The problem here is most new websites don't have the customer base or loyalty that Apple has. They also won't have the quality of service or a device for you to download your mp3s on. If I'm starting an mp3 website do you think I'm going to get distribution rights from any of the larger record companies as easily as Apple did? Of course not. Why? Because I can't afford to pay distribution rights for the likes of Eminem or Bob Dylan and I can't promise a return on investment. While I like indie music the majority of people in the world don't know your indie band or label unless you have a least one recognized act or creative marketing. So why am I paying you for music I have never heard from a band I've never heard of? That is in part the sucess of iTunes. The music they offer is what people want, the artist they want to hear at cd quality or better for a buck. If you can't deliver that I would say you have to offer features and they better be more than jewel case designs.
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The problem here is most new websites don't have the customer base or loyalty that Apple has. They also won't have the quality of service or a device for you to download your mp3s on. If I'm starting an mp3 website do you think I'm going to get distribution rights from any of the larger record companies as easily as Apple did? Of course not. Why? Because I can't afford to pay distribution rights for the likes of Eminem or Bob Dylan and I can't promise a return on investment. While I like indie music the majority of people in the world don't know your indie band or label unless you have a least one recognized act or creative marketing. So why am I paying you for music I have never heard from a band I've never heard of? That is in part the sucess of iTunes. The music they offer is what people want, the artist they want to hear at cd quality or better for a buck. If you can't deliver that I would say you have to offer features and they better be more than jewel case designs.