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iTunes Europe Red Tape
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iTunes in Europe
What about Canada, it has to be a more straight forward approach here. I know they're working on it but it seems forever!
I need the convenience of one click music shopping - MADE FOR THE MAC - verse the option of PureTracks.com for the PC weenies.
But I continue to buy CDs and listen to about 2 of the twelve sounds I bought ;-)
What about Canada, it has to be a more straight forward approach here. I know they're working on it but it seems forever!
I need the convenience of one click music shopping - MADE FOR THE MAC - verse the option of PureTracks.com for the PC weenies.
But I continue to buy CDs and listen to about 2 of the twelve sounds I bought ;-)
A
AhmedFaisal
Guest
Incompatible Billing Systems? Its called Euro/Mastercard Forbes Boys
Ok the contract thing I believe but the billing stuff is BS. We have Mastercard, VISA, AmEx and DC here as well, same stick. And if kids don't have one yet, there is gift certificates and parents that have one. Yes we STILL suck at ATM, I admit it but we are not that much in the stone age.
Cheers,
Ahmed
Ok the contract thing I believe but the billing stuff is BS. We have Mastercard, VISA, AmEx and DC here as well, same stick. And if kids don't have one yet, there is gift certificates and parents that have one. Yes we STILL suck at ATM, I admit it but we are not that much in the stone age.
Cheers,
Ahmed
Re: Incompatible Billing Systems? Its called Euro/Mastercard Forbes Boys
I'm pretty sure it's talking about business-to-business billing problems...rather than consumers using the service. (Did I just reference B2B? Ugh...I'm having dot-com flashbacks..)
I'm pretty sure it's talking about business-to-business billing problems...rather than consumers using the service. (Did I just reference B2B? Ugh...I'm having dot-com flashbacks..)
The problem
The problem probably isn't if they can charge European mastercards or visas. But how much each song will cost, there are exchange rates to think abou here. Because the Euro and Dollor flux would mean that if they stuck with 99 cents per song, then that 99 cents would be worth 1 euro one day and 1.5 the next, that is extreme but get the idea here, and billing Europeans like that would piss people off if they didn't get the lowest price. So they have to create a completely new music store with a set price for Europeans using a set price that is fair, and is fair in the sense of the exchange rate.
The problem probably isn't if they can charge European mastercards or visas. But how much each song will cost, there are exchange rates to think abou here. Because the Euro and Dollor flux would mean that if they stuck with 99 cents per song, then that 99 cents would be worth 1 euro one day and 1.5 the next, that is extreme but get the idea here, and billing Europeans like that would piss people off if they didn't get the lowest price. So they have to create a completely new music store with a set price for Europeans using a set price that is fair, and is fair in the sense of the exchange rate.
This is really too bad - there is such a market for iTunes and so much increased revenue opportunities just sitting there, and Apple doens't seem to be able to get things working! Not saying it's Apple's fault of course, I'm sure their hands are tied by regulations, etc. in many areas, but still, it is really too bad they can't seem to get things moving for ITMS on an international front.
I'd still like to see iTunes Canada soon though - surely it can't be that much more complicated than whatever it took to set up the USA ITMS?
I'd still like to see iTunes Canada soon though - surely it can't be that much more complicated than whatever it took to set up the USA ITMS?
it's SO stupid! Surely the whole iTunes concept should be destroying traditional conecpts such as release dates and currency issues!!
Hob
Hob
Hopefully all those whining Euro Macrumorites will now stop bashing Apple like Apple was holding out on them, posts like that were too numerous to count. Like, duh, Apple was holding out, they didn't want your stinking money or something. Note: Believe us, they do! And as an Apple stockholder, I want your money TOO!!!
Right now I can't download because the billing address on my credit card statement is outside the U.S. It will be equally easy to implement release dates per country. Since this only applies to some brand new releases, the majority of the songs will not be touched by that issue.
Why not start out with one country, say, Germany, which has the largest market in CD sales in Europe. Then let's see what happens. (I'm sure the record companies will find a way to straighten things out if they HAVE to.)
Why not start out with one country, say, Germany, which has the largest market in CD sales in Europe. Then let's see what happens. (I'm sure the record companies will find a way to straighten things out if they HAVE to.)
Re: The problem
Not really. European consumers already purchase music (cds, etc) and have no problems with fluctuating prices. A CD will set you back approx 20, which is rip-off, but the price is/has been constant. Price of music is controlled by disc companies that are either european (think EMI) or have european branches.
The biggest problems would be different tax rates between different contries and different currencies (the UK, one of the biggest markets, still uses Sterling Pounds...). Remember, only 12 of the 15 countries (soon to be 25) use the Euro.
Another problem is users purchasing music from another country. For eg. a French user bying in Germany. Although this is legal and the whole point of the free market, this will most likely piss off the music companies
Not really. European consumers already purchase music (cds, etc) and have no problems with fluctuating prices. A CD will set you back approx 20, which is rip-off, but the price is/has been constant. Price of music is controlled by disc companies that are either european (think EMI) or have european branches.
The biggest problems would be different tax rates between different contries and different currencies (the UK, one of the biggest markets, still uses Sterling Pounds...). Remember, only 12 of the 15 countries (soon to be 25) use the Euro.
Another problem is users purchasing music from another country. For eg. a French user bying in Germany. Although this is legal and the whole point of the free market, this will most likely piss off the music companies
CD-Wow.com has just had to concede in a legal battle due to it selling import CDs into the UK rather than ones that were "meant for the UK". The net effect is a £2 rise on all prices from CD-Wow.
I guess internet stores like iTunes have all these legal problems. The UK store, for example, would only be allowed music that was destined for Britain. Those record companies need to get a grip. Supporting online music stores will combat piracy, not endless legal palava!
I guess internet stores like iTunes have all these legal problems. The UK store, for example, would only be allowed music that was destined for Britain. Those record companies need to get a grip. Supporting online music stores will combat piracy, not endless legal palava!
the problem is very very complex...
apple should tacle every country one by one. that s the only way i think.
and they should start in Belgium.
the only problem maybe is stability of price. but i think that is easy to solve: .99 per song (they even get more now because $ is cheap). sometimes you win, sometimes you loose...
apple should tacle every country one by one. that s the only way i think.
and they should start in Belgium.
the only problem maybe is stability of price. but i think that is easy to solve: .99 per song (they even get more now because $ is cheap). sometimes you win, sometimes you loose...
You should go out more often, e.g. to far and distant places like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland or to Eastern Europe. Europe has more than a dozen currencies, and even if you only consider the countries for which Apple has a customized online store you've still got five currencies.
Andreas
Re: Incompatible Billing Systems? Its called Euro/Mastercard Forbes Boys
Not everyone in Europe uses credit cards. Most of the shops I went into in Germany, didnt take credit cards. I am talking about the big stores like Saturn in Essen and Kassel, not just the small ones.
Not everyone in Europe uses credit cards. Most of the shops I went into in Germany, didnt take credit cards. I am talking about the big stores like Saturn in Essen and Kassel, not just the small ones.
You think the U.S. version of iTunes will be able to access these "international" stores? I'm hoping we'll get access to Europe, Asia, Canada, and others as they come. It'll give us more musical diversity and perhaps access to those hard to find imports. Here's to hoping they will!
Also, here's to hoping we don't get into politics with this thread.
Also, here's to hoping we don't get into politics with this thread.
i think that's hoping a bit too much. just think about the DVD region codes. why should they open the music stores internationally when they can make more money by controlling and separating the market. apart from that, an opening like you imagine it would just contribute to the vanishing of "hard to find imports" because it would erode the notion of exporting and importing itself.
we have to remember that capitalism's goal has always been and is still to make the most money, nothing more. anything good that comes from it is just a sideproduct. (exaggerating a little
)
Now back to Business. I really dont understand what the problem is. Other companies around the world now have music download services (telstra in australia for example started theres just recently), so if other companies can do it, then why cant Apple ?.
Once again Apple innovates and the others copy and Apple gets left behind. It really p**ses me off.
Thanks to a clever loophole that I have managed to discover, I do have access to ITMS here in Australia and its awesome as I use it alot. I would however prefer to be a registered aussie but if the asia pacific Apple group cant get their s**t together then so be it, I will just use my American access. Im still paying for the privildge just like everyone else, so im not ripping anyone off im just resorting to a measure forced on to me by the greed of the record companies.
Once again Apple innovates and the others copy and Apple gets left behind. It really p**ses me off.
Thanks to a clever loophole that I have managed to discover, I do have access to ITMS here in Australia and its awesome as I use it alot. I would however prefer to be a registered aussie but if the asia pacific Apple group cant get their s**t together then so be it, I will just use my American access. Im still paying for the privildge just like everyone else, so im not ripping anyone off im just resorting to a measure forced on to me by the greed of the record companies.
The Music Industry deserves what it gets
The Music Industry (esp. in Europe) is going to get what's coming to them. Legit online music is the last hope to slow down file trading, and by tying up the process they are dooming themselves!
Too bad we can't just give the artists (singers/song writers/etc) their due without having to feed the evil Recording Industry machine.
The Music Industry (esp. in Europe) is going to get what's coming to them. Legit online music is the last hope to slow down file trading, and by tying up the process they are dooming themselves!
Too bad we can't just give the artists (singers/song writers/etc) their due without having to feed the evil Recording Industry machine.
you beat me to it. And I know the musicstore is going to be established in these countries as well, the Norwegian industry sais they hope and expect that iTMS will come during the first half of 2004.
And I do not understand why people talk about exchange rates. Who cares what a dollar is worth here? When a song is sold here in Norway for example, iTMS will deal with the norwegian record companies, not the american ones. The transaction will go in NOK from buyer to record companies, since both parts use that currency. When they have set a proper price american only songs (or german only for that part), that has no record company in Norway, will either have to follow the same price (and this might be tricky, I don´t know), or maybe they´ll be given an option to abstain from their song being sold in Norway.
I think your over looking something Walexx, Telstra has its own music store in Australia much like iTMS is only in the US at the moment. Let Telstra decide to launch their music store in France or Korea or somewhere and deal with the billing and legslation in those countries and see what that is like... ( Not saying that Telstra is going to do that or anything)
http://translate.google.com/transla...&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools
Apple manager Eddy Cue announced the Itunes musictstore in europe for this year.
Apple manager Eddy Cue announced the Itunes musictstore in europe for this year.
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