iTunes Store Shutdown Feared

[Raymond Lin]

I have an iPod too and an iPhone and only ever bought 1 song off itunes and regretted it ! It has DRM ! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Paul11]

Apple are just blowing smoke. The store won't shut down.

i agree, they are just trying to scare them in to not raising the royalties.

they are not going to close it down after investins so much money in it

 

[JRS]

Christ, Apple in the past have had "Going Out Of Business!" signs taped up on their windows so long that they've gone yellow and all curly at the edges....I think with their track record, we should probably take this 'threat' to shut the Itunes store with a container truck full of salt

 

[shauncr91]

Not good news for some, but if they do shut it, I'll be quietly laughing to myself every time I see an iPod walk by.

Why? Music doesn't have to be off iTunes in order to put stuff on it

 

[kkbigal]

I'm surprised to see so much Apple bashing in a thread where it's actually the NMPA that's causing the problem.

I'm all for artists getting paid fairly for their work, but you can bet that it will be the consumer who will be out of pocket when this price increase is instituted, not the record labels.

Whatever Apple's motives, at least it is of some significance if they speak out, even if it is just posturing.

 

[Slogan]

I'm surprised to see so much Apple bashing in a thread

Really?

 

[nikebee]

Can't say that I'd be that bothered to be honest...

I've got an Archos 605 and a Creative Zen anyway so it doesn't really effect me

 

[millsy888]

the only thing i would miss about iTunes is the podcasts, but is suppose there are other ways to get the ones i subscribe to.

I currently have 30Gb of mainly music on my ipod and i have never bought a song from iTunes, as i don't agree with the DRM they impose.

They can close the iTunes store if they want, it wouldn't really affect me in the slightest.

 

[ins0mn1ac]

It's only use for me is free podcasts, I refuse to pay for anything on that crappy thing.

 

[Dolph]

Surely it would not though? The iTunes store sells songs cheaply (ok they make money but not huge amounts) so that they can sell masses of ipods. iTunes store holds 85% of the digital sales market and so anyone wanting to compete has to offer it at either the same price or cheaper. If Apple claim that they wont be raising the price of songs then good on them! The record labels are the greedy ****s anyway!

You've just hit on the main reason why the closure of iTunes would be good... Apple have a cooperative monopoly between their digital music store and their players, because tracks from one will only work on the other, and they have market dominance in both areas due to this unnecessary lockout of competition.

If MS had done this (and their market share in the OS market is about the same as apple's in the MP3 player market) people would have been calling for their heads long ago.

 

[Col_M]

Lawl. Yes, you must increase prices to account for the 46% growth in sales via your disributors. That makes perfect sense.

Digital sales are rising but not enough to cover the decrease in revenue from CD sales which are still currently a larger market. It's understandable that the record industry will want to shorten the gap left by the reduction in CD sales by charging more for downloads. It's also understandable that Apple don't want this increase to affect their customers.

I don't think Apple will close itunes store down, they're just using scare tactics.

 

[Tom0]

Good riddance.

 

[thecremeegg]

If MS had done this (and their market share in the OS market is about the same as apple's in the MP3 player market) people would have been calling for their heads long ago.

You mean like seemingly everyone on here? Apple bashing is pathetic, that is all

 

[Dark88]

I for 1 like itunes... it's cheaper than buying a CD?

 

[meghatronic]

It's just typical Apple sabre-rattling. I own both a MacBook Pro and a 160GB iPod classic, and like the products, but I am getting to really dislike the way they do business these days. The secretive and controlling approach is gradually eroding all the goodwill they had.

^ this.

 

[platypus]

Apple are just blowing smoke. The store won't shut down.

Of course not. It's just good free publicity. People will see them as standing up to price increases and more people will be sucked in.

If anything, they'll put prices up, and people will pay because its Apple.

 

[pieplough]

Why?

I have an iPod - but never use the iTunes Music Store.

They don't go hand in hand they just compliment each other - I just buy my music on CD and rip it.

Rich

same here, never will use the store either.

Just greedy record labels, they have realised that they havent got the grip on the music market that they used to have.

 

[rscosworth]

I for 1 like itunes... it's cheaper than buying a CD?

Is it? Maybe if you buy from high street stores, but not from the online retailed based offshore!

 

[brai9dead]

Personally I don't see what all the fuss is about. I like itunes and would be sad to see it go (not that it will). If you don't like the itunes store then don't use it - nobody is forcing you.

 

[leaskovski]

itunes store closing wont make ipods useless thou, i have a ipod and never use it.

Yeah youre right! They can still be used as paper weights!