Filed under: iTS
Japanese artist clamoring to get into iTunes
Sell a million songs in four days and all sorts of cool things start to happen. Apple launched the iTunes Music Store in Japan only days ago, but it is now the most popular download service in the country. This popularity hasn't been lost on Japanese artists whose music isn't available on the iTunes Music Store.Sony artists are scrambling to get their music available on the iTMS with or without Sony's help (at the time of writing Sony and Apple haven't reached a deal on carrying Sony music on the iTMS). Artists' agents are even getting into the fray by trying to get their clients' work on without the intervention of the record labels.
A harbinger of things to come? Do you think that Apple will displace the record companies as more and more artists go directly to the iTMS themselves?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mardoen said 12:53PM on 8-11-2005
I can't wait to see how this will change album contracts in the long run. I assume that since at least last year musicians are getting more and more aware of the fact that keeping some of the rights on their work that they used to hand over to record labels is not only good for the consumer (greater flexibility in distribution), but also great for the musicians (who will potentially gain more attention from the various better distribution models).
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Kacy said 2:56PM on 8-11-2005
I think this shift is interesting. Though having music available at iTMS myself, I am still not convinced that the situation improves that much for musicians. Right now things are still skewed toward both labels and a new crop of digital distributors. Most indie artists have little luck getting their music placed directly and rely on these distributors, like IRIS. It is the big boys that dominate still, unfortunately.
I think in the near future Sony will likely cave and work out a deal with Apple since it really just adds a new stream of revenue for them.
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norebonomis said 3:58PM on 8-11-2005
OH MY GOD. it's beggining, the digital convergence is bringing a global community closer and closer the SINGLULARITY IS SOON
bye bye evil record companies! greedy greedy, tsk tsk! now apple google and nintendo will set us free from your corprate enslavement and capitolist propapganda!
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allen said 5:08PM on 8-11-2005
There is dozen of artists I want I to buy music from the Japan ITMS and I am still piss that I can't buy music from another country here in US ITMS.
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glad said 7:33PM on 8-11-2005
Dont get too excited about Apple becoming the new record company as they still have a legal case with the Apple ( Beatles, who don't actually make any new music or in fact exist as a record label anymore - hard to do really when only two of the original 4 are dead). Sure it would be great if artists dealt direct with Apple that would be great but the artist would have to give the record company the heave-ho so don't hold your breath on that one.
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Tan The Man said 11:08PM on 8-11-2005
I'm sure Sony will eventually cave, but will try to hold out as long as possible.
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Nate MC said 5:40AM on 8-15-2005
I know american artists that are clamoring to get on iTunes but Apple doesn't seem to care about indie artists unless they sign up through a middle man like cd baby.
I've got 5 bands with worldwide distro rights that would sure like to get a piece of the iTunes pie.
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