So you may have heard this:
A ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board tomorrow could spell trouble for Apple’s iTunes. The National Music Publisher’s Association has asked for a 66 percent increase on the royalty rate paid out on the sales of digital music — from nine cents per track to 15 cents.
In a statement submitted to the board last year, Apple warned that they may shut down the digital-music service iTunes if the request was approved.
Apple already pays 70 cents of each song purchase to the record companies, who aren’t willing to pay for the increase themselves.
Since they would essentially be operating the service at a loss, Apple would rather shut the store down than raise their prices beyond 99 cents per track. While it’s hard to fathom that Apple would close the world’s most successful digital music store — possibly cutting into the sales of iPods and iPhones, where they make their real money — the fee hike would definitely have some adverse effects, most likely on the consumers’ wallets.
Wow, this will hurt the record industry waaaaaay more then it will hurt Apple.
Apple could just continue making iTunes but take off the Pay per track. It is the most common interface for the most common MP3 player in the world.
And rumor has it that you can even get …shh…. STOLEN TRACKS onto YOUR IPOD…. shhh its a SECRET.
Once again the ancient record industry makes another huge mistake (or is about to).
Congratulations, Sony, Universal, and the rest of you morons. Keep fighting the good fight, your corporate check books depend on it.
Viva La Revolucion!
1:11
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noqvVasGJN8]
Lyrics baby, Lyrics
Voyno
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Methinks apple still has something up their sleeve. Yes it will hurt the record industry more, but part of the reason apple dominates the music market is the tightness and simplicity between itunes, ipods, and people’s wallets. Wouldn’t be surprised if this was a strategic move on the part of Sony or other companies to disrupt apple’s flow and offer the next big thing in music distribution.
with the iTunes store producing so much revenue for Apple, and iPod sales, this sounds like an empty threat to us.
http://www.musicnewsnet.com/2008/10/apple-threatens.html