News Universal files divorce with Apple

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/07/02/universal_files_divorce_with_apple/1

Universal Music Group has decided not to renew its annual contract to sell music through Apple's iTunes music store.

 

maybe this will enable them to switch to other up and coming services such as amazon, if apple doesn't play ball.... Although it will get messy if record labels of this size switches online distributer every now and then.

 

I have a feeling this is a "protest" by Universal due to the movement for DRM-less music. We all know how much the music companies loved that idea, even after EMI's reports that their sales are up because of it.

 

it's more of a seperation than a divorce isn't it? They'll still sell their music to iTunes, but they can pull tracks with little notice now

 

May Apple reap the rewards of their proprietary hard-headedness and forever burn in hell^^

 

ouch!! thats got to hurt. If I said I feel sorry for apple, id be fibbing

 

I'm not an Apple fanboy by any stretch, but I dislike the music industry bigshots a hell of a lot more. So I respect Apple for breaking their balls over price.

As far as Universal goes, I think it'll be one of those "this is going to hurt me more than it'll hurt you decisions". The percentage of the selling price that goes to Apple has to be a fair bit less than goes to the record label. And the number of people who now buy their music through iTunes is constantly increasing. Of course if a number of major labels were to ditch Apple in favour of something else then it could move those people elsewhere. Looking at the migration of users from Livejournal to Myspace to Facebook shows people aren't going to be tied down to any one thing.