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Apple Introduces iTunes Music Store, iTunes 4, new iPod

Posted by pudge on from the mmmmm-usic dept.

Steve Jobs took to the stage at Moscone Center today for a special Apple Event, and introduced Apple's new music service, "iTunes Music Store," which will allow users to download music in the AAC format for $.99 per song, and is built-in to iTunes 4. The service offers 200,000 tracks and counting, with unlimited CD burning for personal use. iTunes 4 also adds playlist sharing, and the new iPod add new features, including a new design, a dock, and USB 2.0. The iTunes Music Service files are 128 kbps AAC (reportedly better than 128 kbps MP3), with free previews, cover art, and "reliable downloads." You can browse the music store in iTunes, similarly to browsing your own Library, and preview them directly in iTunes. "One-click shopping" allows you to purchase the song and download it, adding it to your Library, in one click.

The store also offers exclusive music, music videos, and other multimedia, all in the main iTunes window. iTunes 4 will be available now (along with QuickTime 6.2), and the music store will be available today. It is Mac-only now, but will be available for Windows by the end of the year.

As a compromise to help prevent piracy, you must change your playlist every 10 CD burns, and you may share the music with only three other Macs (you may modify the list of computers that the music may be shared with at any time). There was no word on the technology used to handle this DRM.

The iTunes playlist sharing allows sharing of playlists, and the streaming of music from one machine to the other, though copying is not supported ("that would be verboten," Jobs added).

The new iPods will be $299 (10GB), $399 (15GB), and $499 (30GB). The dock holds the iPod upright, and has a line-out. The FireWire port is now on the bottom of the unit, and the buttons have been moved up higher, just below the screen, in a row. The improved screen features a backlight. The new units will be in Apple stores on Friday.

3 of 1,561 comments (clear)

  1. Re:should be per MB or per song minute charge by funwithstuff · · Score: 5, Informative

    They MAY actually allow you to buy "an album" at a time for some discount at some future date...

    They do right now. $9.99/album.

    --
    it's not about the karma, it's about the whuffie
  2. Re:Still kinda expensive... by goon+america · · Score: 5, Informative
    They didn't mention it, but it looks like you get a discount if you buy a whole album at once. Still downloading, but all the screen shots show a standard price of $9.99 for whole albums.

    Obviously, it wouldn't make sense to charge for "filler" tracks that you probably wouldn't download if you wanted to buy the whole album track-by-track. Also, what about those techno albums that only have four 20 minute songs?

  3. Re:Food For Thoughts by selkirk · · Score: 5, Informative
    The porn industry is one of the most lucrative on the surface of the planet ... Yet there are no organisations to protect the rights of the producers. No MPAA, no RIAA, ever heard of someone going to court for pirating porn? Didn't think so.
    WRONG. The Association for the Protection of Internet Copyright is the online porn industry version of the MPAA and RIAA regarding copyright violations.

    Never heard of someone going to court for pirating porn?
    Penthouse busts newsgroup user over copyright theft

    A porn producer goes after violators...
    Suze Randall hunting cyberthieves

    And gets results...
    $338,171 in damages awarded