No don’t confuse “good” and not a major selling band. “Good” music is totally subjective.

To follow this cool/uncool Indie vs Major labels a bit more…Just because Hey Jude is the most popular Beatles song, does that make it a bad song? Or is the Beatles least selling song their best one?

I loved the comment from “Lemon Obrien”
“Another thing you guys don’t understand…indie is cool, ipod/itunes is not.” Listening to bands not signed to major labels makes one “cool” and using a software program to organize those tunes makes you uncool? Listening to a private music player to listen to personal tunes with earphones in makes people uncool because the cords are white? I’m not sure I follow the analogy but…it sounds like someone is trying just a tad too hard to be “cool.”

Oh The Boards of Canada albums are on iTunes by the way. Cool or uncool?

Mick did tear Tina’s dress during Live Aid, on July 13, 1985:

(link)

She looks pretty surprised, eh?

It is so amazing how YouTube is now the video version of “Google knows everything”

peace
F

HOWEVER!!!… Apple’s online application for for iTunes Producer (which I’ve filled out no less than three times tells me they’re not interested in indy content… and we were the FIRST CORPORATE PODCAST anywhere).

We have roughly 100 hours of video right now with more to come. Happy to sell without DRM.

So, if they’re that big of a twerp… to heck with em!

Gerald Buckley
Tulsa

There shouldn’t be any reason that prevents Apple from giving indies the choice to have their music DRM free on iTunes. (Or, if there is one, we haven’t heard it yet).

There is a long tail of indies on the service today. There’s no reason to make it an all-or-nothing deal one way or the other.

Steve Jobs wants to keep customers locked in to his music/entertainment ecosystem. If 90% of ALL digital music is sold through iTunes, and only can be played using an iPod, and (this is an important point) iPods bring in the revenue, why would you want non-DRM access…same reason why Apple killed clones, more stores, means the iTunes store becomes a money loser, eating into iPod profits.

Steve’s anti-DRM stance is to get the Europeans off his back. The french are trying to pass a law forcing Apple to license Fairplay. He’s smart, and telling the French/Europeans that hey, “We wouldn’t need DRM if your SONY-BMG media companies didn’t force it.” So he wins. He throws it back in their face, the media company balk, and he gets to continue, locking YOU in; and I mean YOU, cause I know just by you asking for evidence, means you an Mac Fanboy, Jobs devotee.

Otherwise, you’d understand the larger picture.

I think iTunes was probably hamstrung by the contracts that it signed, namely the concept of the same deal (with DRM) for all comers. Now Steve’s angling to have no-DRM be the foundation, which was likely not allowed by the previous deals. Failing all labels being no-DRM, the best thing would be that Apple will not allow labels to veto having both DRM and non-DRM songs co-exist in the store.

I think songbird is OK. I want to mix it with Tamago, but its stuck using XUL, and dependent on the develoment of Mozilla.

The guys at the iTunes store are tired. They’ve been hiring and have been expanding at a rapid pace just to keep up with current demand; adding more bullshit, making them work harder, for no, or little gain, is probably not going to happen.

and if you guys actually cared about independent music…you’d already know the cool places to get it…like Tamago. The thing is, and this is what Steve knows, is, everyone on this list, just wants their music for free. Thats why you guys are so enamored by youTube, shitty-free video.

Another thing you guys don’t understand…indie is cool, ipod/itunes is not. If you have an ipod on, walking down the street, everyone knows you just another loser following bullshit trends and fads trying to be cool. Indie is about being indie, not about being part of a “pod”

Soon, there will be no big record companies. Who will need them. Just strike a deal with Apple (or any other music store) and share much bigger profits!

The big companies need to put aside their arrogance and pride and face the train that is coming right at them.

Im almost certain the Zune guys are working towards this.

Check them out, I’d be interested in others’ takes on them all…

(link)

I think you are spot on with songbird, but the trick is in distribution and mind share. i think apple has that. if only they would listen to you - thanks for reminding me of songbird again.

thanks for the comment. yes “picked a fight” was poor choice of words - changed it and made the emphasis, because like you, I kinda feel that Jobs is passing the buck on this one, and needs to do more than just post an essay on the web.

It’s still a bit buggy but it is everything right now in it’s current incarnation that iTunes could be. And it works as a podcatcher as well.

Jobs’ strategy is unfolding. It is an ongoing process. I think Indies are coming, but they WON’T be P2P, for security reasons. I’ll bet “vetted” indie.

And, yes, Timberlake has less talent than a Gerbil. His finest moment was probably that “accidental” Janet Jackson thing, which was a rip-off (no pun intended) of the Mick Jagger / Tina Turner thing from– Farm Aid, was it?