Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Something up with Apple?

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  • Jeremy Matthews,

    If it's $30 an album I sure as heck won't be buying any... ok maybe once so I can see how it works. the $16.99 figure that they have at the Australian isn't too bad, if we were to get that same figure here.

    I can usually go down to Sounds/CDstore/RealGroovy and find dozens of CDs (that I want) in the <$20 bracket, so I think that they can't go too much higher than $15.

    Speed/convenience is definitely not enough to make me buy it through iTunes instead of taking a walk down to the mall (or ordering from Smoke/RealGroovy) and getting myself a nice CD with the higher quality sound and the sense of physically owning something. Along with the liner notes and other goodies.

    What would be really nice was if you got a discount coupon for picking up the real CD to go with the digital download.

    Christchurch, New Zealand… • Since Nov 2006 • 29 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    Actually what is up with music pricing here in NZ, tax?

    The last 2 times I have lived in vancouver I came home with a stack of cds as new 'premium' cds cost $17 NZD. (and I got the local gst back when I left the country).

    As a result I literally spent a whole day in the Virgin mega store (all 3 floors of it) and ran into Joe Walsh with a stack of cd's too (must be expensive in the US.

    Just checked online and they are still around that price. Half of what we pay here.? WTF?

    Anyone, anyone, anyone (Ferris Bueller?)...

    If it's the same price as in the stores, I'm still gonna buy the real thing (at least I can on sell it). Still gotta love linea notes etc.

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • Wammo,

    If it's $30 an album I sure as heck won't be buying any... ok maybe once so I can see how it works. the $16.99 figure that they have at the Australian isn't too bad, if we were to get that same figure here.

    And I don't believe we are being cheapskates when we say this. If I knew that the artist was getting a larger cut I wouldn't be whining...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 42 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    And I don't believe we are being cheapskates when we say this. If I knew that the artist was getting a larger cut I wouldn't be whining...

    the major record companies on the contrary are often using the digital move as a way of reducing the amount paid to an artist. For example most acts signed to majors have a "new technologies" deduction..which they actually used to try to apply to CDs until a couple (as recall Dire Straits and Simply Red) of acts sued. this can vary between 10% (unusual) to 30%. Which means that the act only get paid on 70% of the wholesale. Then there are packaging deductions which majors apply...20-25%..so the royalty base is now down toabout 45% of wholesale..and there are more. The fact that there is no packaging on a digital download is ignored.

    A bunch of Sony acts are suing the company over this creative accounting.

    It all makes it very hard to feel sorry for the record companies.As they cry poor.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Matthews,

    I knew the artist received a pathetic amount on royalties, but 4.5c for a $1.00 download is downright criminal.

    Christchurch, New Zealand… • Since Nov 2006 • 29 posts Report Reply

  • Tomorrowpeople,

    Full album downloads should not be the same price as a physical CD.

    Go figure.
    It's call packaging - without which you are receiving 'less' for you money and therefore the price should follow suit.

    Has anybody download album artwork from an iTunes store before?

    I know the cover is part of the deal but what about the actual 'innards'?
    Can you download that stuff?

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report Reply

  • matthewbuchanan,

    Has anybody download album artwork from an iTunes store before?

    I helped a fried in Australia download all the cover art for (most of) his albums over the weekend. It's as easy as selecting "Download Cover Art" from one of the menus in iTunes, and then watching them come down one by one. It took maybe an hour to find cover art for about 900 albums.

    And no, it downloads only a single JPEG of each album's front cover (no internal or back cover art), which it stores inside the MP3/AAC file for every track on the album in question. The automated iTunes function is only available if you have an iTMS account, but there are third-party applications that will do the looking elsewhere for you until we're granted access here.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • Lance Hodges,

    Slightly off topic. ripit.co.nz, new music store launched by Dick Smith. Well, what can I say, another less than average music store with no mac support. The design is not the best and it is a little clunky to use.

    Your thoughts?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 17 posts Report Reply

  • jon_knox,

    There was an ipod/apple ad on the telly last night (approx 9pm on TV2) that featured "apple.co.nz".

    Belgium • Since Nov 2006 • 464 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    We are pleased to inform you that the Ripit Music Store is compatible with Firefox. If you are using Mozilla Firefox, please click here to view the step by step guide on how to enable Firefox to use the Ripit Music Store .
    ...
    Before you start browsing Ripit Digital Music Downloads website using Firefox, you would need to download, install and configure the "IE Tab" extension by following these simple instructions.
    ...
    Step 7
    ...

    Can I combine this with the Word of the Year thread?

    USER-HOSTILE.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    and then there is this

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    Not wanting to use this as a mac rumour forum, but while we are in the swing of things, this is old but interesting.

    http://www.iphone.org/

    Now a carrier independent iphone before xmas would be all I need in my stocking this year. I'm hanging out for one, otherwise I'm having to do the parallel import/trade me thing to get a decent sony w710i walkman phone as vodafone NZ doesn't believe in customer choice.

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • Jamie Anstice,

    At least these user-hostile music stores (and Amplifier which isn't) give solid price indications for itunes - $1.75 - $1.99 per tune (with ripit having the odd $0.99 cent tune) and albums at around $18.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 16 posts Report Reply

  • Tomorrowpeople,

    Can I combine this with the Word of the Year thread?
    USER-HOSTILE.

    .

    Heck yeah - what a complete consumer botch-up.
    You can't expect to run a commercial on-line music store when your first intro to customers leaves them scartching their heads and never coming back.

    vodafone NZ doesn't believe in customer choice.

    And tehn when they do advertise a decent hand set it's "out of stock" or as I was told "three weeks before they arrive" blah blah blah.

    I used to think VF was a cooler brand than Telecom.
    Well, it's a brand I'd rather have than Telecom but that's about it.
    Just another dumb-a$$ corporate playa.

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report Reply

  • noizyboy,

    ripit.co.nz, new music store launched by Dick Smith. Well, what can I say, another less than average music store with no mac support.

    Not just no support for Macs, but no support for firefox? And DRM-crippled WMA files? ugh.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 171 posts Report Reply

  • noizyboy,

    (ah, I now see Stephen Judd's post above, which points out that with some firefox hacking that you can use the IE Tab extension to access iRip. Using IE as a tab in Firefox just feels so ... wrong).

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 171 posts Report Reply

  • Tomorrowpeople,

    It's not purely a question about Mac or PC support. Apple have proven that by having the iTunes store/iPod etc available to both platforms.

    It's about presenting your store so any platform can access it easily and it works well.

    Amplifier is a good example.

    The Vodafone 'music store' looks like an extension of any other page on its website.
    It doesn't have a presence.

    Blink and you'd miss it.

    Peopel fail to recoginise the ease of iPod + iTunes.
    Sure there might be 'better' and 'more featured' MP3 players on tha market but is that the whole point?

    Nup.

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Kiwi bands to get on board for iTunes NZ

    Press Release: Jiggy.co.nz
    November 30, 2006
    For immediate release
    Kiwi bands to get on board for iTunes NZ

    It’s a matter of when, not if, for iTunes to launch a store in New Zealand – finally! – and digital music distributor Jiggy.co.nz is calling for New Zealand bands to get in before the rush starts.

    Jiggy.co.nz is asking New Zealand acts to submit albums to it for early inclusion for the New Zealand iTunes store, following meetings yesterday with between Jiggy director Dave Gibbons and iTunes representatives.

    ...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    I'm hanging out for one, otherwise I'm having to do the parallel import/trade me thing to get a decent sony w710i walkman phone as vodafone NZ doesn't believe in customer choice.

    that's one of the things that hit me back in NZ last month, the lack of choice offered by both telecom and Vodafone...and the prices! I use a Sony E k750i which I bought in Jakarta plan free about a year ago for $300 and the K800i which has replaced it is about $380 compared to some $800 in NZ plan free, or $750 at the parallel imports website. The same with the newish Canon EOS400D which is $1500 parallel and some $1000 in the shop here (including tax)...somebody is doing well out of this

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    The DSE site looks interesting - if I read rightly albums would come in at $17, which is a price I'd pay.

    DSE have done something like this in Australia for some time, or at least when I last looked at their website two years ago they had. So has Telstra's Big Pond service

    Interestingly they also sell iTunes vouchers on their Australian website, with the following sales description:

    "With iTunes Music Cards, you can purchase and 'legally' download your favourite music, music videos, audiobooks, podcasts and more, from the iTunes Music Store."

    Not sure why legally has been given quote marks. What are they trying to say?

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Simon,

    interesting, pig ugly don't ya mean?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Tomorrowpeople,

    Latest whizzy Vodafone handsets cost at least $1k.

    What a rip.

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    Simon / Tomorrowpeople

    I so agree. Vodafone are infinately cooler than telecom, but if they want to maintian that brand they really need to have the product in the hands (on the bar table tops etc) of the folk out there that are more of a shop window than their stores are.

    Using the web, I got all excited about the sony walkman brand of phones (I have a shuffle and laptop is never too far away - no need for big ipod). But when I either rang vodafone or went into one of their store (and this goes to the heart of my discontent with retail in NZ), their trained monkeys would just look blankly back at me like "what the hell are you on - walkman phones well there is only one the w800".

    I have found first mobile here in Dunedin to be brilliant, but they are hamstrung by vodafone too?

    The w710i might have to wait till Vancouver next year along with those $18 full priced cds.

    I agree with the ease of use of the ipod/itunes marriage of software and hardware. But then thats a mac thing isn't it.

    To illustrate my point, my last new powerbook I opened in front of my brother who's a .net developer. Opened the box, plugged it in and after putting in the network prefs was off, you know the story.

    So bring on a itunes store, should be fun. I'm more keen on the videos to tell the truth, but then I don't know how many music videos there are. I had a ball of a time the other day collecting the most ohbscure 70s music videos. Not the EL&P were ever cool, but fanfare for a common man has a cool video.

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • Tomorrowpeople,

    I agree with the ease of use of the ipod/itunes marriage of software and hardware. But then thats a mac thing isn't it.

    Well, yeah it is a 'Mac thing' but it works on PCs too.
    What I'm trying to say is should be a cross-platform thing.
    It obviously can be done (making stuff that works well on either platform).

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    More on the iPhone, transparent?

    http://hrmpf.com/wordpress/102/radio-transparent-zirconia-iphone

    From the patent:
    A portable computing device capable of wireless communications, the portable computing device comprising: an enclosure that surrounds and protects the internal operational components of the portable computing device, the enclosure including a structural wall formed from a ceramic material that permits wireless communications through.

    come on early 2007!!!

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

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