Report: Visual ads to show up on iTunes
Apple Computer may soon disrupt the purity of its iTunes interface by introducing visual advertising spots that would appear within the ubiquitous jukebox application.
Citing content partners who have been briefed on the matter, AdAge is reporting that the company's current plans call for the ads to appear only in the lower-left corner of the iTunes library.
The ads would display "while users listen to podcasts from their computers rather than from portable devices."
The report speculates that an introduction of visual ads could be the first step to allowing ads in other content areas or on iPods. So far, Apple has limited such intrusions to audio spots embedded in some of the podcasts offered via iTunes.
ESPN Radio, which supplies some of iTunes' most popular ad-supported sports podcasts, is said to be working with the Cupertino, Calif.-based iPod maker on the new advertising offering.
"Our ad model is performing very well thus far. We offer gateway audio ads, often voiced by ESPN talent and a 30-second brand-sell spot," Marc Horine, general manager-new media at ESPN Radio, told AdAge. "We are looking at new technology that will provide a much richer advertising experience and hope to roll that out very soon."
Apple declined to comment on the report.
Citing content partners who have been briefed on the matter, AdAge is reporting that the company's current plans call for the ads to appear only in the lower-left corner of the iTunes library.
The ads would display "while users listen to podcasts from their computers rather than from portable devices."
The report speculates that an introduction of visual ads could be the first step to allowing ads in other content areas or on iPods. So far, Apple has limited such intrusions to audio spots embedded in some of the podcasts offered via iTunes.
ESPN Radio, which supplies some of iTunes' most popular ad-supported sports podcasts, is said to be working with the Cupertino, Calif.-based iPod maker on the new advertising offering.
"Our ad model is performing very well thus far. We offer gateway audio ads, often voiced by ESPN talent and a 30-second brand-sell spot," Marc Horine, general manager-new media at ESPN Radio, told AdAge. "We are looking at new technology that will provide a much richer advertising experience and hope to roll that out very soon."
Apple declined to comment on the report.
Comments
iTunes used to be good...now it's a heaping pile of shit.
Originally posted by kim kap sol
It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Apple dragged iTunes even lower than it is right now.
iTunes used to be good...now it's a heaping pile of shit.
What do you mean by this? I am curious.
iTunes is also a personal music Library application.
Nevermind - roll on iTunes adblock plugin.
I buy music from iTunes, I listen to podcasts, the podcasters (and THIER ads, which right now now are done in a reasonable way) pay for the bandwidth that they use. If Apple does this, on top of the damned QT ads that come up when ever QT player is launched [1] I may just consider dumping OSX, or putting TONS of effort/cash into ad-blocking/removal. I PAY GOOD MONEY FOR MY COMPUTER (particularly Macs), DONT SELL ME SHIT ON A DEVICE THAT I AM PAYING HUGE MONEY FOR!
As another example of ADs in OSX, when was the last time the Safari pop-up blocker acctually blocked a pop-up? want real blocking, buy pith helmet or, as I do, use adblock in FF.
[1] I have tried to turn the QT "guid" auto loading ads off, but every time I open a trailer from the QT site, it comes back on!
I think once I find out what domain the ads are hosted from I will just write a little script to...ahem....modify /etc/hosts
g4 tried ads in their podcasts for x-play (the only thing i miss about not getting g4-techtv anymore). not only was THAT a trainwreck (where you just learned to quickly fast-forward through them, and grow to HATE the sponsor) it almost made me stop downloading the podcast altogether. g4/comcast would probably say "but if we don't advertise on the podcast, we don't get any return on our investment/" oh really? because after i started watching the podcasts, i started visiting your website for reviews that hadn't been posted yet or skits and whatnot, which of course exposed me to, you know, ads on your website. we'll also ignore that fact that a review of a game is AN AD UNTO ITSELF.
but anyway, i digress. maybe i'm just grumpy. coffee isn't making a dent this morning. maybe this is all sounds way worse than it actually will be. maybe i need a nap.
Originally posted by rok
hell, i just about punch my screen when i am trying to read espn's website and their latest V//V commercial or something kicks in from the sidebar blasting over my speakers until i can click the tiny stop button. i deal with it because espn isn't exactly a public broadcasting station, so they work the ads in. but if ads start popping up when i am viewing items that were either already paid for, or free, well... i am just sick to death of friggin' ads. is no square inch of space allowed to be ad free anymore?
Firefox + adblock plus plugin + filterset.g plugin = ESPN Bliss
Originally posted by Merovingian
Well I don't use it, but that is low...
What do you mean by this? I am curious.
iTunes used to be a fairly lean app when it was about music.
It now tries to do too much...music store, podcasts, video. I suppose this would be fine if the UI was tailored around it doing so much more than it once did. But it's still got a UI geared for music...visualizer effects just don't fit with podcasts, the movie store or video...album art just doesn't work with video (instead we get a postage stamp video ala QuickTime 1.0.)
The interface is just terrible now. Not only is it none functional for what the app does nowadays, it'll get cluttered up even more with ads and mini-stores.
It's unacceptable. The two remaining important Carbon apps (let's exclude DVD Player for now), Finder and iTunes are the worst apps in OS X right now.
Sure, Carbon has nothing to do with it...except that, it does (for reasons that I'm growing tired of listing.)
Originally posted by kim kap sol
iTunes used to be a fairly lean app when it was about music.
It now tries to do too much...
i agree, and i have been kicking about this for a while now (but no one ever listens to me). we used to get on word's case about doing too much for an app that used to be just the best lil' word processor around. or photoshop that now tries to be a full operating system instead of just, you know, doing kick-butt work on photos.
i'm going to be 48% facetious when i say that there might actually be a MARKET now for an app that just manages your music well... maybe audion needs to come out of retirement?
edit: the obvious sticking point, of course, is how does any other media player play iTMS-purchased media when Apple doesn't license FairPlay to anyone?
Originally posted by kim kap sol
iTunes used to be a fairly lean app when it was about music.
It was never about the music, it has always been a frame of its current self, Apple has just gone the direction that everyone has expected since itunes 2/ipod 1
Apple sells you the computer, the player, the content, and anything else in the chain, and they oh so kindly lock it down, like it or not, Apple wants their customers to be p0wn3D by who else, Apple!
OT Rant: What would it take for AI readers to convince AI admins that they really need to dump flashy/moving adds? What more on top of that would it take to make sure all adds are work-safe? I'm tired of flying Nokias and scantilly clad women getting in the way of Apple news/rumors, but I understand the need for the site to generate revenue in some manner (and therefor haven't installed an adblocker).
Originally posted by CrazyWingman
OT Rant: What would it take for AI readers to convince AI admins that they really need to dump flashy/moving adds? What more on top of that would it take to make sure all adds are work-safe? I'm tired of flying Nokias and scantilly clad women getting in the way of Apple news/rumors, but I understand the need for the site to generate revenue in some manner (and therefor haven't installed an adblocker).
Most sites that I visit have Amazon links, my adblock is set to not remove those as well as text based Google ads, when I need something from Amazon, I always try to go to a site I frequent and use their link to give 'em the kick back because I do in fact block all graphic/flash/video ads; from where I sit (at work) that is a fair trade off.
That said, is there any other software that catalogues music similar to iTunes? Audion and MacAmp Lite are fantastic players (and MacAmp is MUCH less resource intensive, to boot), but they don't really have the cataloguing aspect that I can see.
Maybe they are just talking about allowing the pics to be fetched from a server while the podcast is playing. Like a mini web page in the corner.
Is this acceptable? Not to me. I am already paranoid about web security, and only visit sites I trust. If iTunes is going to allow podcast files control over a little web browser, then I will only listen to podcasts from companies I trust. Sorry indie radio, you lose.