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Apple, Amazon working on music service deal

updated 03:10 pm EDT, Mon June 2, 2003

The New York Post reports that Apple and Amazon.com are working on a deal that will make Apple's new : "The parties are in advanced talks and a deal is expected, though sources warn that negotiations might still unravel....Apple would gain a significant new distribution outlet for its fledgling but fast-growing music service. Amazon would be able to expand its offerings to digital music - something it has wanted to do for some time."

by MacNN Staff

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06/02, 03:25pm | report spam | close Reply |
Hmmm

Evidently, Amazon could not come up with their own that would be anywhere near as nice as the Music Store. That is definately a credit to Apple...I hope they can work something out with Apple, it would expand the Music Store dramatically.

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06/02, 03:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
Nice move

I hope Apple and Amazon get somthing going.
That should piss off real media and probably M$.

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06/02, 03:27pm | report spam | close Reply |
a little surprised

i'm a little surprised that apple and amazon would not have talked about this possibility before the iTMS announcement. then again, maybe it was because of Apple's notorious propensity NOT TO DISCUSS any possible future product until actual release--in which case Amazon is leaking some details early. alternately, Apple kept everything under wraps until iTMS then waited for Amazon and other "competitors" to come to them.

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06/02, 03:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
WMP

I thought Amazon just worked out a deal w/MS on their Windows Media technology. Can that MS s*** play ACCs?

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06/02, 03:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
music store

Marketing that makes cents, are you sure this is apple?

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06/02, 03:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
aapl and gangbusters

amzn will also get a boost. that is, if this materializes.

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06/02, 03:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
very cool

this would very cool

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06/02, 03:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
for windows users too?

Presumably amazon.com wouldn't be interested in this unless they could deliver this to Windows users too..... could Apple be farther along with the technology necessary for Windows users to take advantage of these songs too, even without the full Windows iTunes product being ready?

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06/02, 03:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
technically

amzn is just shopping around. they can use whatever they want. heck, they can use wmp, rm and aac @ the same time. and they can even make their own if they want. although, the smart route would be to use all of 'em and have people just choose their player of *choice.

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06/02, 03:45pm | report spam | close Reply |
Won't Happen

Amazon is using Apple and it's iTMS just like AOL used these leaks to strengthen it's hand with other companies.

M$ with it's billions will end up wining this deal with Amazon. Apple is just getting used by Amazon to get a better deal with M$.

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06/02, 03:55pm | report spam | close Reply |
whoever posted ....

"Marketing that makes cents, are you sure this is apple? "

That was perfect :)

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06/02, 03:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
i hope...

...that they can pull this off - it would give them the head of steam to get it all rolled out for windows with a major front end - amazon would be a great partner and ms would have little else to turn to for a presence unless they had an integrated purchase client, which apple is already working on. I'm getting real tired of the "early bird gets the worm but second mouse gets the cheese" syndrome with apple & MS.

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06/02, 04:14pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: a little surprised

I bet you they have talked about it before iTMS store debuted. It seems to me Apple has been thinking 2 to 3 steps ahead these days, and knew MS would to gather the biggest partners possible to take over the market. MS forming a deal with AOL is hardly surprising. But AOL and MS philosopy is more similar than that of Apple and AOL.

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06/02, 04:30pm | report spam | close Reply |
Can't work...

Apple's music files need to be encoded with AAC in order to use the required DRM. To my knowledge, there's no AAC-capable player on Windows; iTunes for Windows will be the first one. And if you are already required to have iTunes in order to play the files (with Apple Music Store built in), why do you need Amazon?

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06/02, 04:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
Can Apple buy out Real?

Can Apple buy out/up Real? Seriously!!! Thier stock is down (but whois isn't, especially Apples)

Apple has some cash, buy out Real.

Or is that just a bad idea?

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06/02, 04:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Can't work...

"And if you are already required to have iTunes in order to play the files (with Apple Music Store built in), why do you need Amazon?"

I don't think you need iTunes, you just need the latest version of QuickTime for Windows and any media player capable of utilizing QuickTime. Which means that theoretically you should be able to play AAC files through your Internet browser. Perhaps they're working on a supplementary web-based version that integrates into Amazon's website. Of course this won't be quite as nice as the iTunes software, but it's better than nothing.

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06/02, 04:57pm | report spam | close Reply |
the stakes are huge

in the format war. If Apple lands this, they may have established AAC as THE future format, and boosted Quicktime as well.

On the other hand, if they lose it, they're back to their ever-shrinking niche.

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06/02, 05:04pm | report spam | close Reply |
Buy CDs from iTMS

I hope that part of this deal will be to purchase CDs through the iTMS--$0.99 for a downloaded song, $9.99 for the downloaded album, $15 (or whatever) for the actual CD from Amazon....would be a great way to buy music....

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06/02, 05:22pm | report spam | close Reply |
Hold up!

Wait just a sec. The New York Post printed this. It may be entirely true, but I would not count on it until I saw it printed in a real newspaper.

justen

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06/02, 05:22pm | report spam | close Reply |
Don't forget ...

... AOL has, in its most recent betas, added support for AAC.

Their deal with Microsoft does not *obligate* them to use IE/WMP, nor does it require them to do so *exclusively.*

Some interesting things going on. This next year is going to be interesting for OS X users.

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06/02, 05:23pm | report spam | close Reply |
Apple/Amazon deal

it might work if the point is for Apple to get Amazon's backbone and bandwidth... [/spectulation]

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06/02, 05:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
For the record...

...it's completly UNTRUE that there are no AAC-capable media players on Windows. Most of them (WinAmp, WMP, etc.) can play AAC with the proper plug-in. They are readily available. WinAmp can play AACs (.m4a) w/o a plug in if the extension on the file is .MP4. Knowing that, one would think it'd be simple enough for them to enable at least .m4a files, as well.

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06/02, 05:46pm | report spam | close Reply |
NY Post

I'd rather believe the Bible than believe that rag from NY.

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06/02, 07:04pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: NY Post

You'd certainly be better off...

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06/02, 07:21pm | report spam | close Reply |
jobs schoolin bezos

maybe apple is just teaching amazon a thing or 2 about how they did it, and amazon will be paying apple a consulting fee.

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06/02, 07:22pm | report spam | close Reply |
Higher Bit Rate

I'd really like to see an option to be able to by a higher bit rate for a few dollars more. Maybe $0.99 for 128Kbps and $1.29 for 256Kbps or whatever

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06/02, 07:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
Don't forget ...

"This next year is going to be interesting for OS X users."
I would like to add to that and say the next "3" years will be "exciting" for OS X users. With this modern OS, Apple can deliver significant advancement each year. And MS will be strugling wih longhorn, and keep rushing back to the drawing board to incorporate changes they see in OS X.

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06/02, 10:15pm | report spam | close Reply |
Little gain for Amazon

Good for Apple, not sure what Amazon hopes to get out of this. If I read the article correctly, iTunes store is going to be accessible via the Amazon web site. Well, maybe that will have some kind of effect on their CD sales, but I'm guessing that's about it.

The key to the Apple music store's success wasn't just the per-download pricing, but also quick access and convenience--you open your mp3 player software, and there's the store. Really, it's hard not to browse through the store once iTunes is open. Opening a browser, navigating to Amazon and looking at html tables of search results might not be that tedious, but is it easier than launching a p2p client?

Once iTunes for Windows comes out, Amazon is going to be iTunes store for the Linux stepchildren.

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06/02, 10:19pm | report spam | close Reply |
Windows AAC players

The plugins may be available for Windows to do AAC, but will they honor the 3 system licensing restriction? You know that that is going to be a sticking point with Apple, considering that Jobs wants to remain on the RIAA's good side.

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06/03, 04:29am | report spam | close Reply |
re: Don't forget ...

You got that right!

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06/03, 01:25pm | report spam | close Reply |
purchase options

"$0.99 for a downloaded song, $9.99 for the downloaded album, $15 (or whatever) for the actual CD from Amazon....would be a great way to buy music.... "

Great idea. I was purchasing a few albums from iTMS one evening, then noticed that one of them included a 50-page booklet and bonus disc in the physical package, so I skipped that one and bought it at a local Tower store instead. Had there been a "purchase from Amazon" option right there, I would have used it.

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Apple, Amazon working on music service deal

updated 03:10 pm EDT, Mon June 2, 2003

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Hmmm

Nice move

a little surprised

WMP

music store

aapl and gangbusters

very cool

for windows users too?

technically

Won't Happen

whoever posted ....

i hope...

Re: a little surprised

Can't work...

Can Apple buy out Real?

Re: Can't work...

the stakes are huge

Buy CDs from iTMS

Hold up!

Don't forget ...

Apple/Amazon deal

For the record...

NY Post

Re: NY Post

jobs schoolin bezos

Higher Bit Rate

Don't forget ...

Little gain for Amazon

Windows AAC players

re: Don't forget ...

purchase options

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