News

Sony Artists in Japan Want on iTMS at Any Cost, Report Says

Wednesday, August 10th, 2005 at 9:00 AM - by Staff

Some Japanese musicians under contract with Sony want their songs listed on Apple's iTunes Music Store (iTMS) and are willing to possibly violate their agreements to do it, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

At least one artist has already gone against his label to offer his songs on iTMS, AP reported, and a major agency that manages Japanese musicians said Wednesday it was interested in a possible deal with Apple.

Rock musician Motoharu Sano, who has a recording contract with Sony, is making some of his songs available on iTMS, according to his official Web page. "It is an individual's freedom where that person chooses to listen to music. I want to deliver my music wherever my listeners are," Sano told The Nihon Keizai Shimbun business daily.

Amuse Inc., an agent for some of Japan's most popular artists, is also thinking about joining iTunes, the report said. "We want to do what users want," Amuse spokeswoman Kyoko Ijichi said Wednesday.

Apple and Sony are reportedly in talks to have music of Sony-labeled artists available on iTMS, but have yet to reach an amicable agreement.

The new iTMS in Japan began last week and sold one million songs in four days.

11 comments from the community.

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Tiger said:

member since 17 Jun 2003 with 1011 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:29 am

Apple is doomed.

Doomed I tell you.

It has no products. It has no value. It will fail miserably.

And now we return you back to our regularly scheduled programming...of reality.

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jimothy said:

member since 04 Jun 2004 with 611 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:57 am

This could be the start of something big. If artists (or their agents) are able to go directly to iTunes (or any of the other online stores, really) directly, the role that major labels play will diminish. Sure, the majors will still (over)promote the sugar-sweet Top 40 pop artists 'till they make us all sick, but iTunes could give other artists exposure (and reach) somewhere between the small independents and the majors. iTunes has unlimited "shelf space," as opposed to traditional music shops.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:44 am

this is all very well, but why does the ipod observer logo feature a sanitary product attached to the 'O' of observer?

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Tiger said:

member since 17 Jun 2003 with 1011 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:56 pm

My take is, that's supposed to be a Microphone. Odd, yes, as a Shuffle would be more appropriate.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:08 pm

its the apple earphone that comes with the iPod.

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Al Swearengen said:

member since 10 May 2005 with 339 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:09 pm

That is an Antipodal power button icon used on computers in Australia and New Zealand, note that is flipped vertical from ones you see on computers in the Northen Hemisphere. Antipod (opposite Pod.) The tail/string represents their tie to England.

Guest wrote:
this is all very well, but why does the ipod observer logo feature a sanitary product attached to the 'O' of observer?

Okay on topic comment. This is really something, Artists can bypass the middlemen who take a good chunk of the money earned on a music sale. Of course it probably violates the contract between artist and lable, but when it comes time to renew the contract then the artist may have more power.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:20 pm

You go guys. Stick it to the man.

Yaaaaahhh, go f... yourself Sony.

Even your talent doesn't like you.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:11 pm

go back to India!

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:11 pm

Go back to India!

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:17 pm

Guest wrote:
this is all very well, but why does the ipod observer logo feature a sanitary product attached to the 'O' of observer?

Umm, hello? I think that's an earbud, surely?

<me wonders if me missed the joke, or if it was a joke at all, or whether me took it a serious joke, half-jokingly, and through a mass of confusion, treated the post more seriously than it deserved to be.>

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Aug 11, 2005 8:49 am

Not a microphone, not the antipodal power button - it's one of those awful iPod earbuds.

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