Katie MarsalMichal Ephraim, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment, spoke with Australia's The Age about the impending launch of its Music Unlimited service in that country. Music Unlimited debuted in late 2010, and Sony hopes the streaming subscription product will take on Apple's iTunes by offering a different approach to digital music sales.
But in the future, Ephraim hopes that iTunes isn't even part of the equation. He questioned whether Sony would need to partner with Apple and sell music through iTunes if its new service gains enough traction.
"If we do [get mass take-up], then does Sony Music need to provide content to iTunes?" he said. "Currently we do. We have to provide it to iTunes as that's the format right now."
He continued: "Publishers are being held ransom by Apple and they are looking for other delivery systems, and we are waiting to see what the next three to five years will hold."
Tensions have grown between Sony and Apple since earlier this month, Apple rejected an e-bookstore application from Sony from its digital App Store for the iPad. A story in The New York Times suggested the rejection showed that Apple is "further tightening control of its App Store."
But Apple responded to that report and insisted that it has not changed its developer terms or guidelines. "We are now requiring that if an app offers customers the ability to purchase books outside of the app, that same option is available to customers within the app with in-app purchase."
The head of Sony's games unit in Australia also revealed this week that it is "unlikely" that the company will make its games available for Apple's iOS devices, including the iPhone and iPad. Last month, Sony revealed that it will bring a PlayStation Suite game store to Google's Android mobile operating system, allowing its titles to be played on a variety of portable devices in addition to its own gaming hardware.
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156 Comments
Good luck with that. "Hostage"? You've sold a billion more tracks via iTunes than you would have otherwise. Pulling your songs from iTunes would be a moronic business move. I guess it is decisions like this that have been the cause of Sony's fall from grace.
Publishers are being held ransom by Apple and they are looking for other delivery systems, and we are waiting to see what the next three to five years will hold."
translation: we want publishers to be held ransom by Sony instead of Apple in 3 to 5 years.
I doubt there's any real connection between this statement and the e-book thing. I think it goes without saying that Sony and all other labels would pull their music from iTunes IF there were a competing distribution channel that could equal iTunes in sales while providing more favorable terms to the labels. But that's equivalent to me saying that if somebody came out with a better product than Apple at a lower price I'd buy it. Is it really worth anybody's time to say anything so obvious?
Let 'em pull it. I'll purchase it else where (amazon, walmart) and then add it to iTunes. I'll deal with the few extra mouse clicks. Sony just doesn't get it - they haven't for years.
It only takes one to start the flood. 10 years ago iTunes was it, now things are changing a bit. One leaves, some others may follow. Curious to see how this turns out.