Awesome article. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Why Apple is more expensive than Amazon
Buy what you like, where you like. But remember why things are the way they are. Apple is more expensive than Amazon because the labels want you listening to music on a Zune.
Thurrott is back to his unfortunate blog-baiting ways. (Which I guess work, right?). This, of course, in no way proves lock-in accusations about Apple. They’ve shown an eagerness to sell unlocked, DRM-free music. The recording industry, however, won’t allow it, preferring to give DRM-free music exclusively to iTunes’ competitors in an effort to offset Apple’s growing power base. Which is fine, and their right, and perhaps even a smart thing to do if you don’t care about your consumers (which, historically, they don’t).
So rather than play pundit and distort data, how about putting the lock-in accusations where they really belong, bokay Paul?
Amazon Gains Share of Shrinking Paid Music Market - SuperSite Blog
This proves the lock-in accusations about Apple are correct, of course, and that Apples strategy is both brilliant and effective. Were at the point where complaining because a song will only work on an iPod is just about as ludicrous as complaining that a software application is limited because it runs “only” on Windows as Apple promoters like David Pogue often do. The problem I have with iTunes content, however, has little to do with lock-in, though its a concern. Im more worried about quality most iTunes tracks are in a lowly 128 Kbps format. Compatibility/portability is secondary to that, and would be less of an issue if more music there was at least unprotected and could be transcoded to a better format with no loss in quality. Which is impossible with 128 Kbps tracks, period.
Joel’s speech was both those things mentioned below, but much more. He took on the music industry head-to-head, saying Mellencamp had outlived it, and that it (the music industry) was dead. (By suicide, I would add, as any of a number of steps including early monetization of napster-like services, the fair and marketing rather than money focused licensing of internet radio and use for podcasts, etc. could have let it limp along before the middle-men were jettisoned and the new media model of Artist -> (online) -> Customer takes hold).
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show lacks luster of past - The Boston Globe
The nights undisputed highlight was the Mellencamp induction, which combined surprising presenter Billy Joel - whose speech was both funny and heartfelt
Proving once again that “no one ever lost money overestimating the stupidity of the public”
This has nothing to do with iTunes. They would sell DRM free music in a heartbeat if Sony, Universal, and WB let them. But the Big (3 out of) 4 won’t because Apple keeps a hard line on pricing. Amazon has more DRM-free content now and cheaper prices only because the Big 4 want to hurt iTunes. Why?
Not to benefit consumers.
To fracture the market in hopes other vendors (who don’t have Apple’s hardware focus) won’t hold the 0.99 cent line on pricing but give in to the “variable” pricing model.
Remember, these are the same people who charged outrageous prices for CDs saying they were “new technology” and would come down in price eventually, and then continued to raise their price over time. And we won’t even get into ring tones.
The Big-4 want to maximize profits by gouging based on popularity, bundling, etc. and they don’t care a fig about consumers.
Example:
Many iTunes users are not tech savvy. They use iTunes because it’s dead easy. Many of us probably have family members like this, and trying to explain shopping around to places like Amazon to get music for their iPod is an exercise in frustration. They just want a fast, easy, comfortable way to buy music. And because of the Big 4 and their machinations, they’re still getting lower bit-rate DRM (and probably don’t even notice or know what it is).
(Which probably also shows that the DRM issue itself is loud on the ‘net but perhaps not even noticed by many in the larger population - hence some leverage lost to the Big (3 out of) 4.
Amazon MP3 store to spread DRM-free love global in 2008 - Engadget
In perhaps the biggest threat to Apples global dominance of digital music, Amazon just announced the international rollout of Amazon MP3. Right, the on-line storefront offering DRM-free music from all four major labels. Thats 3.3 million songs priced at $0.99 or less from over 270k artists encoded in 256kbps MP3 files for playback on any PC, any Mac, and pretty much any portable device you might own. Sure, its beta but so is that gMail account youve been using for the past 4 years. Unfortunately, the best that Amazon can commit to is “this year” which leaves plenty of time for the house of Apple to get their DRM shiznit together.
You get no credit for not doing what you shouldn’t do? How about recognizing that we’re in 2008 and your place between content creators and content consumers is no longer welcome, thank you very much.
Here’s your new formula: Make irresistible product and sell it at no-brainer prices, bumping your bottom line with advertising (preferably product placement that doesn’t distract from the content itself). Then let consumers consume it how they like, where they like, on what device they like. B’okay?
Canadian labels: We get “absolutely zero credit” for not suing fansGraham Henderson, the boss of CRIA, comes across as a man not out to screw the world (as CRIA is sometimes portrayed), but as a man about ready to tear out his own hair in frustration over the fact that the music industry is so consistently demonized by consumers even as those consumers take its core product without paying. A skilled talker, Henderson is the most interesting person at the table, and it’s actually quite humanizing to listen as his polished façade cracks a bit. He points out that Canadian labels have not chosen to sue their fans, but then goes plaintive for a moment, saying, “We get absolutely zero credit for that.”
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