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Apple to sell ads on iTunes?

updated 09:20 am EDT, Tue April 25, 2006

Advertising on iTunes?


Apple may soon be adding advertising to its its popular iTunes serice, according to content partners who have been briefed on the plan. The introduction of visual ads could be the first step to allowing ads in other content areas or on iPods, reports Ad Age: "Apple CEO Steve Jobs has supported the idea of ad-supported podcasts, so adding a visual component to the existing audio ads isn't much of a stretch." While Apple's current plans are for the advertising to appear only in the lower-left corner of the iTunes library while users listen to podcasts from their computers rather than from portable devices, the report notes that it is a "big step for the service, which has so far limited ad intrusions to audio spots embedded in some of the podcasts offered via iTunes."

Apple's decision to allow advertising on iTunes may undercut the television networks, although the company is said to be working with ESPN Radio, which supplies some of iTunes' most popular ad-supported sports podcasts, according to the report.

"Still, the iTunes deal undercuts the networks' bread-and-butter business. ABC is about to work advertising into its on-demand distribution plans; in May and June it will offer free versions of several of the same shows it sells on iTunes on its own site with ads that can't be skipped. NBC will launch free original Webisodes this summer of its hit "The Office." AOL's In2TV plans to offer free, ad-supported original fare and just signed a distribution deal with A&E Network."


by MacNN Staff

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 industry, digital music/video

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Comments

  1. Bartman

    Junior Member

    Joined: Oct 1999

    0
    04/25, 09:32am | report spam | Reply |

    first

    i hate to see ads in itunes, what is apple thinking? might as well use real player lol

  1. ibugv4

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2003

    0
    04/25, 10:17am | report spam | Reply |

    welcome! you've got gree

    Apple is going to milk iTunes for all its worth at the expense of the user. It's why I don't like them anymore.

  1. boris_cleto

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2002

    0
    04/25, 10:24am | report spam | Reply |

    wishful thinking

    Personally I think it's just wishful thinking on the part of a trade magazine for an industry dyeing.

  1. realestateHunter

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Dec 2005

    0
    04/25, 11:14am | report spam | Reply |

    Headline is misleading

    I thought they meant you could buy ads?!?! How crazy would that be...

    "I really like the VW commercials, here's 99c so I can see them whenever I want."

    Whatever.

  1. aristotles

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Jul 2004

    0
    04/25, 01:22pm | report spam | Reply |

    RE:Headline is misleading

    That reminds me of the cheezy movie "Demolition Man" where they liked to listen to ad jingles as entertainment.

  1. BurpetheadX

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Jul 2002

    0
    04/25, 01:35pm | report spam | Reply |

    99 cents

    if this allows the price of songs to stay at 99 cents, so be it.

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    04/25, 01:35pm | report spam | Reply |

    Stupid

    First, if people are 'listening' to a podcast, they are most likely NOT looking at itunes (i certainly don't). So some visual ad is kind of pointless.

    Second, it sounds like Apple jumping on the podcast's bandwagon and using their works for Apple's gain. All apple does with the podcasts is host the link to the RSS feed. That's it. The bandwidth, cost, etc, is basically on the podcaster. Now Apple wants you to watch ads while listening to other's content? And how do they tie these together? Is it in the file (which is hard if its an MP3 file, which most podcasts are)? Does it connect to the internet to get the ad while you're listening? Can you skip it/ignore it/HIDE it?

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    04/25, 01:40pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: 99 cents

    Two different income levels. Music won't have ads, its about podcasts. Podcasts are currently free, and should cost Apple very little in resources. Music cost is based on price set by apple, labels.

  1. bdusen

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

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    04/25, 01:59pm | report spam | Reply |

    who's ads?

    I could be wrong but from my interpretation of the story, Apple is merely adding the means by which a podcaster can add a different type of advertisment into their streams to support themselves - the ad revenue would go to the podcaster, not to Apple. So it's not really Apple being greedy or forcing ads upon us so much as it's Apple giving podcasters more options should they choose to use advertising as a means of funding their content.

  1. BurpetheadX

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Jul 2002

    0
    04/25, 02:44pm | report spam | Reply |

    re: 99 cents

    Yes, but record companies have been bugging Apple to raise the price of songs for a long time. Apple might under the table actually do so, but then use the revenue from Ads to subsidise the price of songs back "down" to 99 cents.

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