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Bands Bypass iTunes With iPhone Apps

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the more-you-tighten-your-grip-tarkin dept.

iminplaya writes to tell us that the band "The Presidents of the United States of America" (yes, the peaches guys), are trying to expand their engagement with fans by selling their music via Apple's App store, something others have experimented with but never dealt with on this level. "The app, called 'The Presidents' Music — PUSA,' sells for $2.99 on the App Store (iTunes link) offers users access to four full albums, including the band's early 'lost' recordings. This includes the previously-unavailable FroggyStyle — 'unless you have one of the 500 cassettes the band sold in 1994, you've never heard this before,' reads the app description. The app also features a number of extras and exclusives that the band says are updated regularly, and fans can read the band's blog directly from the app on their iPhones or iPod touches. The music, however, is not actually contained within the application itself; instead, it is streamed to the app from a server, requiring the user to be connected to a network of some kind (iPhone users on the cell or WiFi network, iPod touch users on WiFi) in order to access the media."

13 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. my app by profaneone · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please buy my app (profanespeak) to read my comments on this article.

    1. Re:my app by Triela · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm going for Offtopic: How many of you not only don't RTFA, but don't even read the Slashdot article summary, and only grep the Comments for the "Funny" tag?

    2. Re:my app by rbrausse · · Score: 5, Funny

      can someone mod this up so I have a chance to read it?

      thanks

  2. Presidents by Chabo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Personally, I know them better for their song "Lump" (which Weird Al parodied as "Gump") better than I know them for "Peaches".

    --
    Convert FLACs to a portable format with FlacSquisher
  3. Sounds fair by oahazmatt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If the content is streaming, I don't see Apple having a problem with this. After all, I can stream numerous radio stations already through iTunes or through an iPhone app. I don't think Apple will be concerned unless the app allows you to save the music. Besides, there's probably some agreement the developers have to agree to that states no app will directly compete with iTunes.

    --
    Those who believe the Internet is private,
    find their privates are on the Internet.
    1. Re:Sounds fair by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Funny

      Linux Torvalds doesn't

      Oh thats embarrassing.

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
  4. Band 2.0 by Clever7Devil · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If looked at purely as a method of accessing the artists' work it seems ineffectual. However, as a total package this is a genius appeal to the "always on" "web 2.0" environment of today's Internet. For 2.99, a price I think many will pay, users recieve a portal on their mobile device into the world of their favorite artists. Bios, extra content, tour dates, blogs, and ALL their music in one place. Sounds like something a fan would gladly pay 2.99 to have access to.

    --
    "By the time they had diminished from 50 to 8, the other dwarves began to suspect 'Hungry.'" -Gary Larson
    1. Re:Band 2.0 by dave562 · · Score: 5, Funny

      What do you expect for $3 measely dollars? Maybe the band should come to your house with signed copies of all the music you have access to and load it onto your computer, your kid's computers, and maybe even take your wife out for coffee? I mean damn... You did give them three whole dollars!

      If you want to listen to the music on the computer, pay for it from the iTunes store. If you want it in portable format, pay for the CD. Or hell, don't pay for anything and just steal it like everyone else does.

      I think I need to take a step away from /. because if I see one more person write a post about, "I expect the world for less than a Chinese sweatshop worker gets paid in a day.", I'm going to freak the fuck out.

    2. Re:Band 2.0 by dave562 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What if the app is just the first, beta release of a product that for all we know, three years from now could be bought by a major independent label, and used as a portal to hundreds of bands? You're one of those glass half empty types aren't you?

      If a band that I liked wanted to charge me $3 to listen to any of the music that they've put out, I'd do it. That is a whole lot cheaper than buying a bunch of CDs or individual tracks.

      These apps and similar things aren't meant to be everything for everyone. This one obviously isn't even aimed at you. You want more than they are willing to provide for $3. Okay. And?

      On the other hand it seems perfectly targetted at the "What do I want to spend my allowance on?" demographic. It's like Ringtone 2.0. The band of the month gets to make $3 from a bunch of junior high school kids with rich parents who can afford to buy them iPhones.

  5. Re:Why stop there? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    More bands should be offering their music for free on the Internet itself. Look at how well Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead (for starters) have done with their Internet releases.

    Yeah! All you need to do to make it big on the internet is to already be a multi-platinum selling band before the internet came along. Simple!

  6. Not a great idea. by WiiVault · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One of the reasons people buy iPhones is for integration both on the phone and desktop. You know, all your music in one place. This will also have limited use for Touch users who wan't to listen to music without be near wifi. I for one do not want 100 apps from various artists scattered across my phone.

  7. Re:Why stop there? by eccenthink · · Score: 5, Funny

    [Chorus:]
    Movin' to bittorrent, gonna steal a lot of songs
    Movin' to bittorrent, Gonna steal me a lot of songs
    Movin' to bittorrent, gonna steal a lot of songs
    Movin' to bittorrent, gonna steal a lot of songs
    (Wow)

    Songs come from a torrent,
    they were put there by a pirate
    In a country overseas
    If I had my little way,
    I'd steal songs every day
    So many songs to be played

    [Chorus]

    Take a little app where the tunes all exist
    Heard a rotten song and was pissed
    And dreamed about you, RIAA,
    I used my encryption down inside
    Make a little room my songs to hide
    Pirate's bounty in my PC or Laptop or a Phone

    Millions of songs, songs for me
    Millions of songs, songs for free
    Millions of songs, songs for me
    Millions of songs, songs for free
    Millions of songs, songs for me
    Millions of songs, songs for free
    Millions of songs, songs for me
    Millions of songs, songs for free

  8. Re:Why stop there? by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Amusing, but you destroyed the meter of the song. "Peaches" is two syllables while "songs" is one. The way the song is sung ("pee chez") you don't have enough syllables to fill the notes. Try using "MP3s" instead. It should fit into the meter a bit better.

    "Moving to the bittorrent, gonna steal me a lot of em-p'threes"

    See how much better that sounds?

    (Yes, that was a totally pedantic and geeky thing to worry about. I make no apologies. :-P)

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade