Apple readies Australian iTunes music store (again)
After several failed attempts, Apple is once again preparing to launch its iTunes Music Store in Australia, according to an online report.
Top executives from Apple's iTunes and iPod divisions are expected to travel from the United States to speak at the briefing, which is being held in Sydney, Australia.
Speaking with CNet Australia, an Apple spokesperson confirmed the company had scheduled a "special" media briefing with two of its most senior United States-based executives on Tuesday the 25th.
Alongside the iTunes announcement, Apple is expected to present some original Australian video content recorded specifically for a small screen. The company is said to have approached music video producers to shoot and produce content for playback on the new fifth-generation video iPods.
If and when Apple's iTunes music and video download service finally makes its way to the Australian market, it will mark an end to a long struggle between Apple and the country's recording industry. In May, it was reported that an unsigned agreement with one major record company halted the launch of the store, which was originally expected to debut in April.
In late spring — when iTunes Australia was in the final stages of testing — some Mac users managed to gain access to a work-in-progress version of the store. At that time, the average price of a song was listed at $1.69 Australian. Album prices varied from $11.35 to $16.99.
Australia is one of the few remaining countries in which Apple operates but does not host an iTunes music store.
24 Comments
The poor people of Australia will just have to use allofmp3.com until iTunes launches, which costs a fraction of what iTunes does and often has a bigger selection. Aw.
And is apparently BOTH illegal and unethical
("Often" has a bigger selection? What makes it vary?)
...
At that time, the average price of a song was listed at $1.69 Australian. Album prices varied from $11.35 to $16.99.
Hum, the word that bothers me is "average". That means there are more than one price for the purchase of a single. Perhaps this is the future of my beloved 99 cents deal...
And is apparently BOTH illegal and unethical
("Often" has a bigger selection? What makes it vary?)
Not true. It is not illegal, unless you live in a country that does not allow you to purchase mail order music from overseas.
As far as unethical, the real question is: is it more unethical than the labels? Interesting question.
As far as unethical, the real question is: is it more unethical than the labels? Interesting question.
When someone uses the phrase "more unethical", what they really mean they don't give a damn about ethics. The 'question' is only interesting if you don't understand the meaning of the word "ethical".