'iTunes' Pictures + News
“Apple has cut deals that will finally enable iTunes to offer songs free of digital rights management software from the three largest music labels, according to a source close to the negotiations. In exchange for DRM-free music, Apple has agreed to become more flexible on pricing, the source said. ” [Link]
“David Carnoy’s book, entitled Knife Music, was rejected twice by Apple. Yesterday, Apple deemed some of its content objectionable, saying the book does not follow the company’s guidelines in its software-development kit, according to Carnoy. One line in particular, where a teenage girl uses expletives during a romantic encounter, is at the core of Apple’s objections. ” [Link]
“A report from last week brought to AppleInsider’s attention by French technology site ElectronLibre asserts that it’s now “clear” Apple will spark new interest in its music store by removing DRM from tracks published by Sony, Universal and Warner on December 9th.” [Link]
Leona Lewis picture
“Coldplay’s Viva la Vida was the best-selling album on iTunes for 2008, the music downloading service has announced. The album featuring frontman Chris Martin (a.k.a. Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow) has sold more than 2 million copies since being released in June – and has sold more than 500,000 digitally, the Associated Press reports. Another Brit, Leona Lewis, claimed the year’s top-selling single with her addictively catchy hit ‘Bleeding Love.’ ” [Link]
“‘If the [iTunes music store] was forced to absorb any increase in the … royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss – which is no alternative at all,’ Cue wrote. ‘Apple has repeatedly made it clear that it is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [the iTunes music store] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably.’” [Link]
NBC Chuck Cast picture
In press conference, Steve Jobs announces that NBC programs will be returning to iTunes with version 8.0 of the software…
