Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard it before. Everyone and their grandfather’s dog named Duke have started or want to start the ultimate “iTunes killer.” You know, the one where all the cool kids will go to grab their music.
Universal, apparently still ticked off from earlier this past summer, is poised to launch the mother of all music stores, says BusinessWeek.
BusinessWeek has learned that [Universal chief Doug] Morris has already enlisted Sony BMG Music Entertainment as a potential partner and is talking to Warner Music Group. Together the three would control about 75% of the music sold in the U.S. Besides competing head-on with Apple Inc.’s (AAPL ) music store, Morris and his allies hope to move digital music beyond the iPod-iTunes universe by nurturing the likes of Microsoft’s Zune media player and Sony’s PlayStation and by working with the wireless carriers. The service, which is one of several initiatives the music majors are considering to help reverse sliding sales, will be called Total Music.
First of all, this won’t work. See Urge, Rhapsody, Napster, and pretty much every other music store ever.
Second of all, “nurturing the likes of Microsoft’s Zune” ? Seriously? (Clearly no one at Universal reads MacUser.)
But props to Universal for trying.
Also, à propos of nothing, there’s this weird quote from El Jobso at the end of the piece: ” ‘Doug’s a very special guy,’ the Apple chief told BusinessWeek. ‘He’s the last of the great music executives who came up through A&R. He’s old school. I like him a lot.’ “
Since when does El Jobso kick around the phrase “old school” ?
Wow dude. I read this old article awhile ago. Nevertheless, it was interesting to say the least.
> Since when does El Jobso kick around the phrase “old school” ?
Since he's trying to deliver a backhanded compliment. i.e. it's an insult. Jobs has no respect for old school thinking.