Not sure if this is in the right forum but just saw that I-tunes were changing price and dropping song protection
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple said today that songs on its popular iTunes digital music service will cost between 69 cents and $1.29, and will no longer be saddled with copy-protection software.
Apple previously sold most songs for 99 cents, with copy-protection software attached. (It did have a smaller catalog of higher-priced unrestricted music.) In April, all song prices will change to one of three tiers: 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29.
By then, Apple expects to have removed the copy-protection software from all its digital music. About eight million unrestricted songs are available today.
The news, released at the Macworld trade show in San Francisco, was likely a compromise between music companies and Apple. Record companies have pushed for varied pricing. Apple faced competition from online retailer Amazon, which started selling unrestricted music in 2007.
The announcement was not made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who wowed crowds at previous Macworlds by unveiling new products such as the iPhone, Mac Mini and MacBook Air. Jobs, who said this week that he has a hormone imbalance that is affecting his health, was replaced by Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller.
In a presentation that was more lackluster than usual for Apple, Schiller unveiled a $2,799 Macbook Pro 17-inch laptop, aimed at Apple's high-end customers. It features a 17-inch display and a battery that can last for up to eight hours.
Schiller also showed off photos of new Apple Stores in China, Australia
and Germany, and said that 3.4 million people visit Apple stores every week. “That’s (the equivalent of) 100 Macworlds,” he said. (Apple previously announced plans to pull out of the trade show next year.)
Schiller spent much of his 90 minute presentation on the revamped iLife photo, video, and music software suite, which sells for $79. The highlight is an upgrade to Garage Band, a music tool that lets users create their own songs. Apple has added video lessons to teach people how to play guitar and piano. Some feature celebrity instructors such as Sting, John Fogerty, Sarah McLachlan and Norah Jones and cost $4.99 each.
Apple’s digital photo management and editing program, iPhoto, has been upgraded with tools to automatically detect faces. Users set the tool up by tagging images of friends when they are added to the library. Google introduced similar technology to its Picasa photo program in 2008.
Apple’s iMovie was radically revamped in 2007 to a simplified version that was so different, “the only thing that remained the same was the name,” Schiller said.
Some advanced tools that were taken away have been restored in the current edition, which will be available later this month. Additional features let video editors tweak audio tracks and make precision edits. iMovie also offers animated maps for travel videos.
A new version of the iWork productivity suite, which includes software for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, sells for $79, or $49 with a new Macs. Apple is also introducing iwork.com, a service similar to Google Docs that lets people share digital documents with friends and co-workers online. The service is free for now, but Apple plans to eventually charge for it.
Apple shares fell less than 1 percent to $93.93 in mid-day trading on the news
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple said today that songs on its popular iTunes digital music service will cost between 69 cents and $1.29, and will no longer be saddled with copy-protection software.
Apple previously sold most songs for 99 cents, with copy-protection software attached. (It did have a smaller catalog of higher-priced unrestricted music.) In April, all song prices will change to one of three tiers: 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29.
By then, Apple expects to have removed the copy-protection software from all its digital music. About eight million unrestricted songs are available today.
The news, released at the Macworld trade show in San Francisco, was likely a compromise between music companies and Apple. Record companies have pushed for varied pricing. Apple faced competition from online retailer Amazon, which started selling unrestricted music in 2007.
The announcement was not made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who wowed crowds at previous Macworlds by unveiling new products such as the iPhone, Mac Mini and MacBook Air. Jobs, who said this week that he has a hormone imbalance that is affecting his health, was replaced by Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller.
In a presentation that was more lackluster than usual for Apple, Schiller unveiled a $2,799 Macbook Pro 17-inch laptop, aimed at Apple's high-end customers. It features a 17-inch display and a battery that can last for up to eight hours.
Schiller also showed off photos of new Apple Stores in China, Australia
and Germany, and said that 3.4 million people visit Apple stores every week. “That’s (the equivalent of) 100 Macworlds,” he said. (Apple previously announced plans to pull out of the trade show next year.)Schiller spent much of his 90 minute presentation on the revamped iLife photo, video, and music software suite, which sells for $79. The highlight is an upgrade to Garage Band, a music tool that lets users create their own songs. Apple has added video lessons to teach people how to play guitar and piano. Some feature celebrity instructors such as Sting, John Fogerty, Sarah McLachlan and Norah Jones and cost $4.99 each.
Apple’s digital photo management and editing program, iPhoto, has been upgraded with tools to automatically detect faces. Users set the tool up by tagging images of friends when they are added to the library. Google introduced similar technology to its Picasa photo program in 2008.
Apple’s iMovie was radically revamped in 2007 to a simplified version that was so different, “the only thing that remained the same was the name,” Schiller said.
Some advanced tools that were taken away have been restored in the current edition, which will be available later this month. Additional features let video editors tweak audio tracks and make precision edits. iMovie also offers animated maps for travel videos.
A new version of the iWork productivity suite, which includes software for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, sells for $79, or $49 with a new Macs. Apple is also introducing iwork.com, a service similar to Google Docs that lets people share digital documents with friends and co-workers online. The service is free for now, but Apple plans to eventually charge for it.
Apple shares fell less than 1 percent to $93.93 in mid-day trading on the news
