • Reply 29 of 78
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,470member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Larz2112 View Post

     

    Working for anyone is a choice.  It's a stretch to call it "being paid in cash, just indirectly". Again, if your employer replaced your entire salary with non-monetary compensation like stock options that may or may not retain value depending on the market, the same way promotional advertising may or may not result in song sales, I think most people would have some issue with it.

     

    As far as I know, he didn't. A basic tenet of the United States is free speech and the right to express your opinion, and that's what he did. 

     

     

    Whether he participates or not, the guy is allowed to have an opinion, and I happen to think that this is one of the rare times when it has a little merit. Shares of stock, 401K, insurance, etc. are benefits above and beyond a salary, not a replacement of it.  I'm not saying Apple's deal is unfair, just that I can understand why someone might not prefer that type of compensation. He didn't accept the terms, and as far as I know he didn't participate... and he was vocal about it, as usual. 


    He has an opinion that has no merit, say I. You are wasting time backing that opinion, say I.

     

    My opinion doesn't mean do do except that Bruce Jenner married into the family, and while once a Wheaties star, now he looks to be a sad androgynous freak.

     

    Not much to look forward to Kanye, but enjoy the cash pile.

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  • Reply 30 of 78
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Pay Kanye in fish sticks.

    Oh, and also... F*ck him on a motorcycle.

    Fixed that for you.
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  • Reply 31 of 78
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    larz2112 wrote: »
    As far as I know, he didn't. A basic tenet of the United States is free speech and the right to express your opinion, and that's what he did. 

    Whether he participates or not, the guy is allowed to have an opinion...

    Any person is entitled to their opinion.

    However, it is their belief that we are entitled to it as well that sometimes becomes irritating...

    ;)
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  • Reply 32 of 78
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

    I wouldn't pay Kanye to scrub my toilets, let alone paying for him to perform anything.

     

    He's a huge douchebag (and a racist POS), and he can go F.ck himself.

     

    Apple sure seems to be associating with a lot of douchebags lately. 


    Throwing stones from your glass house I see ...

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  • Reply 33 of 78
    40 million iTunes Radio listeners in 8 months is not chump change. That's USA and Australia only. I think Pandora has 80 million in these two countries plus New Zealand but took many more years to acquire.
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  • Reply 34 of 78

    This is despicable. West is lying and knows it.

    Do the Oscars pay? No.

    Do the Grammys pay? No.

    Do the Emmys pay? No.

    Do the Tonys pay? No. 

    Do morning or late night talk shows pay their musical guests? No.

    Does the Super Bowl halftime show, the most watched event in the world, pay? No.

     

    This is routine. Artists only get paid for promotional appearances when the event needs the artist to headline. For instance, if people come to the event to see the artist. But when the headline is the event itself and artists are merely on the bill you do not get paid. Everybody knows this. 

     

    Looks like West is just jealous that Dr. Dre gets to be an influential employee of one of the world's most respected companies, and he gets to be the third husband of Kim Kardashian. It is hilarious. Will.i.am and 50 Cent started their own tech companies, both of which are making wearables (50 Cent is coming out with smart headphones with fitness trackers, Will.i.am is pushing a smart watch that doesn't need to be tethered to a phone) while this guy is making a total fool of himself. 

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  • Reply 35 of 78
    phone-ui-guyphone-ui-guy Posts: 1,019member
    larz2112 wrote: »
    coolfactor wrote: »
    They are being paid. Why does currency have to be cash?
    Because cash gives you the option to use your compensation they way YOU want to, not the way the person paying you wants to. What if instead of paying you in cash your employer compensated you with goods and or services from their company? What's the big diff, right? It's compensation, right? Umm, somehow I don't think most people would feel that way. I think Kanye West is the epitome of a meglomaniac, but I do think he has a valid gripe.

    No he does not. He doesn't have to do it. If he doesn't want to be compensated with iTunes placement he should not perform at the festival. It must be acceptable at some level or he wouldn't do it.
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  • Reply 36 of 78
    jameskatt2jameskatt2 Posts: 722member

    Kanye West has become "Mr. Kardashian."  

    The Kardashians are money mongers.  

    Is it any surprise that Mr. Kanye Kardashian only wants cold hard cash?

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  • Reply 37 of 78
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,778member
    The fact that Apple doesn't pay the performers at the iTunes Festival is well known and has been previously reported:

    http://music-mix.ew.com/2013/09/30/itunes-festival-eddy-cue-interview/

    This was widely re-circulated in the Mac press, for example:

    http://www.macnn.com/articles/13/10/03/apple.vp.also.pushes.itunes.radio.as.better.way.to.premiere.albums.events/

    (there was probably an AppleInsider article on it, but I couldn't find one in a quick search)
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  • Reply 38 of 78
    mj webmj web Posts: 918member
    We are long past the time that this talentless crybaby wannabe thug legally changes his name to "Cry Baby West".
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  • Reply 39 of 78
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,928member
    larz2112 wrote: »
    Because cash gives you the option to use your compensation they way YOU want to, not the way the person paying you wants to. What if instead of paying you in cash your employer compensated you with goods and or services from their company? What's the big diff, right? It's compensation, right? Umm, somehow I don't think most people would feel that way. I think Kanye West is the epitome of a meglomaniac, but I do think he has a valid gripe.

    You don't like the compensation? Don't sign up for it. Promotion and exposure is valuable.

    Everyone has an opinion. Mine is he's an idiot and an attention whore.
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  • Reply 40 of 78
    rgh71rgh71 Posts: 127member
    larz2112 wrote: »
    Because cash gives you the option to use your compensation they way YOU want to, not the way the person paying you wants to. What if instead of paying you in cash your employer compensated you with goods and or services from their company? What's the big diff, right? It's compensation, right? Umm, somehow I don't think most people would feel that way. I think Kanye West is the epitome of a meglomaniac, but I do think he has a valid gripe.
    Huh? These artists agree to this or not. They are not employees of apple whose compensation terms were just changed.
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