Apple experiments with iTunes Pass: it's not what you think, and it's lame
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted February 24th 2009 11:26AM
posted February 24th 2009 11:26AM
If it seems like Ma and Pops over at the iTunes store are toying with the idea of subscription music, look again. The iTunes Pass is more akin to buying a season of Celebrity Rehab: long-time Depeche Mode fans can put down $18.99 to get everything the band releases between now and the seemingly arbitrary date of June 16, 2009, including the new single, various promotional bits (remixes, videos, etc.) and the Sounds of the Universe album when it's eventually released. The audio comes in iTunes Plus (256kbps / AAC / no DRM) format, and while Apple doesn't say exactly what you'll be getting, the company promises that you won't wind up paying more for the pass than the value of everything you receive. Of course, what we'd really like to see is this sort of a deal for a band that didn't peak twenty years ago. In the meantime, we'll be catching up with Depeche Mode the way nature intended -- during the weekly spin of Personal Jesus at 80's Night.[Via Tech Digest]
Artwork drawn by Ma and Pop's 2 year old child
drawn by anton corbijn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Corbijn
Or the company that did the logo for London 2012. *pukes at the utter thought...
I Love Apple.
But it is truly going down the tubes;
1. No real updates to the product line for so long now - no innovation
2. A complete failure of the launch of iPhone 3, Mobile Me
3. Unrealistic pricing
The arrogance of Steve Jobs stating that they could not produce a netbook for $500 that was not a complete crap. This was just indicative of a company more and more out of touch with its customers.
More and more people seem to be saying, unfairly I used to think, that "The Emperor has no clothes". But I am not so sure any more.
This does explain why Apple is in recession and Microsoft is now surging ahead. Is this the end for Apple ?
since when is apple in a recession?
kccboy,
As long as there are hipsters working at Starbucks, there will always be demand for Apple products.
kc... this is the same old Apple... where have you been?
"3. Unrealistic pricing
The arrogance of Steve Jobs stating that they could not produce a netbook for $500 that was not a complete crap."
This is completely in line with Apple's long long history of selling underpowered, overpriced, and overhyped products. Nothing has changed.
Oh and this is definitely not the end of Apple. They do sell overpriced crap, but they also do a VERY good job at getting people to want it. Apple could sell a turd in a bag, call it iCrap and people would still buy it and say it was "the greatest thing ever, full of innovation."
ahahah Apple.inc
@kccboy
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIMDdAr96lDl5CFQG69_dl4ldvBQD96I445G1
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200902241932.htm
Troll much?
@kccboy:
"1. No real updates to the product line for so long now - no innovation"
I suppose if you discount the unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros, new LED cinema displays and Snow Leopard you might think so.
"2. A complete failure of the launch of iPhone 3, Mobile Me"
From the number of products they sold, I wouldn't call it a failure. As an iPhone 3G owner, I'd dismiss you as a troll.
"3. Unrealistic pricing"
Again, from the sales figures, you're wrong.
"The arrogance of Steve Jobs stating that they could not produce a netbook for $500 that was not a complete crap. This was just indicative of a company more and more out of touch with its customers."
Apple takes more pride in their products than most other companies. If they can't feel comfortable with what they can make in those price constraints, fine. Nearly all Apple owners respect Apple's assertiveness in defining themselves and their products. They don't design by committee.
"This does explain why Apple is in recession and Microsoft is now surging ahead. Is this the end for Apple ?"
No Apple's not in recession (not with $25Bn in cash in the bank), and Microsoft aren't surging ahead. Apple's sales have constantly been outgrowing the industry, meaning that they're gaining market share or expanding the market.
Wow. Ironic for 2 reasons. 1: kccboy has always been an Apple fanboy.
2: @KarlW
Good job for not comprehending anything.
""1. No real updates to the product line for so long now - no innovation"
I suppose if you discount the unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros, new LED cinema displays and Snow Leopard you might think so."
Hey! A slightly faster and more compact notebook! And a slightly updated OS! That's completely revolutionary! (Although really, the battery life is a good innovation. Too bad it's not user removable)
""2. A complete failure of the launch of iPhone 3, Mobile Me"
From the number of products they sold, I wouldn't call it a failure. As an iPhone 3G owner, I'd dismiss you as a troll."
kccboy is right. The iPhone 3 (NOT 3G! IDIOT! THAT WOULD BE THE iPhone 2!) was not announced or hinted to at all. MobileMe was swept under the carpet. Failure to launch.
""3. Unrealistic pricing"
Again, from the sales figures, you're wrong."
Hey there homeless guy! I understand you don't have a lot of money, but that's ok! The sales of Bentleys are better than ever!
Again, and to conclude, you, my friend, are A CLUELESS IDIOT.
/end rant
Umm.. what's this "iPhone 3" you're referring to? As far as I know, there's only been two iPhone launches.
Smack me if I'm wrong!
@ liquid
hence the failure to launch? DUH.
@kccboy2004
That's some of the funniest stuff I've read for a while. If you say it often enough it might even become true.
@mynk
So, Apple failed to launch a product that wasn't even yet finished? Yeah, makes sense.
I can easily say "the Xbox 3 failed to launch" and be just as correct too, then! How stupid.
I wonder where they got that name?
sorry
I think iTunes has had something like this for a LOOONNNNG time. It sounds exactly like Season Pass, which will give you all the episodes for a television show for a flat rate. It just looks like they're trying to apply the concept to music now.
This is exactly like the season pass, just with music.
This works for shows, because new shows come out every week (or even everyday) or so. This is going to fail for music though. What artist do you know that comes out with a new album every month? Or even more than one per year?
I'm not making an argument whether iTunes Pass is a good idea or not, but the parent comment seem to suggest that Apple stole the idea from the Zune Pass, but the Season Pass in iTunes has been around long before the Zune. Of course, Apple may or may not have stolen the original idea from TiVo, since they have sorta the same thing.
It was a joke, in reference to the X copies Y complaints all the time.
i think they all stole the pass idea from Six Flags and Great America Season Passes.
btw, a season pass for a single tv show and subscription music are 2, amazing, but totally different things. IMO
This really doesn't seem any different from when they offer pre-orders for other new albums that come out. I bought R.E.M.'s last album almost a year ago, they had a pre-order deal that included the single, which was available earlier than the rest of the album, as well as the "deluxe" version of the album, which included the liner notes for the CD, some bonus tracks, and possibly a video, I think. In the end it didn't feel like that great of a deal. It looks like this is basically the same deal with maybe a couple extra little bonus items, for about a dollar more.
Just regular pre-order promotions.
damn man, i was completely going for a inb4 amusement park.
Ugh. I like the idea of subscription music but it hasn't won my heart anyway. I prefer owning everything rather than losing it all once I stop my monthly payments.
And the idea that they're bringing out with this is sort of lame. :-\
That's what Zune Pass is for. Each and every month you get unlimited subscription music AND 10 DRM-Free tunes you keep for life. Sounds like a win-win to me.
I think Zune's 10 drm free songs per month sweetens the subscription model even further. Of course, the iTunes Pass is not the subscription model- it's just another pathetic attempt to wring more money out of its customer base.
I was once like you...so against subscription music...i wanted to OWN! then i realized how much easier life was with digital instead of physical media and it just keeps getting easier. However, I do get the urge sometimes to buy physical albums of artists I've always supported.
This makes no sense.
Oh jesus Apple. What a ridiculous idea.
This idea from Apple is a "Lemon". Hehe.
Stop talking sour grapes.
Don't be such a crabapple
:3
Orange you glad we're running out of fruit puns?
... I'll get my coat
It's bananas.
iTunes Pass will squash the competition.
I artichoke you mofos out
Stupid idea, but then people buying from iTunes are idiots anyway.
Regardless Depeche Mode is still pretty damn relevant.
WTF? I don't get it. Sounds like a knee-jerk reaction to MWC...
Married With Children? That show's been off the air for decades .. .
So what happens when that new album your favorite band is supposed to put out on June 15 actually gets put out in September? The only way I could see you actually getting your moneys worth is with electronic music. Electronic music artists usually put out EP's pretty regularly.
i'll pass
I see what you did there.
Yeah, Zune pass!
If you haven't anything Depeche Mode has put out since 1989 you're missing out on their best material!
You're assuming the "author" of the post is older then 20 and didn't have to Google Depeche Mode to see who they were. While I'm not a (big) Depeche Mode, they have contributed more to entertainment in their existence then this blogger or blog could dream about. But hey, if it generates more clicks to this lame-ass site, why not. (Said as I type a post on this lame-ass blog).
Thanks for commenting this!!
What about Violator... Exciter... Playing the Angel... not the biggest fan of SF&D, but still one of the greatest bands of all time. Pity about them (Gahan actually) wasting away most of the 90's though...
Cheers
It wasn't only Dave; Martin struggled with alcoholism during the Exotic tour. Really though, their drug use didn't seem to affect the tour all that much. Maybe Martin singing Condemnation instead of Dave after the first several concerts, but other than that, not really.
Of course, what the author would really like to see is this sort of a deal for the Jonas Brothers.