Desperate for publicity

Posted by Pierre Igot in: iTunes, Music, Technology
July 3rd, 2003 • 9:51 pm

Here’s a strange story about acts such as Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers refusing to let Apple sell their music as individual tracks on the iTunes Music Store.

I don’t really see what the big deal is. Last time I checked, Apple did allow artists to restrict sales to entire albums only. It’s an option. If Metallica and RHCP want to use that option only, what’s the problem? They’ll use it, and only sell their music as entire albums.

Or are they refusing to sell their music on the iTunes Music Store in any way, shape or form? That wouldn’t make sense, since Apple does offer the option to sell albums only.

To me, it sounds like little more than these acts trying to get some “artistic respect” by claiming that they do not want to contribute to the “demise of the album format”. Which is in itself rather dubious, since these artists are not adverse to selling CD singles or providing individual tracks as downloads via their own web sites on occasion.

So what’s their point exactly? The Apple store gives them the option not to “contribute to the demise of the album format” if that’s what they prefer. This attempt to cast Apple as the bad guys looks pretty lame to me. Fight the real enemy, guys.


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