Comments on: Apple Threatens to Close iTunes Store Over Royalty Hikes

By: Online Music Avoids Rate Hike | World of Apple

Online Music Avoids Rate Hike | World of Apple — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:15:46 +0000

[...] World of Apple reported this week that Apple was opposed to the request and had threatened in a statement to the CRB to close the iTunes store if the rise went ahead. In the statement given to the CRB 18 months ahead of the decision Apple exec Eddy Cue said: “Apple has repeatedly made clear that it is in this business to make money and would most likely not continue to operate iTS (the iTunes Store) if it were no longer possible to do so profitably.” [...]

By: dave

dave — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:48:57 +0000

Gerald, do you not realize that the music labels get more than DOUBLE the amount of money, per song, if the song is sold through the iTMS instead of on a physical CD?

And could you explain to my why songwriters should be paid more if the bits of a song are delivered over the internet instead of on a plastic disc?

By: Dizzle

Dizzle — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:52:14 +0000

Gerald, whoa there. Apple’s statement said that they would likely take a loss, not simply less profits. Do you think that companies should operate at a loss?

I don’t know why all of a sudden in today’s culture it seems like a deadly sin to want to be profitable. It is the revenue from these ventures that allows Apple to do the R&D for all the other great stuff. I don’t know where that “money monger” comment came from, it hardly seems justified in this case.

It is like Pandora having to close shop if their licensing rates increased. Business exist to make money; they are not charities. That does not make them money mongers any more than you or I accepting a paycheck for our work with our employers make us money mongers.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:36:22 +0000

As an Apple Geek but also a composer / songwriter and a member of ASCAP, I find Apple to be the crybaby on this one.

No one else can make money with music only Apple?

Of course I know it is a different division of Apple, but Steve needs to be in control of all departments. This just makes Apple look like all; the rest of those money monger companies