Caught this article off /. today, referencing a story from TheRegister which is claiming that iTunes is in a fiery tailspin of destruction the likes of which haven’t been seen since the end of the last Yankee’s season.
Apparently this company gets credit card transaction info(HOW?), and has used it to determine that iTunes is fucked. This sounds a lot like the BS stories I constantly hear about Sirius and XM Satellite radio. After all, if something is working – there’s no reason to report on it, is there?
Do I think that iTunes is failing? Not likely.
Simple equation folks:
Copy of Killswitch Engage’s 2004 album “The End of Heartache” at FYE, a popular retailer: $18.99.
Copy of the same album on iTunes? $9.99. All you do not get is the pamphlet (available in digital format from iTunes), CD, and CD case, all of which cost MUCH less than $8.99. Any questions?
The simple fact is that Apple has the best online store, best interface, and IMHO the best player for digital music on the market to date. They’re proving every day that music is still profitable without raping the consumer on the backs of the artists. There’s NO REASON to pay nearly $20 in a store when something of equal or better quality can be had via iTunes for half the price.
It’s a crock of bull, the mainstream music industry that still depends on the overpriced and antiquated bit of media called the Compact Disc has been collapsing for over 10 years now, a fact that is largely ignored while they try to sue themselves back into profitability. I see a paycheck from the industry funding this idiotic study, and it should be taken as seriously as a cancer study funded by Philip Morris.
