Jobs Says Apple Customers Not Into Renting Music

Vikingod · Apr 26, 2007, 04:15 PM

Source: InformationWeek
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Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs indicated Wednesday he is unlikely to give in to calls from the music industry to add a subscription-based model to Apple's wildly popular iTunes online music store.

"Never say never, but customers don't seem to be interested in it," Jobs told Reuters in an interview after Apple reported blow-out quarterly results. "The subscription model has failed so far."

His comments come as the company he co-founded gears up for contract renewal negotiations with the major record labels over the next month.

Since Apple launched iTunes in 2003, it has sold more than 2.5 billion songs and now offers increasing numbers of television shows and movies.

calidan · Apr 26, 2007, 08:27 PM

Quote:

In February, Jobs urged all four major record labels to drop DRM, a move that some observers at the time said was sparked by the pressure Apple faces from European regulators to open the iPod/iTunes family to other technology platforms.

I was just thinking, shouldn't the EU go after the music companies not Apple? It is the music companies that are requiring Apple to include DRM.

Vikingod · Apr 26, 2007, 09:26 PM

I think the pressure is in regard to the proprietary use of iTunes, because in order to play the DRM Apple uses, you need to use iTunes.

Also, because the pull Apple has in the industry, its much more effective to force them to comply than it is to go after the record companies.

Apr 26, 2007, 04:15 PM	#1
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 111 System Specs	Jobs Says Apple Customers Not Into Renting Music Source: InformationWeek __________ Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs indicated Wednesday he is unlikely to give in to calls from the music industry to add a subscription-based model to Apple's wildly popular iTunes online music store. "Never say never, but customers don't seem to be interested in it," Jobs told Reuters in an interview after Apple reported blow-out quarterly results. "The subscription model has failed so far." His comments come as the company he co-founded gears up for contract renewal negotiations with the major record labels over the next month. Since Apple launched iTunes in 2003, it has sold more than 2.5 billion songs and now offers increasing numbers of television shows and movies.

Apr 26, 2007, 09:26 PM	Thread Starter #3
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 111 System Specs	I think the pressure is in regard to the proprietary use of iTunes, because in order to play the DRM Apple uses, you need to use iTunes. Also, because the pull Apple has in the industry, its much more effective to force them to comply than it is to go after the record companies.