Apple today announced iTunes 6, the next generation of the worldâs most popular music jukebox and online music store.
âWeâre doing for video what weâve done for musicâweâre making it easy and affordable to purchase and download, play on your computer, and take with you on your iPod,â said Steve Jobs, Appleâs CEO. âRight out of the gate weâre offering 2,000 music videos, Pixarâs short films and hit primetime TV shows like âDesperate Housewivesâ and âLostâ.â
Featured exclusive music videos are available from artists such as Beastie Boys and U2 along with more than two dozen classic music videos from Madonna. Music videos are available from hundreds of artists, including classic hits by Michael Jackson and Sting and current hits from Coldplay and Kanye West. The first ever video iTunes Originals is being released with an exclusive performance and interview from Death Cab for Cutie as well as an exclusive video album from Brazilian Girls. Music fans can also purchase the Complete Stevie Wonder digital box set, which contains over 500 songs, a full color digital booklet and three bonus videos, available only on the iTunes Music Store. Movie shorts available from Pixar include âBoundinâ,â âFor the Birds,â âGeri's Game,â âLuxo Jr.,â âRed's Dream,â and âTin Toy.â
New features in iTunes 6 include expanded online gift options which now allow customers to give specific songs, albums, music videos or their own iTunes playlists to anyone with an email address, a public beta of new âJust for Youâ personalized music recommendations and the debut of online customer reviews. Now more than 10 million iTunes music fans can read other customersâ reviews, post their own and rate their usefulness.
With Appleâs legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated Podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store features more than two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, 10,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.
Pricing & Availability
iTunes 6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download immediately from www.apple.com/itunes. Purchase and download of songs from the iTunes Music Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. Music videos and short films are $1.99 (US) each, and television shows are $1.99 (US) per episode.
66 Comments
Looks like a smart, gradual entry into some new areas, and a fun "optional extra" for new iPod owners. Full downloadable feature films? Maybe someday.
If you buy a video, is the music part incorporated into your music library just like any other song, for use in playlists etc.? And is it the full quality of downloading the song alone?
iT6 is a nice evolution... I've been hoping for a Gift option. But poor iT5! Gone already...
Hmm...im thinking iTunes 6 is a bit premature...I'm confused *?*
If you can't burn the videos to CD, how in the hell are you supposed to back up your videos?
If you're thinking that $1.99 might be a bit steep for a video then try the UK store pricing... £1.89!! Completely bonkers. Haven't Apple heard of an exchange rate
Did anyone else catch the "NO BURNING" feature for any video?
Wow... what a feature. Thats like buying a car with the feature of it only running in your neighbourhood. Forget about taking that car on a sunday drive, or to the city.
I can see people lining up around the corner for a 'FEATURE' like that. ???!!!!????
Hey Steve... it's called a 'Screw', not a feature.
FairPlay is a nice way to say "$#@* the people".
At least in Canada, it's legal to download tv shows. They are a lot higher quality, and you can take them anywhere. You can also re-format them for the iPod.
The day that people start accepting the 'Ol poke up the ass', is the day we see the "one more thing... digital insurance". Where you pay gobs of money for files that you alrady own... because it's your only choice for protection.
booooooo