Anyone care to place a bet...

matt ftmatt ft
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Anyone care to place a bet that the new music system if/when it is announced will be heavily US biased? I would certainly place a bet that it will initially only be avaliable to people paying in US Dollars = extra cost for everyone else.



I have to say it really does get me annoyed that everything seems toe be like this from Apple. The prices in the UK are higher. .Mac was unavailiable unless you payed in dollars for ages. No Apple Store. No decent special offers/price cuts. No substancial Edu. Discount. It really feels as though we over the pond are an after thought to Apple. As much as I love my mac, I see why the market share is lower over here.



Rant over, and I feel much better!
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 30
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matt FT

    US Dollars = extra cost for everyone else.



    Ever heard of Visa, MasterCard, American Express?



    I don't pay extra to pay in dollars.
  • Reply 2 of 30
    not unlike myselfnot unlike myself Posts: 2,037member
    Part of this "US first" mentality is because Apple is a US company. Not a UK company. I don't expect European companies to cater to me with currancy acceptance or promotions.



    Tag to that most of AAPL business is within the US. I don't see what the big deal is. (shrugs)
  • Reply 3 of 30
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Not Unlike Myself

    Tag to that most of AAPL business is within the US. I don't see what the big deal is. (shrugs)



    Almost half of Apple's revenue comes from outside the US, and Apple is not an American company shipping computers to customers around the world.



    Do 7-Eleven only accept Yen?
  • Reply 4 of 30
    macsrgood4umacsrgood4u Posts: 3,007member
    The realities of any new enterprise is that you start where you have the most control and then eventually provide the service in other areas. You'll get your music service outside of the U.S. eventually. There are also copyright issues to contend with on certain older recordings. In territories outside the U.S. many recordings are in the public domain. Some artists have different deals with different labels around the world as well.
  • Reply 5 of 30
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Frankly, as this service (as far as I can tell) doesn't involve physical transfer of any goods, i don't see how it would be US-only...





    I mean, you yurrupeans have the same internet, the same credit cards........?
  • Reply 6 of 30
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacsRGood4U

    The realities of any new enterprise is that you start where you have the most control and then eventually provide the service in other areas. You'll get your music service outside of the U.S. eventually.



    *cough*iPhoto*cough*prints*cough*
  • Reply 7 of 30
    matt ftmatt ft Posts: 87member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by JLL

    Ever heard of Visa, MasterCard, American Express?



    I don't pay extra to pay in dollars.



    My Cahoot Visa, Egg Visa and RBS Mastercard all charge me £1.50 plus 1.5% for transactions in foreign currency = extra cost for me at least.
  • Reply 8 of 30
    matt ftmatt ft Posts: 87member
    Well, sorry, but try looking from the outside in. I pay more for my apple hardware, wait longer for the software (games, especially, take a lot longer to make it over here), don't get full functionaliy (as mentioned, still no iPhoto prints) and I am ment to be happy about it?



    When an American books a flight from the US to the UK with British Airways, do they charge them in £UK and then not give them the meal since 'we are talking with contractors to try to supply the service'?



    As for it being the same internet - yes, it is the same over here, but being charged in a different currency, and having international phone numbers for customer services is enough to put some people off.



    However, I do agree with the licence issue. Many music contracts are terratory specific. Some are on different labels in different parts of the world. I only hope that that does not impeed full international rollout from day one...
  • Reply 9 of 30
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matt FT

    My Cahoot Visa, Egg Visa and RBS Mastercard all charge me £1.50 plus 1.5% for transactions in foreign currency = extra cost for me at least.



    Strange.
  • Reply 10 of 30
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matt FT

    However, I do agree with the licence issue. Many music contracts are terratory specific. Some are on different labels in different parts of the world. I only hope that that does not impeed full international rollout from day one...



    Apple Europe's Vice President has confirmed the music service in an interview with a French newspaper.



    Hopefully that means that the music service will be world wide.
  • Reply 11 of 30
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matt FT

    My Cahoot Visa, Egg Visa and RBS Mastercard all charge me £1.50 plus 1.5% for transactions in foreign currency = extra cost for me at least.



    I would get meself another bank if I was you.
  • Reply 12 of 30
    matt ftmatt ft Posts: 87member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Anders the White

    I would get meself another bank if I was you.



    Well, three out of the three credit card providers I use charge me. Anyone know of a uk Via/Mastercard which does not charge - I'll happily swap!
  • Reply 13 of 30
    thegeldingthegelding Posts: 3,230member
    i would suggest that you all just get up and move to the good old usa....but, in reality, just wait a bit...sooner or later we invade you and take over....



    g
  • Reply 14 of 30
    matt ftmatt ft Posts: 87member
    Damn it - I knew this would happen!!! The Apple music download is US only!!!!!!



    The internet is global - you need to roll things out globaly!



    I'm going to sulk and 'steal' more music...
  • Reply 15 of 30
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,562member
    Just curious. If Apple were to allow you to buy music in Europe what kind of tax would they have to charge?



    In the US, most mail order companies do not charge sales tax when shipping to an out of state address. Apple is something of an exception in that they always charge sales tax.



    In this case though I haven't seen if sales tax will be charged or not for "shipment" inside the US.
  • Reply 16 of 30
    the generalthe general Posts: 649member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Jonathan

    Frankly, as this service (as far as I can tell) doesn't involve physical transfer of any goods, i don't see how it would be US-only...





    I mean, you yurrupeans have the same internet, the same credit cards........?



    Yes, but the Europeans, and Canadians, and most other places, do not have the same music distributors. most music is not distributed in other countries as it is in the U.S. so, if people from other countries could use the U.S. Service, that would mean the other distributers lose money they are owed, it can get messy. thats why It will take a while, because apple has to sign up all the different companies from different countries.
  • Reply 17 of 30
    vikingviking Posts: 127member
    As an American living in Europe, I feel your pain. But many cool products here take forever to reach the U.S.. I can't count how many times I used to drool over new cars in Europe only to find out later they wouldn't be shipped to the U.S. for over a year or two! Sometimes they wouldn't even be shipped to the U.S.!

    It works both ways.

    Maybe Apple also wants to see if this whole thing is going to work before sending it out globally.
  • Reply 18 of 30
    matt ftmatt ft Posts: 87member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by The General

    Yes, but the Europeans, and Canadians, and most other places, do not have the same music distributors. most music is not distributed in other countries as it is in the U.S. so, if people from other countries could use the U.S. Service, that would mean the other distributers lose money they are owed, it can get messy. thats why It will take a while, because apple has to sign up all the different companies from different countries.



    Sorry, but no. The deal is with the five major record lables. While it is true that some artists have contracts with different lables for different territories, the distribution is immaterial. While there are distribution companies what cover US, or Europe or Asia for example, and AAC sales would just require Apple to know where the downloader was to be able to allocate the royalties to the right company. So, if Apple has a deal with Sony Music (US), it should not be a problem to get a deal with Sony Music (UK) - mainly because Sony Music (US) is the 'parent' company and the UK/Europe/Asia sections do what they are told.



    So, why is it US only? I really, really hope that it is because of some obscure laws. But it sure as hell feels as though Apple just can't be arsed for now...



    Come on Apple, prove me wrong - open Apple Stores, provide iPhoto online ordering, and extend the Apple Music service to the rest of the world.
  • Reply 19 of 30
    bodhibodhi Posts: 1,424member
    It's a matter of artist royalties. Foreign royalty structures are very different and vary contract to contract. Apple was only able to negotiate for US Rights as of yet but depending on how it goes the foreign royalties may be squared away allowing for use in other countries.



    (btw: I work for one of the majors..this isn't speculation)
  • Reply 20 of 30
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by neutrino23

    Just curious. If Apple were to allow you to buy music in Europe what kind of tax would they have to charge?



    In the US, most mail order companies do not charge sales tax when shipping to an out of state address. Apple is something of an exception in that they always charge sales tax.



    Um, Apple has online Apple Stores in Europe too!
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