Universal refuses to renew music deal with Apple


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Steven P. Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple, is an emerging force in the mobile phone business, thanks to the snaking lines of gadget fans who queued up last week to buy the iPhone. But now he faces a headache in an industry Apple already dominates ? digital music.

The Universal Music Group of Vivendi, the world?s biggest music corporation, last week notified Apple that it will not renew its annual contract to sell music through iTunes, according to executives briefed on the issue who asked for anonymity because negotiations between the companies are confidential.

Instead, Universal said that it would market music to Apple at will, a move that could allow Universal to remove its songs from the iTunes service on short notice if the two sides do not agree on pricing or other terms in the future, these executives said.

Universal?s roster of artists includes stars like U2, Akon and Amy Winehouse.

source: NY Times

lol.. if universal were to pull out.. they would be losing a lot of money. Digital distribution is the future.. Oh well whatever

That's up for debate. Who needs who more? I think iTunes needs the array of Universal music artists more than Universal needs iTunes to sell music. This may be in response to Apple's refusal to introduce tiered pricing in which case Universal and other music labels will just find an online distributer who will bow to their demands.

People still buy all the crap that comes out? I haven't bought a CD for over 10 years... Nor do I bother to download pirated music either... It's all 99.9% rubbish these days.

Personally, I couldn't care less if all the music studios, iTunes, and most of the bands all went bankrupt. Maybe it'll poke them into producing decent music again; that's for entertainment, not profiteering from crap.

I wouldn't be surprised if Universal is partly doing this to manipulate the market. Bring out this news, cause stocks to fall...In come the private brokerages to buy out the reduced stock - and to the off-shore accounts!

Everyone! Put on your aluminum foil hats! Ma Bell is listening! :alien: FREE MASONS!!

Seriously, UMG's higher-up's already consider MP3 owner's as Yargy Music Pirates. This is hardly a surprise after they strong armed MS to pay that $1 Zune royalty...

I hope these struggles go in favor of the artists, whoever comes out on top.

Apple should just let them go month-to-month.

thats whats going happen if the prices go up :wacko:
being Canuck, I download all my music free, and RIAA can't do nottin' so I never "buy" music, and it's such a foreign concept to me *L*
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