In other news:

-McDonald's withholding the Big Mac
-Microsoft ceases sales of Vista OS
-Michelle Malkin attends Folsom St. Fair in San Francisco

The record labels would love that. In their mind, it would force people to buy the physical cds.
In reality, they'll just fileshare 'em.

Rev. Skarekroe: The record labels would love that. In their mind, it would force people to buy the physical cds.
In reality, they'll just fileshare 'em.

The record labels must not have noticed that Apple is the world's largest (in terms of sheer number of tracks/albums sold) music retailer.

If the music industry forced Apple to close iTunes....well, now is not the time to convince the rest of the world that you're a greedy corporate asshole. we're all a mite sensitive about that particular topic right now.

Good. Shut that shiat down Jobs. I use Amazon and other sites for my unrestricted MP3 needs without your DRM bullshiat. iTunes can go fark itself.

Apple's profits from iTunes remain slim. This is because Apple doesn't think the market is strong enough for it to raise its 99-cents-a-song price.

I'd say they are about right.

Rev. Skarekroe: The record labels would love that. In their mind, it would force people to buy the physical cds.
In reality, they'll just fileshare 'em.

Except that we now live in an age where people can simple set their computers to record their favorite radio station, and manipulate that into the new songs. The labels are all in trouble, and they don't even know it. People are tired of the labels demanding high dollar prices for fifty cent service, and sales will drop.

to sum up the article, the recording industry would like to shoot its other foot

They should shut it down if this is the case.

Rev. Skarekroe: The record labels would love that. In their mind, it would force people to buy the physical cds.
In reality, they'll just fileshare 'em.

It wouldn't affect filesharing one way or the other, but it would make legal outlets that aren't complete shiat, like Amazon, more popular.

iTunes is one step away from malware. Every time I decide to give that bloated piece of crap another chance, I end up uninstalling it after a day.

Father Jack Hacket: Apple's profits from iTunes remain slim. This is because Apple doesn't think the market is strong enough for it to raise its 99-cents-a-song price.

I'd say they are about right.

I agree!

This isn't the time for the music industry to ask for a raise. Leave things as they are for now. Stupid. People are actually paying money for tracks to listen to, in increasing numbers. That's good. It's because when something is under a dollar, people don't think too much about spending.

Will it cost them $1.99 for each one they take down?

Apple is making your typical bullshiat argument. So they will shutter iTunes because raising rates from 9 to 15 cents per song will make iTunes unprofitable. Of course they fail to mention the reliance on iTunes that their astronomical sales of iPods depends on. No friggin way they close iTunes and risk effecting sales of their cash cow.

First the TV writers strike, then Canada strikes, now this?

This is complete bullshiat and here's why. I have windows media player and LimeWire and usually d/l any song I want. Someone want to explain the appeal of iTunes when there is LimeWire and windows media player? They've never let me down. Never ran around and deserted me. Never gonna made me cry. Never said goodbye. Never told a lie and hurt me. We've know each other for so long. Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it. Inside we both know what's been going on. We know the game and we're gonna play it. And if you ask me how I'm feeling, don't tell me you're too blind to see. Never gonna give you up,
never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you.

NittLion78: In other news:

-McDonald's withholding the Big Mac
-Microsoft ceases sales of Vista OS
-Michelle Malkin attends Folsom St. Fair in San Francisco

Came to say this.

Thanks.

iTunes music store isn't going anywhere.

/amazon mp3 store for the DRM-free win though

I assume there's some version of PlayFair out there that works with today's DRMified files.

I, for one, would pay real money to see Apple's DRM servers go down for a day or two - the shiatstorm would be incredible to watch.

FarKnight: This is complete bullshiat and here's why. I have windows media player and LimeWire and usually d/l any song I want. Someone want to explain the appeal of iTunes when there is LimeWire and windows media player? They've never let me down. Never ran around and deserted me. Never gonna made me cry. Never said goodbye. Never told a lie and hurt me. We've know each other for so long. Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it. Inside we both know what's been going on. We know the game and we're gonna play it. And if you ask me how I'm feeling, don't tell me you're too blind to see. Never gonna give you up,
never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you.

Windows Media Player blows chunks, that's why. You can just as easily load your MP3s on iTunes and have a MUCH better interface. Plus for syncing and iPod or iPhone, you'd love the simplicity and ease of use that iTunes provides.

clancifer: Windows Media Player blows chunks, that's why. You can just as easily load your MP3s on iTunes and have a MUCH better interface.

iTunes on Windows is a farking atrocity.

ThatGuyGreg: I, for one, would pay real money to see Apple's DRM servers go down for a day or two - the shiatstorm would be incredible to watch.

They don't have DRM servers. At least not like Microsoft and Yahoo had.
The DRM is on managed on the client side. Read up here (new window)

rcain: The DRM is on managed on the client side. Read up here (new window)

Interesting - so there'd be a year or two delay between Apple shutting things off & people buying a new computer that can't get authorized.

Still, there's gotta be some cataclysmic way that normal people can be shown that iTunes = DRM, and DRM = bad.

ThatGuyGreg: clancifer: Windows Media Player blows chunks, that's why. You can just as easily load your MP3s on iTunes and have a MUCH better interface.

iTunes on Windows is a farking atrocity.

Maybe your Vista system has a device driver error. I run iTunes on my work laptop, and it runs without failure. I also share my playlist on the network, and at any time there will be 3-5 people attached to it. Not sure what problem you've seen, but it is by far a better experience than WMP.

FreeRip.

FarKnight: I have windows media player and LimeWire and usually d/l any song I want. Someone want to explain the appeal of iTunes when there is LimeWire and windows media player?

I see what you did there.

clancifer: I run iTunes on my work laptop, and it runs without failure

Well, it works for you - it must work for everyone.

/vista? really?
//you haven't been paying attention

ThatGuyGreg: Still, there's gotta be some cataclysmic way that normal people can be shown that iTunes = DRM, and DRM = bad.

That would require shared music libraries, which no one really talks about much.
The issue here is the 5 device limit.

A household of 2, each with a laptop and an iPod and iPhone apiece is ok. If the both get desktops, or they add in a kid with their own laptop and iPod, someone will have to forego access on a machine.

Then there are people like me, who are in an ironic situation with iTunes. I am a consumer who is able to and would rather just pay through a store and get legitimate music for a few dollars rather than spend time searching P2P networks for what I want. I will spend hundred of dollars at a time on MP3 downloads at Amazon and other DRM free places. You would think I would be an ideal customer to any MP3 retailer. But not iTunes, they would rather punish me.

The issue is that I have a home network consisting of a 3TB NAS storage that holds my shared iTunes library that is accessed by my Workstation, my laptop and 3 mac minis. 1 of those minis broadcasts a streaming internet radio station across my home network, the other two power AppleTV units, allowing access to my media from iTunes in multiple rooms.

On it's own, that's A-OK, only 5 units. But then I have an iPhone... that's a total of 6 devices accessing my iTunes share. So I would have to have a seperate iTunes account and repurchase everything I bought from iTunes... or just never use the iTunes music store. So I shop at Amazon and Bleep, who offer the same if not lower prices with no DRM.

What I cannot find is DRM free movies. Well... there is that one site in Russia that offers that... but I am wary of providing any Russian based company any financial information what so ever, especially a credit card number.

So for now, I continue to buy DVD's and rip them.

ThatGuyGreg: clancifer: I run iTunes on my work laptop, and it runs without failure

Well, it works for you - it must work for everyone.

/vista? really?
//you haven't been paying attention

Or... it doesn't work for you and therefore doesn't work for everyone?

/sorry I missed the Windows part, you must have been talking about 3.1

clancifer: , but it is by far a better experience than WMP.

There isn't that much of a difference.

iTunes isn't that great, it just sucks slightly less than everything else.

wait
I was gonna buy an iPod, but now?
there is no way to get music onto it now
might as well go buy a zune
or an FM radio
can you still get walkmans ?

/looking for wooden shoes to throw

ThatGuyGreg: clancifer: I run iTunes on my work laptop, and it runs without failure

Well, it works for you - it must work for everyone.

/vista? really?
//you haven't been paying attention

iTunes on Windows works great for me, too

/so does Vista

FuturePastNow: ThatGuyGreg: clancifer: I run iTunes on my work laptop, and it runs without failure

Well, it works for you - it must work for everyone.

/vista? really?
//you haven't been paying attention

iTunes on Windows works great for me, too

/so does Vista

Never had a problem with mine either: Itunes OR Vista But then I don't download a lot of programs or anything.

It's Apple's toy and if they say you can't play with it you can't! Waah!

DOGS AND CATS
LIVING TOGETHER
MASS HYSTERIA

Lol I dare them to close itunes. The I will have to go back to pirating all my music for free. I mean I still do that, but when im lazy ill use itunes.

I'm probably all alone on this one, but I really despise iTunes, both as software and as a mode of commerce. I really do want it to go away.

Um, iTunes sells DRM-free files as well. (AAC != DRM, it's unprotected MPEG-4 audio.)

Apple fought like hell to get the labels to accept that, paving the way for Amazon.

Apple also paved the way for online music distribution by designing and fighting to use a DRM scheme that wasn't completely draconian.

It's the lesser of all evils, and even Apple knows it has to stop sometime. It's too expensive to maintain.

You want to hate on someone, hate on the labels for acting like spoiled children to begin with.

Good riddance. iTunes is a joke.

/people paying for music makes me laugh

palexc: It's the lesser of all evils, and even Apple knows it has to stop sometime. It's too expensive to maintain.

No, Amazon is the lesser of all evils, because it ONLY sells DRM-free music. They're doing what Apple says it "wants" to do "sometime", and not using DRM now.

If record labels won't agree to that, they're not on Amazon.

And I don't "hate on" people or things because I'm not retarded trailer trash.

tallguywithglasseson: palexc: It's the lesser of all evils, and even Apple knows it has to stop sometime. It's too expensive to maintain.

No, Amazon is the lesser of all evils, because it ONLY sells DRM-free music. They're doing what Apple says it "wants" to do "sometime", and not using DRM now.

If record labels won't agree to that, they're not on Amazon.

And I don't "hate on" people or things because I'm not retarded trailer trash.

Erm, I think you misinterpreted my post.

"Lesser of all evils" meant of all DRM schemes. This excludes Amazon since they don't have one.

Apple dragged the RIAA into digital music kicking and screaming, and eventually into DRM free music for the labels willing to go along with it. The game is now changing that Amazon has asserted itself, and I have no doubt iTunes will as well.

Apple has publicly stated that they don't want DRM, they know it's bad for consumers, but it was necessary in the beginning just to get the labels moving. It also exposes them to a boatload of liability and maintenance costs.

People give Apple sh*t for selling DRM'd music, but PlaysForSure was a lot worse and failed incredibly because MS capitulated to the label demands instead of taking the consumer into account. iTunes changed the game, people tend to forget that.

It's also bloated as f*ck.

Right now Apple gets 99 cents per song (not counting discounted or free songs given out via promotionals).

Lets say given that, Apple gets, on average, 70 cents per song.

Right now they have to pay the rightsholders 9 cents, and now they want 15 cents.

And THAT is going to make it unprofitable???

All the technology is running right now, other than "improvements", there isn't any R&D costs or anything... the store is a streamlined running machine.

It seems to me that, the 50+ cents or so they make "clear" per song is pretty good. The other employees and costs to run the company for Itunes just subtracts from that, but, not enough that they aren't making money hand over fist.

Seems like a very empty threat.

dletter: All the technology is running right now, other than "improvements", there isn't any R&D costs or anything... the store is a streamlined running machine.

Bandwidth, data center costs, DRM maintenance. FairPlay gets patched with every required iTunes update. DRM isn't a one-time cost, it requires updating because it's constantly being attacked.

palexc: but it was necessary in the beginning just to get the labels moving.

This is probably true, the labels were still thinking "OMG NAPSTER"

Open_Mouth_Inert_Foot: to sum up the article, the recording industry would like to shoot its other foot

RTA, came to say this.

dletter: Right now Apple gets 99 cents per song (not counting discounted or free songs given out via promotionals).

Lets say given that, Apple gets, on average, 70 cents per song.

Right now they have to pay the rightsholders 9 cents, and now they want 15 cents.

And THAT is going to make it unprofitable???

All the technology is running right now, other than "improvements", there isn't any R&D costs or anything... the store is a streamlined running machine.

It seems to me that, the 50+ cents or so they make "clear" per song is pretty good. The other employees and costs to run the company for Itunes just subtracts from that, but, not enough that they aren't making money hand over fist.

Seems like a very empty threat.

Ummm... by the time the payments go out to the labels, copyright owners, bandwidth, credit card fees, overhead etc., Apple clears something like 2 or 3 cents per song. So, yes, an extra 6 cents would make the store lose money.

FarKnight: This is complete bullshiat and here's why. I have windows media player and LimeWire and usually d/l any song I want. Someone want to explain the appeal of iTunes when there is LimeWire and windows media player? They've never let me down. Never ran around and deserted me. Never gonna made me cry. Never said goodbye. Never told a lie and hurt me. We've know each other for so long. Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it. Inside we both know what's been going on. We know the game and we're gonna play it. And if you ask me how I'm feeling, don't tell me you're too blind to see. Never gonna give you up,
never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you.

Wow. Farkrolled.

FarKnight: This is complete bullshiat and here's why. I have windows media player and LimeWire and usually d/l any song I want. Someone want to explain the appeal of iTunes when there is LimeWire and windows media player? They've never let me down. Never ran around and deserted me. Never gonna made me cry. Never said goodbye. Never told a lie and hurt me. We've know each other for so long. Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it. Inside we both know what's been going on. We know the game and we're gonna play it. And if you ask me how I'm feeling, don't tell me you're too blind to see. Never gonna give you up,
never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you.

I didn't know you could be rick roll'd via text but damnit.

FarKnight: This is complete bullshiat and here's why. I have windows media player and LimeWire and usually d/l any song I want. Someone want to explain the appeal of iTunes when there is LimeWire and windows media player? They've never let me down. Never ran around and deserted me. Never gonna made me cry. Never said goodbye. Never told a lie and hurt me. We've know each other for so long. Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it. Inside we both know what's been going on. We know the game and we're gonna play it. And if you ask me how I'm feeling, don't tell me you're too blind to see. Never gonna give you up,
never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you.

whoa- didn't see THAT coming!

shonday: Good riddance. iTunes is a joke.

/people paying for music makes me laugh

You're such a rebel.

what are some good, free itunes alternatives...

and i dont mean for buying music, just interfacing with your ipod.

leland242: free itunes alternatives

See here (new window) for some options.