iTunes
Here’s what I want. I want the iTunes Music Store to become friendly to mix-tapes. Except without the tapes. (Or CDs.) Instead of giving people an iTMS gift certificate, I think it would be a much more personal and enjoyable gift to be able to construct a mix that they could download.
The service could allow uploading of cover art and liner notes as image files, or allow creating them based on stock backgrounds. The cover art and liner notes could be embedded in the downloaded files which could also contain appropriate ID3 tags for the mix name, and possibly a personal note. The mix could be of any length, with an optional way to insure it would fit onto a standard 80 minute CD.
This doesn’t seem like it would take a whole lot of effort on Apple’s part. I’m not sure what sort of response it might get, but I like the idea.
Comments
sure, it wouldn’t be too hard for apple to do. but really, it’s much easier to force people to buy pre-packaged discs than to program all that crap. and i doubt they’d get as many kick-backs for mixed discs as they likely do for corporate wares. i doubt they’d do it.
Posted by: shuli on April 21st, 2004 8:39 AMI haven’t used the iTMS all that much, but it doesn’t seem like they’re really pushing “pre-packaged discs.” In fact, there’s often no price difference between buying all the singles and buying a complete album, and a lot of songs seem to be only available as singles.
I’m not sure what sort of “kick-backs” you think they’re getting, but I doubt anything like that amounts to much of their bottom line. Having the ability to create mixes would add value to a service that otherwise is competing with both other “legal” downloading services and p2p networks.
Posted by: kasei on April 21st, 2004 11:45 AMso, as it stands all iTMS (as the cool kids call it) sells is mp3’s no? if that’s true, then it’s not like BMG or Columbia House where you buy it and they send you an actual disc, you gain access to a downloadable file.
can’t you just download the tracks you like and then on your personal computer do all the mix making? especially if you pay just as much for the single itself as when you buy the full album. the album art could also be done on one’s own.
it just doesn’t seem to me that selling mixed discs would make much of a difference if all you’re realy doing is buying and downloading singles. not to indicate that this isnt a cool idea…only that i don’t understand what you’re getting out of it.
Posted by: shuli on April 21st, 2004 3:23 PMoh wait..i thought you were buying a mix you make and not selling a mix you make. eh. i dont know if iTMS is really the forum for something like that. and i like my snail mail. and i like listening to mixed discs in my car more than on my computer. maybe it’s just preference.
i still dont see what you’re gaining from that “service”.
Posted by: shuli on April 21st, 2004 3:26 PMMy intention is in buying a mix and not selling it. Insofar as you can currently buy a gift certificate and let somebody else buy music, I think it would be neat to make that a more personal gift by making a mix and letting them download what you come up with.
I like snail mail, too, but I don’t always like having to burn a CD (which I can’t do on my current computer), find a jewl case and padded envelope and having to get to the post office. So being able to send it online is a win there. And I also like listening to mixes in the car, and that would still be possible given the ability to burn to disc anything downloaded from iTMS.
What you gain from the “service” is the ability to send a gift that’s more personal than just a dollar figure.
Posted by: kasei on April 21st, 2004 10:58 PMgeek.
Posted by: shuli on April 22nd, 2004 8:47 AMi’m sure you already know about this greg, but for everyone else’s benefit, seems apple has done just what you requested in the new version of iTunes with iMix.
Posted by: gary on April 28th, 2004 11:46 AMIt’s missing the personalization that I want (cover art, …) but, yes, that’s some cool stuff that gets most of the way there.
Apple++
Posted by: kasei on April 28th, 2004 12:12 PMHow about backwards compatability so I don’t have to wait for my co-workers to update their players before I can access their shares again. Boo!
Posted by: Turd Furguesson on April 28th, 2004 5:25 PMUpdate: Everyone updated and I can continue listening to their shared music. Once again mindless assimilation has solved all problems. wooHoo!
Posted by: Turd Furguesson on April 30th, 2004 6:15 PMJust like the iPod engravings. Bitches. Apple Rejects The First ‘Dirty’ iMix.
Posted by: kasei on May 6th, 2004 11:12 AM
that’s a pretty cool idea..
oh wait.. i kinda do that anyway.. but I just tend to mail them off instead of making them downloadable
Posted by: Sara on April 20th, 2004 7:08 PM