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iTunes Music Store posts

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS

Why iTunes needs to offer an album-based subscription service

by Sang Tang (RSS feed) on Sep 14th, 2009

One of the key announcements to come out of Apple's "It's only rock and roll, but I like it" event on September 9th was iTunes LP. As implied in its name, iTunes LP seeks to provide a more rich album experience, something that has taken a backseat given the decline of physical albums.

iTunes LP includes features typically found on physical albums, such as liner notes and photos, as well as exclusive video content. One of the goals of iTunes LP is to resuscitate album sales, which have been struggling in the iTunes age of à la carte individual track sales. While iTunes LP provides a means to resuscitate the album, an album-based subscription service would further this goal even more.

Continue reading “Why iTunes needs to offer an album-based subscription service”

Tags: a la carte, a la carte pricing, ALaCarte, ALaCartePricing, album sales, AlbumSales, declining album sales, DecliningAlbumSales, itunes lp, itunes music store, itunes store, ItunesLp, ItunesMusicStore, ItunesStore, subscription

Filed under: Apple Corporate, iTS, iTunes

Incredible: Apple responsible for 25% of US music sales

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Aug 19th, 2009

The NPD Group has released amazing numbers this week: Apple is generating one quarter of all US music sales. Equally impressive, but less surprising, is that Apple is also responsible for 69% of all online music sales.

Wal-Mart is #2 for US music sales at 14% (that's a combination of both their online and CD sales) and Best Buy is third. Speaking of CDs, the aging format is still the overall top seller in the US and Wal-Mart is the top CD distributor. However, NPD expects that Apple's sales will equal that of CDs by 2010.

I know it's impossible to say what I'm about to without sounding like a grumpy old man, but here it comes anyway. For me, the tremendous thing isn't that Apple has commandeered the market so handily, it is the rate at which the distribution model has evolved. I'm only 38 years old, but as a kid I had a box of records. By the time I was in junior high school I was buying cassettes and in college I bought CDs.

Today, I can't remember the exact last time I bought music in a format I could physically hold in my hands. I'm glad the big wigs in the music industry are starting to get it. Now if only the TV execs would follow suit.

Tags: best buy, BestBuy, itms, itunes, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, music sales, MusicSales, online music, OnlineMusic, wal-mart

Filed under: iTS, iTunes, Mac 101

iTunes 101: Deauthorize all computers at once

by Cory Bohon (RSS feed) on Nov 12th, 2008


Many iTunes users are aware of the 5-computer limit for purchases made through iTunes. But what happens when you reach this limit? Well, you could go to each computer and de-authorize it by going to Store > De-authorize Computer, but this doesn't work if you get rid of a computer and forget to de-authorize it.

If you have reached your 5-computer limit, then launch iTunes, click iTunes Store, and then click your iTunes user name in the top-right corner of the store window. Once you login, you should see a page with all of your account information on it. In the middle of the page, you should see how many computers are currrently authorized. When you reach your 5-computer limit, a new button will appear here called "Deauthorize All." When you click this button, and confirm, your computer limit will start over at zero.

You will then need to re-authorize the computers that you want to keep. From iTunes, go to Store > Authorize Computer.

Update: As many have noted in the comments, this deauthorize all button can only be used one time per year. So, if you only have one or two computers to deauthorize, it might be best to do it manually. You can learn more about iTunes de-authorization on this Apple support note.

Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section.

Tags: authorizeation, deauthorize all, DeauthorizeAll, iTunes, itunes music store, itunes store, ItunesMusicStore, ItunesStore

Filed under: iTS, Apple Financial

Apple's 10K filing shows $3.34 billion in 2008 iTunes sales

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Nov 6th, 2008

Apple's annual SEC 10K filing showed that music-related sales increased by US$844 million (or 34%) to $3.34 billion in fiscal 2008, up from US$2.5 billion in 2007. Apple cited "heightened consumer interest in downloading third-party digital content" as the reason for the hefty increase.

Apple noted increased net sales from the iTunes Store in each of its geographic regions. An increase in the amount and types of content available at the iTunes stores was pegged as part of this growth.

Apple is the largest U.S. music seller, having knocked Wal-mart from the #1 spot in April of 2008. The revenue figures for the music-related business do not include iPod or iPhone sales.

[via eWeek Apple Watch]

Tags: 10k, apple financial, AppleFinancial, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, sec filing, SecFiling

Filed under: iTS, Video, Apple

iTunes collects season finales for you

by Scott McNulty (RSS feed) on May 22nd, 2007

Say what you will about the video quality of iTunes content, but it sure is convenient to download an episode or two of a show that you missed when it aired. The web elves that run the iTunes Store are determined to make it even more convenient it would seem, as they have gathered all the TV season finales available for purchase on one page [iTunes link]. Everything from American Dad to Battlestar Galatica is listed for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check back because shows are going to be added daily.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find out if Sylar is stopped (warning, if you don't like spoilers I wouldn't click that Sylar link).

Tags: itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, season finales, SeasonFinales, tv shows, TvShows

Filed under: iTS, iTunes

Star Trek in iTunes (again)

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Mar 20th, 2007

Back in January, episodes of the original Star Trek TV series were added to the US iTunes store. Then they disappeared, and now they're back again - two times over.

Specifically, the original first season [iTunes link], is listed separately from the digitally enhanced episodes from the same season [iTunes link]. We'd like to say that the former is for purists, and the latter for the more adventurous among us, but iTunes customers have left comments stating that both collections feature enhanced episodes.

It's more confusing than The Menagerie.

Anyway, if you're a fan of TOS (and who isn't, really?), go and pick this up.

Tags: itunes, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, star trek, StarTrek

Filed under: iTS, iTunes

Super Bowl highlights now in iTunes

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Feb 5th, 2007

If you want to relive that abysmal game for only $1.99US (it's a 22 minute video), just click here to be taken to the iTunes Store.

Now that the season is over, I wonder if that's the end of NFL content in iTunes? The Pro Bowl will be played this weekend, and the NFL Network (which has been providing content all along) will continue to broadcast, of course.

Oh, who am I kidding? Football is over. Darnit.

Tags: itunes, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, nfl, superbowl

Filed under: Apple Corporate, iTunes

How Apple helps the environment

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Jan 31st, 2007

Are you paying attention, Greenpeace?

Blogger Chiggs at Torents examines the iTunes Store's impact on the environment, and it's a favorable one. The production of a single CD results in aluminum, nickel, dyes, polycarbonates and more. At this month's Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs announced that the iTunes Store had sold 2 billion songs. At an average of 12 tracks per disc, Chiggs figures, that's the equivalent of 166 million CDs worth of those dangerous materials. What's more, that many CDs would cover 1,050 miles when laid flat. That's quite a chunk of landfill.

He also considers the results of transporting all of those CDs by truck. It's certainly a good article, and worth your time. So buy your music from the iTunes store...and save a tree, hippie.

[Via MacNN]

Tags: apple, greenpeace, itunes, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore

Filed under: iTS, iTunes, Apple

iTunes now 4th largest music retailer

by Michael Rose (RSS feed) on Jan 9th, 2007

In case your synapses are still blown with iPhone, a quick trip back to the beginning of the keynote today: the iTunes Music Store has sold over two billion songs, and is now the fourth largest music retailer in the US, ahead of Amazon.com and sneaking up on #3 Target. So much for the faux slowdown...

Tags: its, itunes, itunes music store, itunes store, ItunesMusicStore, ItunesStore

Filed under: iTS

Shopping at iTunes Japan--from America

by Erica Sadun (RSS feed) on Dec 14th, 2006

Web vendor jbox offers iTunes Japan Music Cards from its online site. With one of these cards you can make purchases at the Japan iTS. The cards obviously come at a slight premium. A 1500 yen card, which is worth just under $13 in real US money costs $18 at the site. A 3000 card, worth closer to $25, costs $35. That means that individual tracks, which would normally cost between $1.25 and $1.30 based on the Yen/US $ conversion rate, will set you back about $1.75 to $1.80. For the convenience and access to the foreign store, that's not too horrible a deal.

Tags: cards, iTMS, iTunes, iTunes Music Store, ItunesMusicStore, Japan, Japanese, music cards, MusicCards

Filed under: Audio, iTS, Odds and ends, Apple

Pre-order page on the iTunes Music Store

by Scott McNulty (RSS feed) on Aug 28th, 2006

First Apple gave us one spot to get all those sweet, sweet free videos from the iTunes Music Store. Now, they have collected all the albums (do they still call them albums?) that are available for pre-order in one place. Apple has dubbed this page 'Tommorow's Hits Today,' which is kind of catchy.

Get to pre-ordering!

Tags: iTMS, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, pre-order, tomorrow's hits today, Tomorrow'sHitsToday

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, iTunes, Apple

iTunes Music Store: resistance is futile

by Scott McNulty (RSS feed) on Aug 21st, 2006

The Associated Press says the writing is on the wall: either your music is available on iTunes or you're irrelevant. The article points out that several artists that were resistant to having their music available online have given in (and flagging CD sales aren't helping).

However, there are still holdouts including Kid Rock and the Beatles. Why don't they want consumers to have more options? There are many reasons, though the article cites:
  • Piracy (which CD's really don't stop)
  • Not wanting people to only buy one track (you must respect the album and not get the one good song without all the crappy ones)
  • Small profits from online sales

Will we see the Beatles catalog available on the iTunes Music Store? Perhaps when I'm 64 (get it? Aww, come on that was funny).

Tags: beatles, buy the album, BuyTheAlbum, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, kid rock, KidRock

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, Video, Podcasting, Apple

Should Apple rename the iTunes Music Store?

by Scott McNulty (RSS feed) on Jul 27th, 2006

After I finished my last post I got to thinking (dangerous, I know): the iTunes Music Store name is hopelessly out of date. Let's think for a moment of all the things you can download from the iTMS:
  • Music
  • Music Videos
  • Television Shows
  • Short Films
If you include the podcasting section then the list is even longer:
  • PDF's
  • Video podcasts
  • Audio podcasts
So, while music is still a large part of the iTunes Music Store it is only a part. I think it is about time (Steve, are you listening?) that Apple rebrand the store. I'm thinking 'the iTunes Media Store,' because that why they wouldn't even need to get new monogrammed towels.

Readers, you are all far more clever than I: should Apple change the name of the iTunes Music Store? If so, what should they change it to? Have at it in the comments, I really want to know what folks think.

Tags: iTunes, iTunes Music Store, ItunesMusicStore

Filed under: iTS, iTunes

Wh- What? Metallica in iTunes!

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Jul 25th, 2006

Forget the bluetooth Mighty Mouse, today's huge news is that Metallica's catalog has been added to the iTunes Music Store [iTunes link]. You may remember how vehemently anti-download this band has been since the Napster days. Either the guys have mellowed a bit (isn't that what this movie was about?) or they've seen the dollar signs. Either way, their music is available today.

Tags: itunes, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, metallica, napster

Filed under: iPod Family, iTS, Multimedia

Microsoft's Zune will target iPod/iTunes

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Jul 24th, 2006

When it comes to producing an iPod killer, Microsoft may finally be putting its (considerable) money where its mouth is. The company announced on Friday that a new line of portable media devices and online service, collectively known as "Zune," will target the iPod and iTunes Music Store. The hard drive-based devices will feature wifi connectivity and an option to purchase music all on their own. Also, it is said that Zune device users in the same hotspot will be able to browse and listen to one another's playlists.

We'll see which (if any) of these features actually see the light of day, but it sure sounds interesting.

Tags: ipod, itunes music store, ItunesMusicStore, microsoft, zune

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