iTunes Complete My Album feature: No, thanks
Earlier today, Apple introduced a new "feature" to the US iTunes Store* called "Complete My Album." If you've got incomplete albums in your collection that you purchased from iTunes, you can buy the neglected tracks at a reduced price. This offer is good for up to six months from the time you initially download an album.Nice try, Apple, but I neglected the songs I did because I don't want them. Just because they're cheaper or available for a limited time only doesn't make them more appealing. I'm going to guess that the record companies are behind this "feature" and not Apple, as the latter have always promoted single-track purchases, and the former have not.
*If you're seeing this outside the US, let us know.
[Via Infinite Loop]
UPDATE: Thanks for all your comments, everyone!
I won't be using the service, but if you will, great! I interpreted it as Apple prompting me to purchase music that I don't want.
I see how it can be convenient for many users, and a money saver to boot. Tow-MAY-toh, tow-MAH-tow. If "Complete My Album" lets you supplement your collection at a discount, than you can't argue with that.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
5cents said 10:39AM on 3-29-2007
Canadian store has it too. Article is spot on, why buy the shoddy songs on the album.
Reply
The Prince said 10:39AM on 3-29-2007
Surely this isnt a bad thing. As singles are released before albums, there are some people who may have bought the single(s) and then wanted the album but didnt want the same track(s) twice. Now they can complete the album minus what they have already paid. Therefore, i must say, i do like this feature and will probably use it.
Unless I am completely misunderstanding the functionality!!
Reply
Jonathan said 10:40AM on 3-29-2007
It's showing up for me in Belgium, too.
Reply
Niclas said 10:41AM on 3-29-2007
It's a go for Sweden!
Reply
drew said 10:43AM on 3-29-2007
WOW. Way to be negative. I think this is a great idea. They arent MAKING YOU buy the rest of the album, but the option is NICE. And, considering online music purchases have now caused more singles purchases than album purchases, this is a nice response for the industry. After all, you dont want the industry to get more pissed off at Apple and have them PULL content from the iTS do you?... Just my 2 cents...
Reply
James Whited said 10:47AM on 3-29-2007
I have it, but have found a big glitch in it. It is offering me the ability to purchase full albums at a reduced price, but I never bought anything off these albums (Or I already have it in my library, but it's from a ripped CD of mine. Also, It is offering me the ability to buy the albums at reduced price, from stuff I bought almost 4 years ago.
Reply
James said 10:51AM on 3-29-2007
Yeah it's active in the UK as well!
I think it's a long overdue feature to be honest!
Completed two album purchases today with it!
Reply
Tom von S. said 10:52AM on 3-29-2007
I'm with drew, you're being overly negative about this.
If you think this is a bad idea you listen to too much shit music.
Reply
Stephen Forde said 10:54AM on 3-29-2007
It's also on the Irish Store
Reply
Biffo said 10:54AM on 3-29-2007
Great idea, I'm all for it. Nice touch.
Reply
Zoli said 10:57AM on 3-29-2007
Yeah, dave, you really gotta chill out, this is a great feature, especially when you buy a few songs from an album and decide to buy the rest but end up spending an extra 5 dollars because you did them seperately.
What would be amazing is if they did this for Season Passes.
Reply
Kevin H said 10:58AM on 3-29-2007
This is the worst post I've ever seen on TUAW...
wow
good work!
way to be able to take any perspective but your own
Reply
Hawkman said 11:00AM on 3-29-2007
Maybe you're right to be cynical about their motives, but fact remains this is a great feature. Especially since it seems to offer you credit for albums when you bought the *singles*, not necessarily just the versions from the album.
You sounds really bitter, did you have a bad day?
Reply
Matteo said 11:02AM on 3-29-2007
In Switzerland it is available as well. But still no video content here....
Albeit I noticed something strange in the iTunes Store.
When you start a search, besides the usual (for non US) categories (music, podcasts and so on) you also have a "short movies" (cortometraggi in italian) tab appearing. It does never list any content and cannot be reached to search content only in that category, but it is nevertheless there. Does it mean something? Dunno...
Anyway... In my opinion iTunes, out of the US, has quickly to move from a music only perspective to a combined one. Or they'll soon start losing market share in favor of mobile phone carriers for music and IPTV for video content. That gap will be hard to fill..
Reply
Dan Dickinson said 11:04AM on 3-29-2007
I don't know how you can figure the record companies are behind this; wouldn't they prefer that you have to continue to buy the whole album no matter how many singles you bought?
Reply
artifex said 11:05AM on 3-29-2007
Right, Dave. Because more options for customers is a *bad* thing.
Reply
G said 11:06AM on 3-29-2007
Here's a hint if you don't want to buy something: Don't.
Reply
Stephen W. Carson said 11:06AM on 3-29-2007
Dude, you have so missed it on this one. Maybe you pick out exactly the three tracks you want and then you're done. But a lot of us see an album, think it looks interesting and dip our toe in the water by buying one or two tracks to see what we think.
If we like those tracks, we might be ready to go ahead and get the whole thing. Until today, that meant paying for the whole album including re-buying the tracks we already have. That creates quite a psychological barrier. Also, it makes you wonder if you should just go ahead and get the album on Amazon where it is often about the same price and you get the physical CD. Well, now by offering "Complete My Album", they undercut the Amazon CD and eliminate the "re-buying" barrier.
This is a brilliant, consumer-friendly move that I suspect Apple had to talk the labels into (who tend to want us to re-buy music over and over).
Also, you didn't document how convenient they've made this. You click "Complete My Album" on the iTunes Store front page and it brings you to all the albums you have bought tracks from (but not the whole thing). The "Complete My Album" price is right there and you just click to get it. Sweet. Now, excuse my while I go shopping!
Reply
Nathan Adams said 11:07AM on 3-29-2007
I'm going to side with Drew and Tom. What an unneccessarily negative post. Personally, I don't buy single iTunes tracks because I only like a few tracks per album. When I buy single tracks, it's because I sampling some tracks. If I like them, then I'm more inclined to buy more by the artist, and this is exactly what this new feature is targeting.
If you're one of those people that only listens to singles or what get's put on compilation albums, then yes, start listening to better bands who seeing how high their tracks get on the Top 40 isn't a priority.
Reply
Johnny Thrash said 11:08AM on 3-29-2007
A lot of times I buy a single for an album that has yet to be released. Now it allows you to buy the remainder of the album upon release.
I think it's a great feature. You will not always want to use this feature... but some people will want to buy the rest of it later.
Reply