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Editorial: Still On-Key
By David Leishman
Neil McCormick's Thursday column for Telegraph UK is a study in contrasts for iPod and iTunes Music Store fans.
In the opening section, entitled "Is iPod the new Betamax?," he ponders whether iPod's days are numbered in the wake of the Sony-BMG record label merger, and the further label consolidations he foresees. He suggests that the battle for control of standards and compatibility for downloaded music formats could leave Apple's music player "piled high in car-boot sales alongside Betamax video players and 8-track cassette machines."
Perhaps someone could let Mr. McCormick know that iPods can play almost any form of encoded song, from MP3 to WAV, while the Music Store has begun working toward its two millionth sale. Perhaps that someone could be a member of U2, the band that he features in his second section.
As he reports, a copy of the band's recently-finished-but-not-due-until-November CD was played during a photo-shoot and inadvertently left in a changer, from which it was stolen. Police were called in, to no avail, and guitarist Edge notes that if the tunes end up on a file-sharing service, "the potential financial damage is disastrous."
So, what's the band's solution? According to lead singer Bono, if the music ends up on the Internet, "we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes."
Which is likely music to Steve Jobs' ears, although I'm sure he's almost as appalled about the theft as U2 is. As he told the Guardian during the launch of the UK Music Store, "iTunes really competes with piracy, not the other services. Piracy is the big enemy." He first made this clear at the launch of the original Music Store, wherein Bono was a video guest, one who praised to the sky Jobs' efforts and savvy.
What goes around, comes around. The mutual respect between the artists/businessmen within the corporation and the band leads to a bond that transcends the narrow vision of the record labels, and lays the foundation for more strategic, long-range solutions. Which helps further secure Apple's position as the leader in music downloads, while providing U2 with a safety net that enables them to combat piracy and salvage at least some of the potentially lost revenues.
This is another significant step in the fast-paced move from the model of selling discs to selling digits, music-wise. Again, Apple appears to be playing the right tune. And the company this week even managed to overcome the weakest link in its European Store efforts, as it announced that it had signed three major European indie labels to deals with the Store.
I hope the growing roster of musicians such as Morrissey and The White Stripes will help convince Mr. McCormick to retain his iPod.
--MacCentral
By David Leishman
Neil McCormick's Thursday column for Telegraph UK is a study in contrasts for iPod and iTunes Music Store fans.
In the opening section, entitled "Is iPod the new Betamax?," he ponders whether iPod's days are numbered in the wake of the Sony-BMG record label merger, and the further label consolidations he foresees. He suggests that the battle for control of standards and compatibility for downloaded music formats could leave Apple's music player "piled high in car-boot sales alongside Betamax video players and 8-track cassette machines."
Perhaps someone could let Mr. McCormick know that iPods can play almost any form of encoded song, from MP3 to WAV, while the Music Store has begun working toward its two millionth sale. Perhaps that someone could be a member of U2, the band that he features in his second section.
As he reports, a copy of the band's recently-finished-but-not-due-until-November CD was played during a photo-shoot and inadvertently left in a changer, from which it was stolen. Police were called in, to no avail, and guitarist Edge notes that if the tunes end up on a file-sharing service, "the potential financial damage is disastrous."
So, what's the band's solution? According to lead singer Bono, if the music ends up on the Internet, "we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes."
Which is likely music to Steve Jobs' ears, although I'm sure he's almost as appalled about the theft as U2 is. As he told the Guardian during the launch of the UK Music Store, "iTunes really competes with piracy, not the other services. Piracy is the big enemy." He first made this clear at the launch of the original Music Store, wherein Bono was a video guest, one who praised to the sky Jobs' efforts and savvy.
What goes around, comes around. The mutual respect between the artists/businessmen within the corporation and the band leads to a bond that transcends the narrow vision of the record labels, and lays the foundation for more strategic, long-range solutions. Which helps further secure Apple's position as the leader in music downloads, while providing U2 with a safety net that enables them to combat piracy and salvage at least some of the potentially lost revenues.
This is another significant step in the fast-paced move from the model of selling discs to selling digits, music-wise. Again, Apple appears to be playing the right tune. And the company this week even managed to overcome the weakest link in its European Store efforts, as it announced that it had signed three major European indie labels to deals with the Store.
I hope the growing roster of musicians such as Morrissey and The White Stripes will help convince Mr. McCormick to retain his iPod.
--MacCentral
