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Apple of accord
Apple said its long-awaited iTunes Music software was immediately available for its own Macintosh computers, while a Windows version would be available by the end of the year. The computer maker said its online music service would feature more than 2,00,000 songs from the top five music companies — fewer songs than some other paid services offer, but Apple said the list will grow. Users would be allowed to burn songs on an unlimited number of CDs for personal use and download them on up to three computers— without violating copyrights or denying royalty payments to musicians. "Consumers don’t want to be treated like criminals and artists don’t want their valuable work stolen," Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in a statement. Jobs concluded the launch by playing a video in which U2 lead singer Bono, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette praised Apple’s new service. At the same time, Apple rolled out new versions of its popular iPod handheld digital music players with expanded capacity, saying Mac users would be able to buy music over the Internet and transfer it readily to their iPods. The record industry has embraced Apple’s efforts as a bulwark against online piracy even though established competitors dismissed its claims that it had vaulted to the front the still-developing online music market. More than two years ago, Apple took the wraps off an advertising campaign with the phrase, "Rip. Mix. Burn," which irritated many in the music industry who thought the tagline amounted to an incitement to piracy. Record industry executives have expressed hope that Apple’s music offering can lure users away from the file-sharing Internet services that music companies have blamed for slumping CD sales. Cupertino, California-based Apple has built its strategy of around the idea that its Macintosh computers, which represent about 3 per cent of the personal computer market, could serve as the "digital hub" of a still-emerging digital lifestyle. Jobs said the pay-as-you-download Apple service, which allows users to hear free, 30-second clips of songs, was superior to other fee-based online music services. "People are used to owning their music," not renting it, Jobs said. "We think subscriptions are the wrong path." Listen.com’s Rhapsody digital music service, which costs $9.95 a month and allows users to burn songs to a CD directly for 99 cents, offers more than Apple’s service, the company’s chief executive said. Apple already has a hit
with its popular iPod digital music player. The device, the size of a
deck of playing cards, holds thousands of songs in digital format. It is
available in versions that work on Apple’s computer and computers
using Microsoft’s Windows operating system. The new iPods are
available in 10 GB, 15 GB and 30 GB models and cost $ 299, $ 399 and $
499, respectively. They are thinner and lighter than previous models and
have backlit buttons. |
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Apple
Computer Inc. unveiled a service that lets music fans download songs for
99 cents each, on a Website that Apple called simple and cheap enough to
compete with the free song-swap sites the record industry blames for its
slump.