Microsoft bringing ads to your Zune: everybody panic
By Paul Miller 
posted May 22nd 2008 11:03AM
posted May 22nd 2008 11:03AM
posted May 22nd 2008 11:03AM
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Hey, does anyone know where engadget got the cool audio lines on the back of their zune?
you know what would make a lot of sense?
ads on the zune marketplace TV content so that the content becomes free. if anyone can pull that off, it's gotta be microsoft.
I know engadget takes pride in tearing apart anything not apple, but the ad supported content sounds actually pretty sweet. They have ad's on the Xbox that are not horrible and the fact that you will get some cool shit (possibly) with the content you would opt in for it really sweet. Lets take to seconds and step back to realize everything microsoft might make or suggest isn't shit.
wow ... don't you have any shame mr. Paul miller? Without even knowing anything about this program and how it works, you jumped to conclusion that this sucks ... hmmm wait a minute, there is always that UPDATE that can be added to the blog "rumor dismissed" or "it wasn't they way we wrote"
Get your facts straight and for once be a man and get out of your filthy self. So biased you are against zune/microsoft, it's pathetic to even think about what kinda person you must be.
See ya ... don't wanna be ya
I still have that joy division album on vinyl.
That's so gay!
;-)
So this Zune article has absolutely nothing to do with the 3G iPhone? Then what's the point. Let's move on to more important things.
Oh yeh, Zune rhymes with June and June is when the 3G iPhone will be released. This adds a little meat to the article instead of just tasteless whitebread.
Dude....
I have no words for you*.
*Except these ones.
I suggest in the future if you are looking for zune news, don't depend on gizmodo or endgadget to give you the real scoop; they are like fox or cnn. Entertainment news.
the real scoop:
http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2008/05/21/quick-note-on-ads-in-zune-social.aspx
According to the URL it says: "ADS IN ZUNE SOCIAL"
Apparently the 50+ posts above that try to take attention away from this fact are psychotic.
Typical internet mass reaction. F@ns of Microsoft sure are em0. LOL
will they be the same ads that are between every blog post here?
One place I will accept ads is on their new tv shows dowloads.
All the shows they charge for can be watched for free on the network websites. All you have to do is sit through 3-4 30 seconds ads (which is a lot less than watching the show on TV)
I would gladly sit though a few ads on the zune while watching The Office if that meant I could download it for free vs $1.99
Don't you all agree?
I would watch a few ads during a movie too, if I could download it and watch on Zune for free.
First and foremost, I agree that if I am going to sit through commercials with my music, I'll listen to radio.
However, for the sake of argument if I was going to buy a Zune and go along with this plan, the question to ask is cost/benefit... as in who is getting a benefit, and who should pay for it?
Obviously, celebrities have to see some kind of benefit to creating these playlists, or they wouldn't take the time to create them. There is a benefit. They get more exposure.
The listener gets free music, so there is a benefit.
But who should be the one "paying" for the free music? Should it be the customer, who is sitting through TWO forms of advertising (one promoting the celebrity, one in the form of the proposed commercial) for one benefit?
Or should it be the celebrity have to foot the bill to advertise themselves? And the way they foot the bill is paying distribution costs to freely distribute these songs they, or one of their assistants, has chosen?
If someone wants to watch or listen to adverts instead of getting their music without it, then that's their choice. But by tying this to celebrity PROMOTION, it seems odd that the consumer has to listen to two sets of ads.
This would be more palatable to me if it was "Listen to Death Cab for Cutie's Playlist," I have to sit through promotions about DCFC's new album, but DCFC foots the bill to pay for the rights to free distribution of their songs.
I feel like I'm not articulating this exactly as I would like, but it seems like double billing for the listener, and nothing but profit for the labels and the artists.
Interesting idea, but I don't think it's quite there yet. It'll need revisions. But isn't that the story of all of Microsoft's ideas? :-)
and please forgive my subject/verb agreement problems. It's that doldrum/coma part of the workday afternoon, and I'm pretty clearly out of it.
Your post was clear enough, but I disagree with your contention that a celebrity endorsement/promotion constitutes two ads.
Not that I don't find most celebrities *annoying*, mind you. I just don't think the celebrity angle is double-dipping.
I understand what your post means.
But I think that if somebody already really likes the artist and his/her music, then there's really no endorsement since you know their music and chose to add him/her. Unless you're exploring for free music and don't mind ads, then yes, that would be an endorsement. But again, this was something you chose.
A celebrity endorsement would be more like you're being forced (or at least you didn't specifically come and chose yourself) to hear somebody sing at this live event. You may or may not like his/her music, but it might boosts the celebrities' status if you like it, and go out to buy their songs.
I hope this fails, or Apple will copy it for sure.
Here's a re-writing of the article that's a little... well better:
Microsoft turned a few heads at its Advance '08 advertising conference by announcing a type of ads for its Zune platform, in addition to those web, TV and Xbox "branding experiences" it already delivers. The method described merely involved corporate sponsorships of celebrity playlists, with the "ad" being consigned to branding on that musician's Social card -- and you'd have to have friended the musician to see any of it at all. Microsoft also promises to keep the ads appropriate for the audience. Also, that musician's Social card will have free, although ad-sponsored, playlists available for download if you have them as a friend.
for those with short attention spans:
ADD RYU HAYABUSA FROM NINJA GAIDEN TO YOUR ZUNE SOCIAL, GET FREE STUFF.
if you press and hold the back button and the right side of the touch pad it brings your zune into a beta version of windows internet explorer for zune. connectivity isn't great (it only connects to about 1/2 the websites out there) and it is only available on the zune 80.
Right, ads will make it free. I remember when cable television first came out. They called it "pay TV" and the awesome thing about it was ... no ads! Until nearly everyone was relying on it, then poof, it was full of ads.
And try to go see a movie these days, poof, ads everywhere even though you're paying $10 for the flick and $5 for a glass of water.
If you think they won't do a bait and switch after getting you used to mindless advertising on your handheld and start charging you for content, you aren't paying attention to history.
Choke on those ads, I'll buy my music, TYVM.
This is a _test_. They're trying to see how many people will put up with ads on their handheld players. If folks don't grumble too loud, then it won't be long before your music will be peppered with feminine hygiene ads.
G.
@D9
quote"iPod has succeeded because it kept (keeps) it rather simple..."
I think there success is because there were the first one with a good MP3 back in 2001.
When you implement yourself first in a city and the competition second, the first one seem to do better.
This is true where I live. In Sherbrooke, you have the first hardware store RONA, that implemented first and there was RENO DEPOT and then HOME DEPOT in a 3km range!
RONA does better.
In Montreal RENO DEPOT got first there and then RONA, I heard that RENO DEPOT does better in Montreal then RONA.
This might be all gimmick but this is my 2 cents!
ciao!
Jerome
Damn, now I'm thirsty for a product which probably hasn't been available for thirty years. Thanks, Engadget. -_-
This is why I'm glad my MP3 player has no wireless capabilities. A closed player ensures that you hear and see only the content that you've put on it. There's none of this "You paid two hundred dollars for the player, now have some advertising to go along with it!" crap.