iTunes Store drops support for Windows Vista on May 25th

Ah, 2007: the days when Windows Vista was all the rage (or inducing rage), the Apple TV was brand new and music download stores were the hottest way to get the latest albums. Apple certainly remembers that year... and would like you to move on. The c...

Apple moving international iTunes arm to Ireland next month

In a note sent out to developers, Apple has confirmed it's moving its international iTunes business from Luxembourg to its European hub in Ireland effective February 5th. The company pre-empted the move last September, when it transferred all develop...

Apple refunds Breaking Bad iTunes passes in wake of split season

Apple refunds Breaking Bad season passes in wake of AMC's split season

When AMC split the last season of Breaking Bad in two, it annoyed iTunes Season Pass holders who had to pay twice to finish Walter White's saga. Rather than point angry viewers in AMC's direction, though, Apple is shouldering the burden (and trying to dodge a lawsuit) by issuing refunds. Customers who bought the not-actually-last season of Breaking Bad are receiving $23 iTunes credits that they can use for another Season Pass if they so choose. The refund comes just before the series wraps this Sunday, but it's a welcome recompense for viewers who were caught off guard. Check out Apple's email to customers after the break.

[Thanks, Abraham]

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Source: BBC

The iTunes influence, part three: Art in the age of digital disruption

The iTunes influence, part three Art in the age of digital disruption

"What happened is way worse for musicians. It has forced musicians to be marketers."
John McVey, producer, Coupe Studios

"I fear that in general the only musicians able to create a truly independent and successful career are those who had one before the industry changed, who had the fan base in place to enable them to continue independently of the record labels." That's Peter Owen, an independent composer and producer. He is one of many musicians who feel that the internet has made the business of creativity more challenging.

Parts one and two of this series surveyed how iTunes and MP3 catalyzed the digital music movement for labels and consumers. The effect of the internet on musicians is less recognized. In one way, musicians have benefited similarly to consumers. While consumers have gained amazing access to music, musicians have acquired unprecedented access to listeners.

So it's the promised land for musicians, right? Not exactly. For many creators whose careers span the before-and-after of digital music, there is a crushing sense that the grass isn't greener after all.

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The iTunes influence, part two: Setting the music free

DNP  The iTunes influence, part two Giving the people what they want

"I think the consumer is going to be driving this train for quite a long time."
-- Casey Rae, deputy director, Future of Music Coalition

In 2003, the iTunes Music Store established an environment for downloadable music at exactly the time when consumers needed a safe and stable online music store. iTunes sold a million songs in the first week, 10 million in five months and 25 million songs after eight months.

But the consumer demands of one era do not necessarily hold sway in a different cycle. iTunes is facing powerful competition from Amazon, Google and Microsoft in the pay-per-download business. Meanwhile, streaming platforms like Spotify, Rdio and YouTube are establishing a widespread attitude that music is free, and that downloading from a store isn't as compelling as accessing a service. Apple is still making plenty of sales in the music store (15,000 downloads per minute), but users are also flocking in different directions.

With the state of music industry still in flux, 2013 could be as pivotal as 2003, and the next 10 years could be as eventful as the last 10.

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The iTunes influence, part one: How Apple changed the face of the music marketplace

The iTunes influence, part one How Apple changed the face of the music marketplace

"iTunes is a stepping stone along the way."
-- Jim Griffin, OneHouse LLC

On April 28th, the iTunes Store basked in a milestone 10th birthday. Two years before its 2003 launch (as the iTunes Music Store), Apple introduced the iTunes client as a desktop music management program and implemented it as the device manager for the first iPod later in 2001. In those two years, Apple laid the groundwork for what can reasonably be called the iTunes era of music.

Apple did not invent digital music, even though for many iTunes embodies 21st century music buying. However, during the past 10 years, it has become the US' top music retailer, with customers currently downloading 15,000 songs per minute from the app's library of 26 million songs, according to an Apple spokesperson. Since its launch, it has evolved into the hub of a powerhouse media / tech ecosystem that turned Apple into the world's most valuable company in 2012.

As a symbolic milestone, the iTunes anniversary encourages reflection on the past, a survey of the present and predictions of the future. Digital music continues to evolve, for businesses, consumers and musicians.

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Apple marks a Decade of iTunes through an in-app timeline

Apple marks a Decade of iTunes

The tenth anniversary of the iTunes Store is looming on April 28th, and Apple wants to do more for the occasion than treat itself to a nice dinner. It just launched an interactive Decade of iTunes timeline (within iTunes itself, naturally) to remind us how far its music service has come since 2003. While the retrospective includes the expected sales milestones, media links and plugs for iPods, it's surprisingly detailed: you, too, can learn that Morcheeba rocked the album charts when iTunes reached Scandinavia. Apple has fiercer competition these days that not surprisingly goes unacknowledged, but it's good to have at least some context for Cupertino's more recent achievements. Catch a taste of that early iTunes Store vibe after the break.

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Via: The Loop

Source: iTunes Store

iTunes Store update lets you buy media today, download it tomorrow

iTunes Store now lets you purchase media now, download it later

While we like the convenience of shopping the iTunes Store from any device, that doesn't mean we want the download wherever we happen to be -- just ask anyone trying to buy the Beatles Box Set using a flaky coffee shop hotspot. As of a quiet update noticed by Macworld, customers won't have to risk a long wait for some of their impulse purchases. Buy from iTunes on any device and you now have the option to defer very large downloads, whether they're music box sets, movies or TV shows. Shoppers have to live in an area where iTunes in the Cloud is up and running for downloads elsewhere, but that's about the only major catch. Swing by the source link for Apple's explanation of how its delayed gratification works for each format.

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Via: Macworld

Source: Apple

iBookstore lines its shelves with paid content in New Zealand, 17 Latin American countries

iBookstore lines its shelves with paid content in New Zealand, 17 Latin American countries

iDevice owners in New Zealand and 17 Latin American countries are no longer restricted to a diet composed of free content when it comes to their respective iBookstores. A quick search of the storefronts will reveal virtual shelves stocked with paid-content that haven't yet found their way to the shops' homepages. Reside in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru or Venezuela? Head on over to the appropriate store and books with price tags will be available for purchase. If this is any sign of what Apple has up its sleeve for tomorrow, we suspect that "a little more" will involve a bit of reading.

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iBookstore lines its shelves with paid content in New Zealand, 17 Latin American countries originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stitcher updates its iOS app with offline mode for data-free radio

Stitcher updates its iOS app with offline mode for data-free radio

Stitcher is all about giving the people what they want and, only days after introducing its popular lists, it's back with an offline mode for its iOS apps. Despite boasting one of the smallest data footprints in the streaming game (0.2MB per minute), you can now download over 10,000 radio shows for unconnected listening. Beware -- the app will automatically update the shows on your custom stations, so if you plan on using it to save that precious data for other things, make sure to set it to only pull over WiFi. Along with that major enhancement, there's a new comments system and other improvements in Facebook sharing, searching and AirPlay compatibility. The PR says the update is live, but iTunes disagrees, so you'll have to wait a little longer before going off-grid.

Continue reading Stitcher updates its iOS app with offline mode for data-free radio

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Stitcher updates its iOS app with offline mode for data-free radio originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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