Mac Forum / Country Specific / Australian Mac Group / October 2005

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,16975326-5001022,00.html

After waiting more than 12 months, hundreds of thousands of iPod owners
will be able to access paid downloads from October 31.

An Apple media conference next Tuesday is expected to confirm the
Australian store's launch and how much we will pay per song or album.

Speculation has the cost per song being between 99c and $1.69.

   

Australia's leading music video directors are believed to have produced
clips specifically for small screen playback as an exclusive feature for
the launch.

Despite speculation iTunes would go live last October and then in May
this year, two major record labels stalled the launch by refusing to
sign licensing agreements allowing the Apple megastore to sell their
artists' songs.

Warner Music Australia is expected to sign a contract with Apple before
the launch but SonyBMG Music Entertainment Australia remains in
negotiations and is not expected to be on board for the launch.

This means iPod music fans will not be able to immediately download
tracks by the likes of Shannon Noll, Alex Lloyd, Pete Murray, Destiny's
Child, Franz Ferdinand and Kelly Clarkson.

"At last consumers will be able to choose individual songs from a far
broader range of music than retail stores can afford to stock," indus-
try commentator Phil Tripp said.

"They have been barred from downloading music from the existing vendors,
including Ninemsn, Destra and Bigpond, because those sites do not allow
the music to be loaded on an iPod."