Apple experiments with iTunes Pass: it's not what you think, and it's lame
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Feb 24th 2009 11:26AM
posted Feb 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.
Apple please introduce a subscrip service...ill glady pay your $20.00 for a similar service to what the zune has...i serioulsy am jelous at their subscrip service but love my ipod touch....help!
Seems like a reasonable idea. Should have launched with a number of artists though.
This has nothing to do with a subscription.
This reminds me of this clip:
(First couple of lines)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xillqqt0Y0
Personal Jesus was released in the early 90's.
I agree, I use the Zune Pass to it's fullest, and it has been the only thing keeping me from iTunes. If iTunes had a pass it'd put Zune down for the final count.
Why would you do that?(not trying to be funny)
Personal Jesus was released on its own single album in 1989. Violator was later released with Personal Jesus on it.
And, not to burst anyone's bubble or anything, but Depeche Mode is actually more popular now than they were back in the 80s if concert ticket sales have any bearing on numbers.
iTunes Pass? I'll erm....pass, thanks.
Personal Jesus was released in 1990. It wouldn't be very appropriate on 80's night.
There are several "80's" songs from 90 or 91. The first couple of years in the decade are almost always transitional.
Why don't you wait and write a review after the June 16 date they mention??? They may be releasing all kinds of material, from videos to remixes. I purchased the pass because I'm a huge Depeche Mode fan and I'm intrigued with the idea. The statement that they peaked 20 years ago is an ignorant and uninformed one. Every album they released since Personal Jesus has reached number 1 in multiple countries and even in the US they were in the top 10. Numerous current bands (Coldplay, The Killers, Linkin Park,etc) name Depeche Mode as a major influence, so do a little research before you put out your shitty blog.
They peaked 20 years ago. And I say this as a big fan of Depeche Mode (my comment about the real meaning of Catching Up With Depeche Mode was apparently eaten because I linked to the album on Amazon).
Why do you refer to Personal Jesus as an album? It was on Violator.
I didn't refer to Personal Jesus as an album at all...I simply stated that since the release of Personal Jesus, every album had great success. Maybe I should have have clarified and put the word "single" in front of "Personal Jesus"
Depeche Mode are drugged out junkies, and are releasing total hippie junk now. Just like every band that makes it big. They produced timeless pieces in the late 80's, early 90's. Now it's whiny-junk.
They're riding the wave of their dieing popularity. If any new band made the kind of "music" they're making now, they wouldn't get shit for contracts.
Indeed, I tend to agree with this. While I don't like the idea of paying for something when I don't know what I am getting (therefore, I'm not interested in this idea now), I am willing to withhold judgement until the end of the period and see whether customers who participated got a good deal or not.
I would rather use torrents.
That's because you are a bad person. It's a shame that they don't still hang pirates...
You'll dance to anything...
It may be an amalgamation, assortment, bag, batch, box, bunch, carton, combination, kit, load, lot, pack, pile, stack, or tin, but it is not a PASS.
Never Let Me Down Again is so much better of a song than Personal Jesus, hell Question of Time is.
DM "peaked twenty years ago"?
Idiot.
Who cares about iTunes?
I am willing to bet there are more people who care about DM than about Apple... worldwide!
Gee, Joseph, I don't think you made your distaste for Depeche Mode clear enough in this post. Think you could throw in a few more cheap shots so we're all certain that your focus on your own musical taste is more relevant than, you know, the Apple product in the article title?
Or am I remiss in hoping that an Engadget article might deliver more in the way of objective prose than some haughty op-ed piece? Probably.
Sounds like the Artist Formerly Known as Popular's old music club. Sometimes you got something worthwhile, most of the time you got... nothing at all.
Wow, here's a blog I'll never need to read again. Congratulations, Joseph L. Flatley, you are an asshole.
totally agree, the author Joseph L. Flatley wrote a crappy piece here. why make such a strong statement in the title (calling it lame) and then go on to describe the service (which sounds great for DM fans) and diss the band? this is POS tech reporting
You are so stupid to say those things about Depeche Mode - a band that has sold more than 70 millions of records worldwide and still owns the hearts of millions of people - 28 years after their formation. I would sugest you to go and listen to some of their fantastic albums and then come back and critisize them you idiot. You are just WRONG
Dear A$$hat,
Our Depeche mode is better than your derivative Emo/tredny Panic at the Disco.
Depeche Mode is still more populat than Engadget and their irrelevant bloggers. Ooops, sorry, 'journalists'.
Our DM? Are you from Basildon?
DM's most popular song is Enjoy The Silence, anyway.
Seriously, how can they promise me more than the "value" of the pass? If I would have bought one song, at ninety-nine cents, or even one album at $14, then it should be known I'm not buying the T-shirt or the six minute band interview or the one (bad) live take they did in Addis Ababa; any "value" Apple wants to assign to that crap is equal to zero from my perspective, so just because I'm getting a discount on "the whole package" does not mean I'm getting the best deal on "what I would actually want to buy."
Dumb.
To clarify: I guess it could be interesting if you're that douche fanboi who just has to have every little thing ever produced with the lead singer's name on it. If you're any less likely to be washing orifices, however, I stick to my claim that it's dumb.
looking at the type of customers apple attracts, this "renting" business won't work.
Is it just me, or have we been invaded by Depeche Mode groupies?
We've always been lurking in the woodwork.
If you have no idea what the package includes how can you claim its not worth it? You're opinion is completely illogical.
Considering that DM was instrumental (pun intended) in making SYNTH-pop a long-lasting musical legacy, acknowledged by many bands (from Prodigy to The Killers), and considering that they always used cutting-edge gadgets and technology, I'd think they deserve more respect than such idiotic drivel.
I experimented in the 80s. they'll get over it.
LOL Depeche Mode is one of the biggest money making and touring bands of the 2000s. Not to mention that Personal Jesus was a 90s song.
This was the worst article I have ever seen on engadget.
I have to admit I’m a dépêche mode fan, but even if I wasn’t I would still feel the same. Depeche mode is an amazing group, not just an old 80’s band or something.
Martin Gore is one of the best songwriters of our time, and he is so under rated.
This was such a disrespectful article, maybe panic at the disco, or what ever the kids are listening to these days is something he could better relate to.
I agree wholeheartedly. One of the worst written articles I've read on this blog. Why bash DM?
Screw iTunes. I get my music from emusic for 25 cents a song or about $3 per album...haha. It doesn't carry the big 4 labels and thank god.
Ah, is there anything more warming than the sight of an offended fan taking up cudgels on behalf of their slighted heroes? The thing is Joseph, they kind of have a point. From this vantage point Depeche Mode seem to exist above and beyond the mores of traditional media, still packing stadiums worldwide and selling in their millions. I don't care much for the iTunes idea, which seems to me to be too much of a gamble. What do we get for our hard-earned? Remixes galore or something genuinely juicy? More than that however, I don't care much for unnecessarily spiteful articles. There are a thousand bands I either know little of or don't like but I tend not to poke their fans with a big stick for no good reason.
Zen Touch came before iPod Touch
Zune Pass came before iTunes Pass
And the Zune pass made me quickly and happily switch to a Zune!
I now can listen to so much more music then ever before and I just love it! Nothing better now than downloading a bunch of different bands and just let the Zune do a random song pick while driving and see what you get!
Not bad for $15 and they even let you keep 10 songs a month DRM free!!!
The comment about Depeche Mode peaking "20 years ago" is half true - if you count strictly the United States, Depeche Mode albums have steadily been going down in sales since Violator
However, if you count the other 95% of the human race in the world - they are actually doing quite well.
Their last album "Playing the Angel" sold about 3.5 Million worldwide (in 3.5 years time) released in 2005
So while it's true, that they technially "peaked" in 1990 (or as the author states in the 80s) in the United States
Any record producer can tell you that they would cream in their pants if they can sell 3 and half milllion of anything -
Finally, they consistently sell out Concerts and are part of an elite few that can claim over 100 million record sales
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists#cite_note-58
fail
I fail to understand the up side of the offer...
It BLOWS !
Come ON apple ! make it real for once : like 100 title a months for $29,99 or something...