digital music/video
07/06/2007, 11:10am, EDT
Friday, July 6th
Apple debuts "Next Big Thing" iTunes promo
Apple has launched the Next Big Thing iTunes promotion, offering online digital music shoppers indie albums for $5.99 and 6.99 in standard or iTunes Plus unprotected formats. The promotional deal highlights various independent artists and bands that Apple believes could be soar up the charts. "Musical fads and bands that tap into the zeitgeist of the moment are hard to predict, if not impossible," writes Apple. "Who in their right mind could have guessed that a Modest Mouse album would debut at number one on the charts? Or that the White Stripes would become a gigantic rock band?" After traversing half the year Apple's iTunes is offering a selection of artists who the company thinks have the "true grit (or pure luck)" it takes to become the next big thing.
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What it does mean, however, for independent artists, is that there may be a way to get into the game without selling your soul to the big labels.
For the sake of creative talent, as well as the consumers, let's hope Apple continues to carve out bigger piece of the music business pie. As long as SJ is running it, Apple will continue to be a business that builds its success on listening to the customers and delivering 'insanely great products'.
What it does mean, however, for independent artists, is that there may be a way to get into the game without selling your soul to the big labels.
Well, doesn't that assume that Apple is pushing these artists for nothing but alturistic reasons? Maybe they've swung a deal with them to get a bigger cut of the sales pie in order to promote them more?
One can be entrepreneurial and altruistic in varying proportions at the same time. One might even make a profit, with luck.
No.
It doesn't matter why Apple's pushing them, it's *still* a way to get into the game without signing. More variety, how is that bad?