Pandora’s Music Fees Are Huge! And Not That Bad.
The Internet radio service is handing over half of every dollar it brings into the music industry. But things could be a lot worse. And the royalty system that taxes Pandora also allows it to thrive.
Apple’s Song Remains the Same, But Could Get Longer
Apple appears ready for an extended play: It's about to offer 90-second samples of songs for sale at its iTunes store, up from the industry-standard 30 seconds. Apple has been trying to offer the feature for months, and CNET says the company may still be negotiating with labels and publishers for the rights. But if...
Don’t Blame Apple for Its Music Monopoly. Blame the Big Labels.
Federal regulators are looking at Apple yet again, this time at the company's dominance of digital music. But the big music companies are the ones that gave Apple that power, and they're the ones that could take it away. Don't hold your breath.
Music’s Digital Sales Boom Comes to an End
Remember when people used to predict that digital music sales would make up for the disappearing CD? That's officially over now: Last quarter, for the first time ever, the number of digital songs sold in the U.S. declined.
Dark Side of the Download: Pink Floyd Sues EMI Over Online Sales
It's standard operating practice for the music industry: Musicians sue labels, claiming they got screwed out of royalties.But from a writer's perspective, it's always nice when the plaintiff is a well-known act whose catalog includes a hit called "Money."
Apple: Billions of Songs, Billions of Apps, Not Much Profit
Apple is patting itself on the back for delivering 10 billion songs from its iTunes Store. And it frequently boasts about the number of apps customers download from iTunes, as well--the tally is now past three billion.But you won't hear Apple boast about how much money it's making from iTunes. Because there's not much to...
Book Publishers Beware! At iTunes, Expensive Music Equals Slower Sales.
Book publishers itching to raise the prices on their e-books should pay attention to the music labels, which raised the prices on their downloads last spring. Consumers, it turns out, like paying less for stuff.
The Apple-Amazon Book War Heats Up and Claims Macmillan as a Casualty
Apple has yet to sell its first e-book, but it is already engaged in a bruising battle with Amazon for control of the market. The most recent salvo: Amazon has stopped selling all books from MacMillan, apparently in response to the publisher's plans to sell its books at a higher price point through Apple.
The Music Industry’s Cautionary iTunes Tale Resonates with Publishers–And Apple
Look who has learned one of the most important lessons of the music industry's love-hate relationship with iTunes: Apple. It shows in Steve Jobs's approach to book publishers, which is designed to assuage their fear that e-books will cannibalize their old business.
