Apple's new "iTunes Music Store"

[Kirillov]

I'm using this thing right now, and it looks like a great way to sample music and even buy albums. Does Matador have any plans to get on board? Please say yes, because the record stores in my area are utter crap and so I can never find anything Matador-related around here.

Second part of my question: I see Matador is signed on to the Emusic service. Emusic seems really shady to me - I don't see how, when they let users download unlimited songs for $10 a month, the labels and artists end up getting any money. Very mysterious. Are any Matador employees willing to offer their take on this?

[Paul]

Emusic's files are encoded at 128kbps, so it's not worth spending money on anyway.

[Kirillov]

Agreed. Apple's encoding all of their music at 128kpbs, but it's AAC. I just downloaded a track that I also own on CD and MP3 (I ripped it personally from my own CD at 128kbps). Apple's AAC file sounds drastically better than the MP3 I ripped, and almost indistinguishable from the CD.

Sorry if I sound like an Apple employee or something, but I'm just getting more excited by this music service as I continue to use it :)

[inactionman]

I must agree, the iTunes music store is incredible but it needs a touch of the Matador love to make me happy. Actually it needs a lot of indie labels to sign on to make me happy. To the good people at Matador: please make your entire catalouge available on iTunes.

[moth]

I was hoping you all had a thread like this... I was thinking about the same thing last night, and posted a mockup on my site of a way Apple can bring independent labels in the fray... and happened to use Matador as an example. It's here, if anyone's interested:

http://shey.net/mt/archives/000088.html

[fwah]

Ha. How cool. I came here to ask the same question.

You guys are fast...

[Patrick]

Hey Kirillov,

The eMusic point has been addressed here in detail - do a forums search on eMusic.

On Apple, I'll let Beggars' Dick Huey respond.

Patrick

[Dick]

Hi Kirillov,

Patrick asked me to respond to you on Matador's plans to be involved with the iTunes subscription service.

The short answer is Apple hasn't asked to license Matador music yet, and it's not because we were barking up the wrong tree for the last couple months. I think it was probably all Apple could do given the resources they made available for this project to roll it out with the Major content they had.

It's a drag that Apple chose to focus their huge publicity blast on artists that so desperately need promotion (Eminen?) but we're definitely interested in being involved and I hope it won't belong until you see Matador music up there as well. Meantime, we frequently get Matador music in the QuickTime features section, and there's always AVDeck (www.avdeck.com) to check out if you're jonesing for pre-release Mata-sounds in QuickTime format...

Thanks for writing in,
Dick

[dola]

i was going to attempt to grumble something about the coincedence of new members and product promotion, but then i realized that Apple really doesn't need any help, and that Matador/Beggars is obviously down anyway. Fuck everyone anyway.

oh it's the blues explosion on tv.

[inactionman]

Well the response from Beggars saying that Matador is interested got quite a bit of attention in the world of MacWhores. It ended up the front page of macrumors.com. If you go by some the reponses on that site, you'd have to think Apple won't make any money on iTunes until Matador has their catalouge available. Which, in my case is true.

[dola]

give that man a raise! mmm, excellent.

[bcleland]

Anymore news on matador joining the itunes store.

[Gerard]

we're working on it! Really!
Hopefully we'll have some news for you eventually (though it probably won't just be about Matador when and if it comes out).

[Futureman]

How does iMusic work? I'm completely out of the loop.

[Squall91]

Don't you need a Mac for this oh so hyped service?

[Kirillov]

thanks for the replies. what do you mean by "it probably won't just be about Matador"? is apple planning on putting a bunch of independent labels out there all at once? can you speculate on any approximate timeframe?

[Gerard]

I don't think I'd be pulling a Pitchfork by saying that Apple are currently working on including indepedent titles in the iTunes Music Store. But I'd be out of place saying who or when. We're very hopeful that Matador will be involved soon, but there will undoubtedly be other labels represented.

[Gerard]

iTunes (as opposed to IMusic, which is a not so interesting record label) is a mac application that encodes and plays MP3's, WAV's, AIFFs, organizes playlists, plays back internet audio (a very smooth way to listen to WFMU) and burns those playlists onto CD's. One of the recent changes to iTunes is the Music Store ---- Apple peddling legal downloads (AAC files) at 99 cents a pop. You can learn more about it at http://www.apple.com/music.

as someone asked, at present, iTunes is a mac only application. But Apple are working on a Windows version as well.

[inactionman]

According to http://macrumors.com & MTV Apple's big meeting with the Lords of Indie will be held tomorrow during which Apple reps will expound on the brilliance of iTunes Music Store. Prominent labels mentioned are the wonderful people here at Matador and the okay people from SubPop. My assumption is that the indie labels that are interested will be available on iTMS either this coming Tuesday or the following Tuesday. (I assume Tuesday because that's when Apple seems to do the major updates to iTunes)

[inactionman]

I just read an overview of Apple's meeting with the Indie labels at cdbaby.com. I'm hoping someone here could clarify a few things for me. It says: "It's up to the partner/label to submit all the metadata (artist name, release date, song tiles, etc.), do the audio encoding, and upload the materials.

Every album needs to have a UPC Barcode!

You have to use their special Music Store Encoder tool for Mac OS X which will be released in 90 days or so."


Does this mean that it'll be atleast 3 months before anything from the indie labels will be available on iTMS? Oh, and of course, is Matador going to sign on to iTMS?

[Gerard]

"My assumption is that the indie labels that are interested will be available on iTMS either this coming Tuesday or the following Tuesday. (I assume Tuesday because that's when Apple seems to do the major updates to iTunes)."

The labels reps that attended Thursday's meeting at Apple were asked to sign a document requesting a copy of Apple's contract for re-selling music in the iTunes Music Store (along with a non-disclosure agreement about the contents of that contract). Given that contracts couldn't have been circulated any sooner than Friday (let alone read and signed), I think this Tuesday or next is wildly optimistic.

"I just read an overview of Apple's meeting with the Indie labels at cdbaby.com. I'm hoping someone here could clarify a few things for me. It says: "It's up to the partner/label to submit all the metadata (artist name, release date, song tiles, etc.), do the audio encoding, and upload the materials.

Every album needs to have a UPC Barcode!

You have to use their special Music Store Encoder tool for Mac OS X which will be released in 90 days or so."

I don't think this is entirely correct. Apple are working on Music Store Encoder software that that the labels can use (the interface looks very similiar to iTunes itself) for input and transfer of AAC files, art, meta data, etc., but I think it is possible for labels to provide necessary content before the software is made available (certainly the majors didn't have to wait). But said application seems relatively idiot-proof and should save a lot of time & hassle for the labels and Apple whenever it is finished.

"Does this mean that it'll be atleast 3 months before anything from the indie labels will be available on iTMS?"

I really have no idea. I think it depends on how fast agreements are reached and how fast the requisite content is provided to Apple. While I think that could physically be accomplished sooner than 3 months from now, it isn't appropriate for us to speculate how quickly Apple can get something up and running. I mean, you can all see for yourselves how prompt we are at writing news updates around here, far be it for us to call anyone else slow.

"Oh, and of course, is Matador going to sign on to iTMS?"

I think you can safely assume this is something we'd like to be involved with. Beyond that, we really can't comment.

thanks
GC

[inactionman]

Just wondering if there any updates to be given on the iTunes front-if any updates could be given.

And is Matador going to be involved in any of the new and soon to come online Music stores. I'm thinkning buymusic.com, which claimed to have oodles of indie music available yet all I could find that fit their description of "indie" was Limp Bizkit and Linknin Pork.

[Gerard]

...we're working on it. We'd love to make an announcement, but when and if we do, it will probably be somewhere else other than the bulletin board.

re : other onine endeavors. We'll continue to review these on a case by case basis.

[inactionman]

I'd assume you wouldn't post it here first. I'm just all a flutter at the thought previewing the entire Matador catalogue on iTunes-and obviously buying lots as well.

Thanks for another surprisingly prompt response.