Valleywag
the olds
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the olds
digital music
Nine years later, Napster repeats its feat of making MP3s widely available
The celestial jukebox is back, far too late to matter. Napster is now selling a library of 6 million songs, from all four major labels, as MP3 files, a format which lacks copy protection and hence is compatible with any number of devices — most importantly, the iPod. In other words, the state of affairs that existed nine years ago at Napster's original launch, save for the 99-cent fee now charged per download. Egghead Netscape cofounder Marc Andreessen notes the irony without explanation. For the slightly less brilliant among us, here it is: The record labels, having killed Napster once, have now rallied behind it, hoping to weaken Apple, a company whose iTunes store is already the dominant music retailer in the U.S.
digital music
Following bloggers, musicians are the latest group to whore themselves to Apple
Bloggers know that a good Apple story is a sure-fire way to precious pageviews and ultimately, cash. Music groups are figuring out how to capitalize on the cult of Steve Jobs, too. Silicon Alley Insider reports that since appearing in an Apple ad on April 27, "Shut Up and Let Me Go" by The Ting Tings shot up to No. 11 on the iTunes charts and No. 93 on Billboard's top 100. Additionally, Apple fanboys snatched up copies of "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" after Apple debuted the song in an ad on October 28, and then "New Soul" by Yael Naim took its turn on the charts after Apple featured it in its MacBook Air ad campaign. So the capitalist-friendly among us can't help but cheer
online video
Apple adds HBO to iTunes, but only by caving on pricing
As a a part of a deal to bring HBO shows to the iTunes store, Apple will allow a content producer to break its $1.99-per-show price structure for the first time, HBO employees involved in the deal told Portfolio. Last summer, Apple CEO Steve Jobs refused to allow NBC to do the same, so NBC boss Jeff Zucker took his shows elsewhere — to Microsoft and the Zune, specifically. Why did HBO get the deal while NBC didn't? More »
apple
Jeff Zucker's Zune revenge
Having dropped Apple's iTunes store in a dispute over pricing, NBC Universal will soon start selling downloads of TV shows like The Office and 30 Rock for its Zune media player. If NBC chief Jeff Zucker manages to scrape some sales out of Microsoft's handheld also-ran, it will be a miracle — and the surest proof yet that content, not hardware, is king. Don't hold your breath. Microsoft's Zune has always seemed like a parody of Apple's iPod. Want to buy songs? Well, first you buy "points" from Microsoft, which you can then exchange for music at some bizarre exchange rate. Nothing about its user interface seems quite right compared to Apple's polish. The system for TV shows is no better. Though Microsoft also makes the Xbox, shows downloaded to a Zune won't play on the videogame console unless you're adept at fiddling with cables. By going with Microsoft, Zucker is betting that technology doesn't matter, design doesn't matter, and market share doesn't matter. He must really believe in his prime-time lineup. (Photo via Fake Steve Ballmer)
digital music
Merlin megalabel to represent indies in licensing negotiations
The music snobbery is going to get a whole lot thicker on MySpace now that thousands of independent labels have signed on for "virtual major" Merlin.While most indie albums sell in small numbers, indie labels collectively account for 27.5 percent of total music sales worldwide; when banded together, they represent one of the largest labels on the planet.The purpose of the organization is to allow online distributors like MySpace and iTunes to have one contact to negotiate deals on behalf of thousands of small companies. All of it means more choice for customers online — those of you who introduced your crush to Os Mutantes can be forgiven if your expression of affected indifference melts into a smile, if only for a moment. Now the glossy, pop crap from the likes of EMI will have to compete on par with the delights of Sympathy for the Record Industry's catalog.
online video
Obscene iTunes profit margins finally win Hollywood's heart
Steve Jobs has finally wooed all the major studios, including Fox, Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount and Universal, to sell movie downloads on the day DVDs are released. On Friday, you'll be able to wait a while as American Gangster downloads over your crappy American broadband connection for $14.99. And it will be delivered in lower quality than standard DVDs, without any of those annoying extra features. But it will have Apple's DRM installed with every copy! What finally brought Hollywood to the table? More »
Twee hipsters can now download Juno from iTunes
Everyone's favorite over-allusive Indiewood hit Juno is now available for download at the iTunes Music Store for $14.99. The move marks Fox's first foray into offering new DVD releases as paid downloads through Apple's popular service, with the studio joining Paramount and Disney. Amazon's Unbox already carried the title, where it's also available to rent. Apple TV owners won't be able to rent Juno until May 14.
digital music
What MySpace Music backers don't get: Recorded music is no longer a product, but advertising
Shawn "Jay Z" Carter signing with LiveNation demonstrates that one of the most entrepreneurial artists of our generation has decided that the business of recording music is advertising. The No. 1 digital music retailer, iTunes, has understood this for some time — Apple sells iPods, and iTunes is a service to make it relatively cheap and easy to fill those iPods. Carter will be happy to make a little chump change from digital sales, but the MC knows the real money is in branded events and merchandise. What the labels call "piracy" is actually free distribution of promotional material, and such a model is not without precedent. More »
11:20 AM on Fri Apr 4 2008
By Jackson West
1,895 views,
4 comments
Latest by PhilWil: ok... here we go. Live Nation has it right. I have noticed this since back in the day... not sure how long ago... maybe since 2004-05 that this is the BEST way to go. By THAT I mean: Concerts Memorabilia Fan Clubs Tours The only problem is more »
digital music
Apple now top music seller in America, beating Wal-Mart
Apple now holds a 19 percent share of the U.S. music market, beating Wal-Mart's 15 percent and taking the No. 1 spot for the first time. Just last month, Apple moved past Best Buy for the No. 2 spot. The data, from an NPD survey, came from a leaked internal email from Apple. Ars Technica suspects the increase in buying is related to Christmas gifts of iPods and iTunes gift cards. Most surprising to me? People still buy music.
digital music
Why is Apple suddenly in talks with record labels about bundling an unlimited music plan with new iPods, after resisting such a move for years? Steve Jobs has scoffed at music subscriptions in the past, saying customers want to "own their music." Never take Steve at his word: For years, he shot down the idea of iPods with video or an Apple-branded cell phone — until he made them happen. The same is about to happen for music subscriptions, I suspect — but not because Jobs has suddenly changed his mind about consumers' tastes.
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Why Steve Jobs wants to sell you a music subscription
Why is Apple suddenly in talks with record labels about bundling an unlimited music plan with new iPods, after resisting such a move for years? Steve Jobs has scoffed at music subscriptions in the past, saying customers want to "own their music." Never take Steve at his word: For years, he shot down the idea of iPods with video or an Apple-branded cell phone — until he made them happen. The same is about to happen for music subscriptions, I suspect — but not because Jobs has suddenly changed his mind about consumers' tastes.
More »
1:40 PM on Fri Mar 28 2008
By Jordan Golson
4,745 views,
13 comments
Latest by Lilyseymour: It would be nice if Steve added me to his My Space pageLily S.[www.myspace.com] more »
breakdowns
Can't you tell how clever John Mayer is from his bug report to Apple?
John Mayer sat there waiting — waiting — on his iTunes to load. It never did. And like the rest of us, he had to force quit. But instead of doing so and moving on, Mayer felt compelled to write a cheery missive to the folks at Apple. "Hi guys. John Mayer here. Nothing's worse than running to stale music on your iPod, am I right?" He goes on in such a manner. We know this because Mayer posted the below screenshot of his report to his blog, fully indicating his cleverness to those paying attention. At the end of his post, Mayer wonders how Apple engineers will react to his letter. Anyone care to inform us how it was greeted at One Infinite Loop? More »
digital music
We're not buying Apple's new unlimited music plan
Apple has opened negotiations with the major record labels by offering only $20 per customer for a proposed unlimited plan at the iTunes music store, according to the Financial Times. Nokia is offering $80, but then cell-phone manufacturers have the price of phones subsidized by carriers who've gotten used to paying hundreds of dollars to acquire new customers. Apple has traditionally made its profits on the devices themselves, since iTunes margins are paltry, and are already slashing prices on units in order to meet sales forecasts. Labels are looking to get as much as $100 from iPod buyers and $8 a month from iPhone subscribers. Both sides are really fighting over how much of the profit from music they'll keep. Me, I'll stick with vinyl. (Illustration by Gizmodo)
Warner Music has signed a deal with 7digital.com to sell its entire catalog DRM-free in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Spain and France. What's 7digital, you ask? An online music store that's not Apple's iTunes, which seems to be Warner's only requirement in a partner these days. [Crave]
apple
"Good Luck Chuck" available on iTunes, 601 other promised titles not
Apple's iTunes movie rental store has only 399 titles available for download. That's 601 fewer than CEO Steve Jobs promised at Macworld in January. Jobs has always maintained that Apple's market share isn't what matters — it's the quality of its products. Check out the top 12 iTunes movie rentals below — a list which includes cinematic thrills like No Reservations and Stardust — and see if that applies here. More »
apple
NBC's Zucker explains why he thought he could push Steve Jobs around
NBC Universal head Jeff Zucker told a hall full of future Harvard MBAs yesterday that Steve Jobs booted NBC television from the iTunes store last summer because Zucker merely asked to experiment with show pricing. In fact, Zucker went on, NBC Universal films are now a part of the iTunes movie store only because Jobs bowed to NBC's demand for variable pricing. It's a convenient narrative, but not what actually happened. More »
Apple is now the second largest music retailer, beating Best Buy, in the United States. NPD Group, the market-research firm which tracks sales, estimates 12 single-song downloads as an album. Why don't they just count revenues? That would be easier. [BusinessWeek]
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