There was no small amount of excitement around the marketplace this week in anticipation of the ‘iTunes Announcement’.
Many I spoke to were hoping to hear about the much fabled iTunes-in-the-cloud service. Me too.
I’ve had enough dicking about with my own media files. I have multiple machines, multiple devices and I am aghast that Apple still require me to arse around with *actual files* to deliver my own media experience.
There’s a reason why hundreds of thousands of users have subscribed to Spotify. Yes it’s more efficient in terms of purchasing lots of songs — but the joy of Spotify is that the system gets out of the way. You want a song? Search it. Double click. It plays.
You want to keep it in a list? Fine, drag it to the left bar. Login via your iPhone … Guess what? It’s precisely the same experience.
I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to have to wait-until-I-get-home to transfer a song I have *purchased* that’s in my library on to my device of choice.
So on the fabled day — Tuesday, I think it was, Apple turned it’s website frontpage white and declared ‘something life changing is coming today’ (or similar words). A few hours later, a picture of The Beatles covered the whole page, complete with gushing excited accompanying text. I’m surprise Apple missed the mark. I haven’t managed to find anyone anongst the many iFans I know who’s had a good word to say about the news.
Big deal. You got The Beatles? Well, if I wanted their music on my iDevices, chances are, I already went out and bought the CDs. Or, I ‘borrowed’ the MP3s from a friend.
Oh I’m sure a lot of people will now purchase a good amount of Beatles tracks via iTunes too. It’s easier than going to a shop and buying a physical product.
But a momentous occasion? No.
Something to celebrate? No.
Does anybody care beyond Apple’s lawyers and The Beatles management? No.
Or have I got it all wrong?
I think everyone that wanted Beatles on their iPod has already torrented it
I think this is more about Apple finally having closure on the Apple Corps. lawsuit.
Of course, the real proof will be what happens on the charts tomorrow http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/beatles/
But, I doubt it will be that big. I love The Beatles – but anyone who wanted them already has them.
I agree with your point about closure Terence.
Even iFans suddenly understand that not every Apple move is revolutionary. So the problem is for Apple to understand that, not their fans!
Agreed. I think they blew this one up far too much.
Judging by the terrific sales from this past week, there’s your evidence:
YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG.
Now,I agree that Apple needs to revamp iTunes in every way you describe,
BEATLES RULE!
Oh come on, iTunes gets excellent sales every day of the week. The
absence of The Beatles from this (and other) electronic stores has
been a big irritant. But not enough to warrant such a massive trumpet
call.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/23/beatles-itunes-album-sales
Explains all.
Take That sold more!
[…] The site goes on to point out that no vacations = big product launch. It could well be something else, of course. Who knows we all thought that the ‘iTunes announcement’ the other month was going to be about iTunes-in-the-cloud. I can’t tell you how flipping annoyed I was to find out the only news was about some Beatles band. (See: The Beatles arrive on iTunes and nobody gives a toss). […]