(10-26-2004) How to Download Over 400 U2 Songs -- U2.com*

[dsmith2904]

How to Download Over 400 U2 Songs

From the ‘Unbelievable But True Department’ : a Digital Boxed Set of ‘The Complete U2’ is set for release through iTunes.

As part of the emerging partnership between U2, Apple and Universal Music, Apple has created the online music industry's first-of-its-kind ‘Digital Box Set.’

‘The Complete U2’, will contain over 400 tracks including all of the band's albums and over 25 rare and unreleased tracks , including material from ‘Hasta La Vista’ and ‘Melon’ - the two CD’s previously only ever made available to subscribers to the official U2 magazine Propaganda.

Fans will be able to purchase and download ‘The Complete U2’ with just one click on the iTunes Music Store in the U.S. and Europe beginning in late November for just $149 (US).

The announcement was made this morning when Bono, Edge and Steve Jobs of Apple revealed the all-new ‘U2 iPod’, set for release next month.

More gobsmacking stories as we get them!

--U2.com

 

[saltwaterkiss26]

Can you buy the 'rare and unreleased tracks' without buying all the tracks we already have?

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Yeah, the ipod and the songs together would cost 550 bucks... that's AFTER the rebate

 

[BAW]

Yeah, the ipod and the songs together would cost 550 bucks... that's AFTER the rebate

It would actually be about $448 after the rebate ($349 + $99).

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Yeah, I just realized my bad math (English major)

Still,

Personally, I don't mind them doing this at all. If you don't want it or don't like it; don't buy it. I would if I had the cash, and I'm not going to lose any sleep over them doing it.

But on a limited budget, 450 bucks is more wisely spent on tickets to shows...

 

[Queen Bee]

I'm putting my soul up for sale. Any takers?

 

[agentmissa]

I'll buy it then resell it on Ebay.

 

[Popmartijn]

Can you buy the 'rare and unreleased tracks' without buying all the tracks we already have?

I think that eventually you can. For 99 cent per song of course.

 

[Popmartijn]

BTW, I just saw the Dutch site of iTunes (launched today). There it says you can buy the U2 iPod for EUR 379. This sucks! It's more expensive than the US$ 349, a whole lot more if you consider that 1 euro = 1.28 dollar nowadays (so the Euro iPod is US$ 483, while the US iPod is only EUR 274).

Plus, it doesn't work with Linux.


Marty

 

[bono_man2002]

I can't use Itunes from Australia can i?

or Can I, and just pay $US

 

[dsmith2904]

I posted a poll about the iPod in Everything You Know is Wrong if you'd like to share your thoughts on all this...

http://forum.interference.com/t100356.html

Thanks!!

 

[starsgoblue]

That'd make the cost of the songs less than the usual .99 cost of downloads....sweet.


I'm planning on buying the iPod without the 'deluxe digital musicbox' however....unless I gets lots of money for my birthday (which is in two weeks, in case anyone feels generous )

 

[kellyahern]

Personally, I don't mind them doing this at all. If you don't want it or don't like it; don't buy it. I would if I had the cash, and I'm not going to lose any sleep over them doing it.

But on a limited budget, 450 bucks is more wisely spent on tickets to shows...

Those are pretty much my feelings too

I think it's great, but I would rather save up so I could go to more shows at the moment. But if I had the extra cash I would buy it.

maybe I'll get some good tips around Christmas time

 

[Homerpalooza]

Okay...by "unreleased" songs, are they just talking about the Hasta La Vista and Melon stuff, or something totally new?

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

 

[BOYO3221]

never in a million years would i pay that for that ipod nor for the collection which you can rip from ur cd's and find the rest on the million and one dl sites. I'm sorry i paid for over 1000 dollars in concert tickests and over 300 dollars in cd's and singles, they have got enough of my money. i will buy the future albums and dvd's but not paying for songs i already have and can find for free.

 

[jmelrose]

At the Apple event, Bono mentioned demos, and sounded like he mumbled something about one of their very first shows being in the box. I mean, if you look at iTunes, they have every album on there currently, plus they have several singles/eps and exclusives. That is just under 200 tracks. (Which includes redundancies from the Best Of compliations.) There's more than just 25 unreleased tracks. I'm guess perhaps we'll get full audio of all their released concerts (Red Rocks, Rattle/Hum maybe, Zoo TV in Sydney, Popmart in Mexico, Elevation Boston. That would be another 100 or so, still got a hundred left. I can't wait to see a track list!

 

[theblazer]

Wow, 400 U2 songs. I bet almost all of us on here HAVE ALL OF THESE ALREADY!

Release the MASSIVE amounts of U2 soundboard recordings we ALL KNOW U2 has saved up. Those....jesus. I d/l a crap load off of Napster back when Napster was Napster. I'd pay for the 100's of shows I DON'T have!

Edit: On second thought (like 30 seconds later) I do hope many more who don't have the massive U2 collection can enjoy the glory that is the U2 library.

 

[Tomer]

how much do you give for whats left of my so called life?

 

[ssviland]

400 songs? How does that work? I have all my albums, including Passengers, MDH, In the Name of the Father, Captive, Children of the Revolution, and many B-sides, and I have less than 300 songs. The "16" albums referred to by Steve Jobs would be less that 200 songs. The current songs available on iTunes, including singles, B-sides, Best of..., is 204.

There must be more that they're not telling us. U2-3? Alternate versions of Two Hearts and New Year's Day? Celebration and Another Day?

Jobs made the point that the iPod Special Edition - U2 costs the same as the normal iPod + $50; with the $50 coupon off the Complete U2, it ends up the same. $449 for every U2 songs loaded on an iPod? I don't have the cash, and already own most of the tunes, but it is a good deal.

 

[jmelrose]

I have emailed Propaganda to see if the band might be interested in offering its fan club members that same $50 off as the iPod purchase, as we most likely will have already have bought at least $50 of music from them, if not hundreds of dollars.

i for one am not sure what they mean by "over 25 rare and unreleased tracks" but at 400 songs, there's clearly a lot of released stuff I don't have, and I kinda thought I had a lot. If I take out any unreleased live stuff (ie Bootlegs, DVD audio rips) I get 286 songs. I get a bit closer when I add in the audio of ALL their released live videos, but still am short of 400 tracks. Also, my 286 includes things like the Marvin Gaye tribute, lots of Bono's solo contributions to benefits and soundtracks, Edge's work, the Mission Impossible Tracks (and remixes), etc.

i think we U2 fans may be in for a bigger treat with this box set than possibly even the album release that day. Ironically, I'll d'load the box set as soon as I can but I'll have to wait until after to work to get the album from the store. I wonder how long it will take to get 400 tracks of music? That comes to over a gig... between Apple's servers d'loading the album and the box set the day, I hope they're braced for the crunch. They should know we die-hards will be trying to get it first chance we get!

(It's worth noting that the stuff on the limited edition DVD (live stuff) will likely be on the box set as well...) The only thing I'll be bummed about would be missing out on a nice retrospective book that would surely accompany a boxed U2 box set.