iTunes Australia to Launch Next Week

daria42 writes "It looks extremely likely that the iTunes music store will launch (finally) in Australia next week. Apple confirmed that its vice president of iTunes Eddie Cue, and vice president of iPod product marketing Greg Joswiak will be flying down under for a press conference on Tuesday morning. Cue has been prominent in a number of launches around the globe of the online music store, which is now available in around 20 countries worldwide. Australians have been waiting for the launch for more than a year now. It is believed Sony's Australian division wanted to block the launch."

Comments

and the drummer plays on....

[zappepcs]

It is high time that the drum beat of the digital age began conquering the lands it has not yet subjegated. That sounds harsh, but what I mean is that until digital content, and more importantly, digital distribution is ubiquitous (I dislike that word) there will be no revolution in the digital entertainment world. Until the entire world holds the *AA business model up for ridicule there will be no change worth reporting on the common man's news channel.

I really don't care who makes digital music available in any country, I just care that it happens. Hoooray for music... horaayyy for music unfettered by malicious middlemen distribution companies. It is aobut time that musicians began getting paid for their music without all the middleman crap. In this case, the digital age moves ahead of current technology to support the small businessman, small business, and the artist.

Copyright and patent be damned, this is a *GOOD* thing.

Personally, I've not listened to commercial radio for a long time, it SUCKS. I do support Internet radio with my money, its worth it. Its time for all of the old business model to crumble, and crumble fast and hard... fsck the *AA and their Italian sports cars... (okay, that wasn't really PC)

I'm just glad to see the old model breaking!!! :-)

$1.69 a track?!

[coljac]

I think US$0.99 is already too much and is stifling the market. AU$1.69 (US$1.26) is ridiculous. Although I'm sure Apple lobbied for lower prices, the end result is robbery and I hope Australians vote with their feet. Why should the price discrepancy be so large between the two markets?

I wish the Slashdot-foretold Music Industry Apocalypse would hurry up and happen.

iTunes in NZ

[usmc.spitfire]

It will be nice when they finally open iTunes to New Zealand. People here have only owned iPods for what? 1½ years?

Re:Now if they will just...

[galven]

Differing copyright issues for different countries. Lots of complications and headaches. That's what stops...

Re:Too Late Apple

[craznar]

What's different is that it isn't illegal for me to buy music legally in another country .... in Australia.

Re:Too Late Apple

[natd]

What's different is that it isn't illegal for me to buy music legally in another country .... in Australia.

You're missing my point - deliberatly or otherwise.

Most of us probably avoid illegally downloading (aka stealing) music on principal - I know I do. I buy all my music on CD really, I've no interest in scrounging around for torrents etc. To use 'allofmp3' is just as wrong on that same principal because your money isn't going near the artist - likely just into some Russian mafia crooks war chest to fund other more sinister activities.

So the point is that if you're going to take an artists music without giving them ANYTHING (yes, I know the label takes most) then you would be doing every one a favour by just stealing it the normal way instead of maknig a charitable donation to a crime ring.