Comments on: Ex-Floyd manager: iTunes an album sales ‘disaster’

By: Santana Bartos

Santana Bartos — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:21:01 +0000

I think you can do no wrong making things easier for your readers, and I think this is achieved through preview and subscription functionalities.

By: Smashing Pumpkin’s Corgan blame-games iTunes | Distorted-Loop.com

Smashing Pumpkin’s Corgan blame-games iTunes | Distorted-Loop.com — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:11:43 +0000

[...] statements reflect frustration among some musicians at Apple’s refusal to loosen-up its one price fits all track pricing policy, and the belief [...]

By: Hello I'm Paul

Hello I'm Paul — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:29:12 +0000

What kind of moron uses itunes?! There’s Piratebay.org, isohunt.com, and btjunkie.org that have millions of free torrents unlike that Bittorrent bullshit where you have to pay.

By: Quote of the week at SoE in a new home

Quote of the week at SoE in a new home — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:55:21 +0000

[...] know somebody has been fleecingy you if he starts to complain you only “buy the two album tracks that are worth buying”. Uttered by Pete Jenner, music industry manager about the freedom the iTunes store gives its [...]

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:16:32 +0000

Some of you need to grow up. “I’ll never buy another Pink Floyd album..waaaaa”

Puhlease.

Floyd isn’t like most bands in that they aim for the complete album experience. DSM or Wish are mean to be heard as 1 large story.

The fault I see in Jenner’s remark isn’t with iTunes, its with the industry as a whole. The days of the mega=star are over. The U2’s, Madonna’s, Pink Floyd’s are gone…replaced by one hit wonders. Thats what the labels want, thats what they are getting….the irony is iTunes allows you to and pick up the radio single for said artist and leave the rest out….where traditionally you were kinda stuck with al of it and the label made 15 on you for basically 1 track.

I think iTunes does it right by offering a dicsount on grabbing the entire album together, but the music climate doesn’t favor albums like it does singles.

By: Jonny

Jonny — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:19:42 +0000

One thing I believe is that artists should be paid. Mr Jenner fights to ensure his artists are. We need people like Mr Jenner to not think everyone on the internet hates people who try to get artists paid. He is not a record label that continues to include breakages elements on digital contracts. So why not convince him why he may have only half the truth with some good arguments, rather than being horrible to the guy? Surely our musicians are worth a positive debate with?

By: droe

droe — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:38:56 +0000

Hay Pete remember the 45 or are you to young for that. Was that cherry picking, think not. Consumers have the right not to pay for junk. Most of my Itunes purchases are singles because most of the albums are filled with junk and why should I pay for junk.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:29:16 +0000

Let’s leave Floyd out of this…utilizing their name in the headline is sensationalistic. Jenner managed the band for about a year or so, when they 1st started. He had no faith in them once they removed Syd from duty. PF has nothing to do with his comments today!

By: dahveed

dahveed — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:45:43 +0000

Yes, he was happier when the consumers were forced to purchase an entire album to get the 2 good tracks and skip over the 10 crappy ones. I guess he would like to have to purchase a 12 pack of beer, and have to drink all of them to find the 2 that were actually good. I guess if I was only capable in producing 1 in 6 quality products I would like it if my customers were forced to my my lesser efforts too. Unfortunately for me, no one buys my poorer efforts and I have to provide a warranty as well…

By: Kyle

Kyle — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:29:07 +0000

The business model he decries IS the current business model, just as the album WAS the business album at Floyd’s height of fame. Who want’s the crappy tracks when they can pick the ones they want? I can’t tell you how many albums I bought for a song or two only to find out the rest were utter garbage. The music industry sucked the public dry for years and lined the pockets of executives while artists got taken to the cleaners, most ending up with nothing. Smart artists are now marketing directly to the public. Screw the music “industry.” When did artists make money off of their albums anyway?

By: James Robinson

James Robinson — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:45:16 +0000

A bald-faced argument for extortion. How novel.

Mr. Brenner: If you want more than two tracks downloaded from each album, release albums with more than two tracks worth downloading. If you don’t want two tracks to be vastly more popular, don’t violate the sanctity of your precious album by releasing radio and video singles. Make the DJs play the whole thing, front to back.

The hubris is just baffling. Is this one song the one that your band has to learn for the bride and groom dance? Tough. Buy the album. Is this the song that you and your girlfriend first kissed to, and you want it as the soundtrack to an iMovie? Tough, buy the album. Is this the song whose video you saw on MTV? Tough, buy the album. Is this the one track that was recommended to you by a friend even though you don’t like the band? Tough, buy the album. Are you pinching pennies in this rough economy, but you still want to support the band as you are able? Tough, buy the album. How petty. How pathetic.

It’s a real glimpse into the mindset of the music industry that they feel they have every right in the world to charge album prices for singles.

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:27:51 +0000

He just voided his argument with this one sentence: He complained cherry-picking tracks from albums means consumers now “buy the two album tracks that are worth buying.” Well then, I suppose the artists and their managers/producers/distributors should work harder on putting together full albums that people want opposed to one or two songs.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:20:06 +0000

It use to be that a consumer could purchase a single + the “B side” at their favorite record store for less than $1.00. This format was known as the 45 RPM. What is the difference to what iTunes is doing?

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:19:22 +0000

It use to be that a consumer could purchase a single + the “B side” at there favorite record store for less than $1.00. This format was known as the 45 RPM. What is the difference to what iTunes is doing?

By: Balazs

Balazs — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:59:28 +0000

Anyone who buys individual tracks from a Pink Floyd album is a lunatic. PF albums have to be listened from the beginning of the first track to the end of the last one.
I use iTunes only to cherry pick from artists who cannot make a decent album that is worth buying.
Since every single Pink Floyd album is a masterpiece, cherry picking tracks from them is non-sense.

By: Ace Deuce

Ace Deuce — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:49:58 +0000

So far, my music purchases from iTunes have consisted of whole albums only, but I think that it is best that individual songs be available separately. I don’t think we as consumers owe anything to the “record industry.” To the artists, yes.

“He complained cherry-picking tracks from albums means consumers now ‘buy the two album tracks that are worth buying,’” Uh, that’s ridiculous. Consumers are mostly buying what they happen to have heard and liked, which obviously accumulates to what is popular. Personally, I find the most popular music is often boring and unimaginative, so such tracks are the opposite of “worth buying” to me.

Finally, if an artist feels an album must be consumed as a whole work of art, it could be sold as one track, albeit very cheaply. But even classical music suites and symphonies are generally sold as individual movements on iTunes, because they’re worth buying as a collection and belong together artistically. A good coherent pop or rock album will sell itself as a unit just as well.

By: Scottm

Scottm — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:39:43 +0000

I don’t see what the big deal is. Buy the whole album if you think it’s worth it. Pink Floyd’s classics are. But the contemporary music they release today (Pop Hits) aren’t made to be listened to in album format. They’re just endless singles hoping for a #1 hit song. So, buy the album that is designed to be heard as a whole, buy the pop you want as a single, why the big deal? And if you don’t want all of Dark Side of the Moon, but one song and miss out on the whole experience. Freedom.

By: E.J.

E.J. — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:48:32 +0000

If every album was as worthwhile as ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, then iTunes might bear some responsibility. However, when most albums are trash wrappers for one or two decent songs, iTunes is just letting consumers express how they feel.

If you want to sell albums, create an album full of songs worth having. If I hear from a trusted source that a particular album experience is worthwhile, I’ll but it, but I doubt there are any truly great albums that haven’t sold because of iTunes.

By: Jonny

Jonny — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:23:41 +0000

Anthony – know what, I’ll try to ask him,
Peter, if you’re out there and still have a number for me, do try to drop me a line, otherwise, chat with Sam aim, he can put you in contact. I’d be interested to let you say what you really think – and to publish it here..

By: Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:20:00 +0000

With just that little quote taken out of context here it is hard to get at exactly what Pete’s point was and what his take on it is. It seems generally accepted that he is “slamming iTunes”, however you could interpret what he is saying quite differently.

Was he “Complaining” that people have the right to only buy the songs that are worth buying? Or was he being sarcastic? If he was serious why would he say anything to suggest that only two of the tracks are ‘worth buying’ – that in itself suggests that he didn’t think the album was ‘worth buying.’