April 29, 2003

The iTunes Music Store

Yesterday Apple (everyone’s favorite computer company) unveiled a new music service called The iTunes Music Store to coincide with the release of a new version of iTunes and a revamped iPod. The service allows users to download songs for 99¢ and full CDs for around $10 a pop. In addition to that, iTunes now supports the AAC format (Advanced Audio Coding), which produces smaller files than the widely used MP3 format, and supposedly near-CD audio quality. Apple is making a big bid to wrangle the online music world. Can they really tame this unruly beast? Will people pay for what they can still find for free if they are the least bit savvy? The biggest drawback for me is missing out on the CD artwork. Sadly, the service only runs through the new iTunes, which is only for OSX. I really need to upgrade.

Commentary (3):

1. ROb Weychert says… apr 29, 2003 | 10:03 am

Albums START at $9.99, so who knows what an average price would be. The iTunes Music Store boasts that it puts 200,000 songs at your fingertips. Think about the immense volume of history’s recorded legacy—200,000 songs is nothing. Independent music will be scarcely represented, if at all. So basically this thing saves you a trip to the mall. They should call this service iSam Goody.

2. Jason Santa Maria says… apr 29, 2003 | 10:54 am

hahaha. Very true, but it has just started. If Apple really wants to be the leader here, they NEED to get as many labels on board as possible, including independents.

3. Floyd Weychert says… may 11, 2003 | 9:31 pm

Hi everyone I’m Floyd, Rob’s older brother. Do you know that he wet the bed well into his teens!

Apple?!? They still make those? How much money can iTunes make from the world’s 15 Apple users?