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Apple Sells 1 Million Videos in Under 20 Days

olddotter writes "Apple has sold over 1 million videos through iTunes since the release of the Video iPod service. Personally I am surprised by this success, it raises many questions. Will this encourage more people to put their video content on the iTunes store? Is there a vast market for cheaper stuff at reduced prices? Why am I willing to pay more for music than I would for video?"

21 of 478 comments (clear)

  1. Because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Why am I willing to pay more for music than I would for video?"

    Shelf life - even the greatest video will probably only be played a few times at most, while you might listen to a song hundreds of times over the years.

  2. Hot Damn by broody · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Imagine if they had some content besides a few television shows and videos...

    --
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    1. Re:Hot Damn by mysqlrocks · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Imagine if they had some content besides a few television shows and videos...

      That's exactly what they're trying to prove to the movie industry. Apple is demonstrating that it's possible to do the same thing it did with Music to Movies. And the movie industry will have the added benefit of being apple to skip right past the bulk of pirating (if they get they're heads out of the sand).

    2. Re:Hot Damn by SlightlyOldGuy · · Score: 5, Informative

      My wife is a musician who self-produces her albums. She's now making more money through a handful of songs on Itunes than by selling her CDs. This great outlet is now (or should soon be) available to independant video producers. Watch out for the next Nick Park on iTMS.

  3. Christopher Walken Effect by tbone1 · · Score: 5, Funny
    And the #1 music video for practically every day was Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice", featuring Chirstopher Walken. "I'm a hoofah at heart!"

    Something tells me that Kevin Pollak is owed a royalty somewhere.

    --

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    1. Re:Christopher Walken Effect by Elwood+P+Dowd · · Score: 5, Funny

      Dunno why Kevin Pollak is particularly responsible for Christopher Walken's dancing celebrity. Christopher Walken has been doing excellent Christopher Walken impersonations for most of his career.

      --

      There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
    2. Re:Christopher Walken Effect by Frogbeater · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I noticed that too. Particularly because I worked on that video.
      I was the dolly grip, which means every shot in that video in which the camera was moving (except the one where he gets on the escalator) is me moving the camera (dare I say, dancing with Mr. Walken?)

      No royalties for me.

      But the iTunes store has validated that video as one of the greatest of all time.

      Here are some behind the scenes shots if anyone is interested.
      That would be me, standing behind the camera.

  4. Re:videos have sound! by osssmkatz · · Score: 5, Informative

    To clarify, music videos include a seperate AAC file with just the song, as well as the video. Perhaps Apple's "Watch your music" campaign motivated some people? --Sam

  5. Front Row integration? by mccalli · · Score: 5, Interesting
    A question for anyone with a new iMac G5 who has also bought a video from the music store. Do these videos integrate with Front Row at all?

    It's my (utterly unsubstantiated) belief that Front Row will appear in iLife 06, and that then a Mac Mini playing these videos on a TV will start to make quite a lot of sense.

    Cheers,
    Ian

    1. Re:Front Row integration? by Fahrvergnuugen · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes they do.

      Check this out.

      Here's the demo page on apple's site: http://www.apple.com/imac/frontrow.html

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  6. You're surprised? by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 5, Insightful
    How can you be surprised by the success of the video iPod when there are enough people out there willing to pay money to change how their telephone sounds when it rings that it has become a $300 million-a-year business?

    In the world of wasting yer money on stupid, ephemeral stuff for digital gizmos, video on iPod doesn't even make it to the semifinals; at least you get to watch a 40-minute, commercial-free TV show for your cash.

    Be surprised that we're so happy to part with our money for valueless things, perhaps--but don't be surprised that the iPod video is successful at this game...

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  7. Re:Oh the insanity! by op12 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This could usher in a whole new era for TV, and I wouldn't miss cable or satellite one bit.

    Which is exactly why it's only a matter of time before there's a huge backlash from these content distributors, much like the music industry is already against iTunes. Now, cable and satellite companies will be joining the fight. It's in their best interest to beat down this new method of content distribution for TV.

  8. Re:Please educate me, iTunes video buyers by jmelloy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because most tv shows are 90% dialog.

    Because you can use it on a train or airplane.

    Because when you connect it to a TV it's fine.

    Because you can pull something out of your pocket and show it to your friends.

  9. Comparing song sales vs. video sales by rsborg · · Score: 5, Interesting
    1. iTMS store opening sold 1 million songs in a week, not 20 days.
    2. However, video selection is MUCH more limtied than song selection when iTMS opened.
    3. Also, video probably assumes the purchase of a newer (video) iPod, since I doubt many people are downloading these to watch on their computer/tv.

    So what does this mean? Who knows, but it seems as if the videos are really damn popular. I'd kill, however, to see which ones were more popular than others...

    I think what'd be the real killer app for mobile video would be shorts like comedy, commercials, trailers, etc.

    Apple are you listening? Use what you have already, most movies push trailers, and most commercial creators would DIE to get their bits on the iPod, and there're some totally awesome commercials that are pieces of art in their own right! Imagine a vid-cast of bits from The Daily Show, or a 5 minute part of a standup routine, too.. great for showing people at lunch/etc.

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  10. Re:I don't think it will last by meatflower · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh yeah...just like those MP3 player things. What a fad! Once those "gadget whores" filled em up they just tossed em aside...good thing they're not around anymore!

  11. Hmm... by daveschroeder · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm depressed about this.. I wanted this to flop so that Apple and the studios would be forced to give us more content, higher res, and less DRM... And I'm an Apple shareholder!

    Because, up until now, the studios had given us so much full-quality digital non-DRM encumbered content?

    Please.

    When they were already providing essentially *no* content, how would the first major commercial offering of such a service flopping "force" them to provide *more* content?

    Further, you think that they'll provide content with "less" DRM? (Are you implying you'll accept DRM, if there's "less" of it? Or do you really mean no DRM? Because if that's what you mean, you'll NEVER get it.)

    As to higher res, there's a problem here other than the content providers or Apple. And it's just a little one called "bandwidth". Before you go off telling me that you want to download your 1080i movies, even H.264 compressed, please explain how, even on the highest bandwidth home broadband connections generally available in the US, a 6 hour download jibes with Apple's strategy.

    Never underestimate of the power of stupid anonymous coward posts on Slashdot.

  12. Re:Well, duh... by pla · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unless you're some obsessive weirdo, I doubt you'll watch the same movie a couple of times a week

    So, not a Monty Python fan, eh?


    Now go and bring me... A... HERRING!

  13. Re:Oh the insanity! by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Which is exactly why it's only a matter of time before there's a huge backlash from these content distributors

    Well, they are adept in hurting their own intersts.

    Funny thing is, they've fought against PVRs, and now most of them even offer one as part of the subscription.

    The broadcast, cable and satellite networks very often finance the programming they use, I bet they could stand to make more from subscriptions + video sales than they do with just subscriptions. They resisted putting their shows on DVD, but then caved in and many of them are making a lot of money doing so, be the shows new or old. I don't see why it is sensible for them to reject a deal to get listed in iTunes. They'll make more money (net!) per episode than with DVD sales, and only have a little bit of preparation and encoding work. I hope that this untapped potential gets exploited, though I'd prefer not to use iTunes as the conduit. I've heard it said that making a show like Enterprise could cost about $0.25 (US) per episode per viewer.

  14. Re:Well, duh... by pubjames · · Score: 5, Funny

    Because music has far more inherent replay value than video.

    So? Since when does the cost of an item relate to how many times the purchaser uses it?

    Car salesman: This car is $20,000.
    Man: But I'm not planning on using it very often.
    Car salesman: Ok, in that case it's $15,000.

  15. Re:videos have sound! by branto · · Score: 5, Funny

    30 mb isn't much of a CD collection.

  16. ringtones by crimethinker · · Score: 5, Funny
    I just can't imagine what satisfaction one gets from buying a ring tone.

    Same here. I thought you were supposed to be embarassed that your phone went off in a public place and disturbed everyone else. Hello? Vibrate feature? But no, every 12-yr-old hip-hopster gangsta-rapper wannabe just HAS to have his phone blast out the latest crap from M. C. Pee Pants whenever one of his "bitches" calls him.

    Here's a tip: if I hear your phone sing (I use the term loosely) "pick up da phone, got some money comin' in" one more time, I'm going to introduce your phone to Mr. Sledgehammer. And then maybe your head, too. I figure I should get a medal for preventing all the crimes you were going to commit in the coming years.

    -paul

    --
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