Steven P. Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple, is an emerging force in the mobile phone business, thanks to the snaking lines of gadget fans who queued up last week to buy the iPhone. But now he faces a headache in an industry Apple already dominates — digital music.
The Universal Music Group of Vivendi, the world’s biggest music corporation, last week notified Apple that it will not renew its annual contract to sell music through iTunes, according to executives briefed on the issue who asked for anonymity because negotiations between the companies are confidential.
Instead, Universal said that it would market music to Apple at will, a move that could allow Universal to remove its songs from the iTunes service on short notice if the two sides do not agree on pricing or other terms in the future, these executives said.
Universal’s roster of artists includes stars like U2, Akon and Amy Winehouse.
News source: NY Times
Link: Discuss on Back Page News Thanks Bear
The Universal Music Group of Vivendi, the world’s biggest music corporation, last week notified Apple that it will not renew its annual contract to sell music through iTunes, according to executives briefed on the issue who asked for anonymity because negotiations between the companies are confidential.
Instead, Universal said that it would market music to Apple at will, a move that could allow Universal to remove its songs from the iTunes service on short notice if the two sides do not agree on pricing or other terms in the future, these executives said.
Universal’s roster of artists includes stars like U2, Akon and Amy Winehouse.
News source: NY Times Link: Discuss on Back Page News Thanks Bear
You act like these labels compete against each other? No, they compete against you, the consumer to extract every last dollar they can from you (and if you refuse, then you are automatically a pirate - how dare you not spend as much this year on music as you did last year). They work together to fix their prices and if one label does something, you know the others aren't far behind. It's called a "cartel" and the federal government just looks the other way because it's just "silly music".
If they, and film companies, refuse to give me options of legally purchasing their content then I will use other methods to obtain / watch them.
For example they want to stop people ripping a DVD to watch on their ipod / psp etc... Why, no good reason, just pure $$$. No respect, no customer loyalty, no SALE!
Not everyone want to watch a film on a DVD / Blur Ray, or listen to music from a CD. Why dont they get that? Why cant I in the UK purchase films from iTunes (or similar) instead having to rip dvd's or using bittorrent.
Bono must be upset. I believe he will call on all world leaders at the next G8 and tell them all to make laws to make this practice stop. He must continue to be rich so he can tell us how to live our lives.
lol, i'll stick to free music
To be honest I don't know why we're surprised by their continual greed.. its like every passing month yields yet another eye wateringly bad decision from the dinosaurs in charge of the recording companies. I guess eventually they will destroy the business through their complete ignorance of technology and consumer demand.
This is where other companies have an issue - Apple can undercut them all and subsidise the iTunes Store from the sales of iPods, "pure" music store companies like Napster don't have this luxury - they're already operating at a loss.
music industry is one of the most ridiculous and annoying industries out there xD
Glassed Silver:mac
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