Music Videos- Next logical step for iTMS

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Here's the pluses-



1. Added value to iTunes music over other outlets.

2. Represents a good initial step into online movie distribution.

3. They can promote the use of H2.326007666... (whatever, - the new quicktime standard).

4. Somebody has to play videos, now that MTV doesn't.



I thought of this when I found the Stacey's Mom video online and realized I had a little nostalgia for the art of the music vid. Can picture it running in a little window while my iTune's screensaver runs. It's nothing I would pay a lot for to buy on a DVD or anything, but it's nice to have like the cover-art.



I didn't do the math, maybe someone who knows more about the new codec can compute how big the average vid would be.



So whaddya think?



Edit in- Yeah, I'm aware that you can see vids on iTunes, but I'm talking about something a little more integrated with the music file, downloads with the track, has better quality, and is there like the coverart... And no, I don't want them to charge extra, just make the 99c price look a little sweeter.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    The videos are already there... and you can see the whole thing (and download it do a search)



    So I don't really *want* them to turn it into a service since I can get the videos for free now \... they'll probably change that...
  • Reply 2 of 18
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Video iTMS isn't going to take off until the killer portable video device is created.
  • Reply 3 of 18
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Video iTMS isn't going to take off until the killer portable video device is created.



    I don't really see that with video. Music is great for being on the go, but video is a ass-in-seat, eye's focused activity.



    Personally, I think a Video iTMS would find it's nitch in supplying lesser-demanded video, like re-runs of TV episodes people forgot to tape, music vids, shorts, and indpendent crap.
  • Reply 4 of 18
    pesipesi Posts: 424member
    the music video selction they have now is okay, but the only way it would be a killer pay-for service would be to GREATLY expand the music video selection.



    i'd certainly pay to download some old music videos. you can occasionally find these on p2p, but it's an extreme hassle, and the quality sucks.
  • Reply 5 of 18
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Video is going to have to start with the home.





    An Apple iPod for the home that plays movie trailers and music videos and streams Macworld keynotes through your stereo/home theater system at full resolution is the first step.



    Then you can take those files and move them to a portable environment.
  • Reply 6 of 18
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    i forget which thread it was, but this was already being discussed. anyways, is everyone forgetting that you can just go to your band's website and download the videos for free? i mean if you like a video enough to download it to watch it again, surely you can just visit the site. there is absolutely no profitable market for apple to go after by selling videos.
  • Reply 7 of 18
    For that to happen... I think the sequence of events must go somewhere like this:



    (I'm just making it up anyway, but that's my logical view of it)



    1. Apple develops the iPod video (or a portable device that plays video powered by Quicktime) and initially markets it as a way to take your iMovies with you (homemade flicks).



    2. Then they'll come up with a clever way to make commercial DVDs very easy to rip (and I mean iLife-easy) so you load them on iPod video.



    3. This becomes increasingly popular. Compress a full DVD movie on a 700-1400 MB file (depending on the quality) on some clever format, Xvid, Divx, or some propietary encoding. Hollywood takes notice and they see a market here. "Let's forget about the physical DVDs, let's sell digital movie files in compressed format and with DRM." Apple contacts them the same way they did with the music companies and they sell every movie at sub-commercial DVD prices. Let's say $9.99 US dollars. You don't get a case, a physical DVD, any special features, etc. Just the movie and maybe subtitles or additional spoken languages.



    4. After a while you can purchase other stuff from the iFlicks Movie Store (like last night's playoff game or the SuperBowl or the season finale of CSI, whatever) or music videos for very reasonable prices. $0.99, $1.99, $2.49? What do I know, I'm just making this up.
  • Reply 8 of 18
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    i forget which thread it was, but this was already being discussed. anyways, is everyone forgetting that you can just go to your band's website and download the videos for free? i mean if you like a video enough to download it to watch it again, surely you can just visit the site. there is absolutely no profitable market for apple to go after by selling videos.



    I believe the same arguments were made about selling online music - "Why would anyone pay for mp3s when they can get them for free anywhere on the internet?"



    Turned out the reason was quality control and convienence, not anything to do with legality.



    And to reiterate YET AGAIN, I didn't say that Apple should charge extra for the videos, but that it should be an added value to buying tracks online. Along with cover-art and meta-info, you'd also get a high quality video that is seamlessly integrated into your itunes database. Some may be prompted to pick up old tracks just to get the video, but it wouldn't be the prime motivation.



    Fermenting a market that is comfortable getting videos online is a good motivation, however. Yes, I do think people would pay a buck to get a missed episode of Desperate Housewives (or maybe and R rated version, .



    And no, I don't think most people think online video is only viable if they can watch it on their ipod, because almost no one watches video on the go right now.
  • Reply 9 of 18
    mattyjmattyj Posts: 898member
    I can see this happening as well. Except the current videos do take a while on a 1 Mbit connection. However, seeing as so many have broadband isn't this kind of a non-issue now?



    I however have one niggle with the iTMS, the bit rate for some songs (few it has to be said) is not good enough, the quality sometimes becomes awful, when there are a lot of instruments playing. I would have preferred the songs to have been 192kbps AAC, 128kbps is great, but it's not cd quality, which is a shame.
  • Reply 10 of 18
    So obviously Apple is listening to me.8)



    Now let me talk about how touchscreens and tablets are the next logical step...
  • Reply 11 of 18
    mattyjmattyj Posts: 898member
    Very nice. Now they just need to do this so that they're preview-able. How many videos are there to buy now, I've counted two, but only had a quick look.
  • Reply 12 of 18
    iPod Video... it's coming...
  • Reply 13 of 18
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    I would like to hear the music come out of the speakers I have connected to my AirPort Express while playing videos. When I preview a song I hear it through my external speakers, but I have to settle for hearing music coming out of my iBook's speakers.
  • Reply 14 of 18
    tednditedndi Posts: 1,921member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by monkeyastronaut

    iPod Video... it's coming...



    Bring it ON!!



    Woot!
  • Reply 15 of 18
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mattyj

    Very nice. Now they just need to do this so that they're preview-able. How many videos are there to buy now, I've counted two, but only had a quick look.



    Just bought the Morcheeba album and it came with a video. It's kind of a nice little feature, since they were including them on the CD's. This eliminates one more advantage that physical media had.



    Theirvery Corporation also has a video for sale, as do the Shins, Gorillaz and quite a few others.
  • Reply 16 of 18
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Nordstrodamus

    So obviously Apple is listening to me.8)



    Now let me talk about how touchscreens and tablets are the next logical step...




    Apple patents tablet mac



    Man, I'm on fire!



    So now let me suggest that the next logical step is for Apple to offer me a job.



    --

    Yeah, I know I quoted myself.
  • Reply 17 of 18
    sandausandau Posts: 1,230member
    hmm, i could see existing iPod's used as a loading device from iTunes which could then be set on a set top hardware box that plays Quicktime/H.264. Be a great market for those 10,000,0000 ipods that already exist. Download your movies onto your iPod, plug it into on the jambox which is hooked to your tv...
  • Reply 18 of 18
    geekdreamsgeekdreams Posts: 280member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    i forget which thread it was, but this was already being discussed. anyways, is everyone forgetting that you can just go to your band's website and download the videos for free? i mean if you like a video enough to download it to watch it again, surely you can just visit the site. there is absolutely no profitable market for apple to go after by selling videos.



    What if you want to download videos that were made 10-20 years ago? Not every band has a website, and not every website hosts high-quality downloadable videos (usually it's streaming WMV or RM with postage-stamp resolutions).



    I'd like to see the Music Videos section of the iTMS grow to be representative of all the artists available through the store, with free streaming playback (as it has been for a while) and free bonus vids bundled with select albums (as they've just started doing), but with the added option of purchasing an MP4 download for $0.99 (or maybe a bit more since the files are bigger than individual tracks - but H.264 should help with that).
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