Let's say you take the LP idea over to a no-name freelance graphic designer/developer. Guess what...they'll charge you by the hour. In order to perfect it, make it visually appealing, really allow the artist to portray themselves and reach millions and millions of iTunes users they know they could charge you for it. An we are talking about a no name developer. Interactive applications, customer covers and interfaces and hosting is all, I believe iTunes has every right to charge 10K!
@MariettaBrookline: "and after seeing how incredibly simple the actual LP files are, started looking into making some himself"
The dude just wanted to have some of his designer-y friends make him an LP. I don't think that would've touched $10,000, if even $1,000, and there's no technical barrier. Apple CAN charge fees like this, sure, but I don't see why they should.
What bugs me is that I preordered the new Paramore album back in July, got the "Deluxe Edition Box Set" for $50, and the iTunes LP copy for $15 has songs I don't.
@The Amazing Ant: I wouldn't feel left out, the iTunes LPs absolutely suck. I pre-ordered the new Muse album (which is horrendous, but aside from that) and the thing can just as easily be put together on a website. Nothing really "ground-breaking" there.
I decided to buy Muse's Resistance (awesome freaking album BTW) through iTunes, and it's also "LP". Overall, the LP part is supremely pointless, but I love the album so much I'm having a hard time caring about the deficiencies in the whole package for its namesake. What does irk me, now that this article is posted, is that there's so much special treatment for something that amounts to little more than jack shit.
@Kaiser-Machead: I went out and bought the CD/DVD double pack, paid less than it is going for on iTunes, and got a sweet 12" lithograph of the album art. I ripped it as soon as I got home.
Aside from iTunes LP being a terrible idea, I like most of the album except, oddly enough, I cannot stand the title track.
@rjp: This is my rebuttal: It's my least favorite out of the album as well. United States of Eurasia is so so, until the end where it turns into a lovely cover. Exogenesis 1-3: sublime.
iTunes LP is great. You pay a little bit more, but you get jpegs and the music sounds so awesome coming out of the iPod earbuds. Totally worth the extra cost.
When I was listen to an iTunes LP on the subway last weekend, it sounded awesome. Much better than anything anyone else has. Even on a loud subway train with Apple's incomparable white buds.
@OMG! Ponies!: How's about you stop sucking on the aluminum phallic and start opening your eyes man. Apple has you so brainwashed you probably have tons of old DRM'd files and you happily bent over and paid over $1k with each sitting to have the logic board on your shitty iBook replaced. I know your type. You probably hug your G3 at night, and who knows what you're planning to do with your Macbook Pro when Betty Page is finally etched into it.
You make me sick. Sick and afraid for the rest of the humanity that might catch this Maclust virus that seems to be spreading.
@OMG! Ponies!: Actually I know you were just kidding because you mentioned the subway. Everyone knows you are a highly paid, highly esteemed fancy pants lawyer. There's no way you'd be caught dead in the subway, or mobile bathrooms as we like to call 'em. When you're not riding around in that awesome, environmentally friendly hybrid car, mounted police officers magically appear wherever you are, as if summoned by some kind of equine telepathy. They ferry you around atop their majestic steeds. All the while, you're gazing down on us poor heathens, waving a cupped hand and gracing us with your presence. Showering us with affection not unlike a master patting a beloved pet dog on it's head..
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The dude just wanted to have some of his designer-y friends make him an LP. I don't think that would've touched $10,000, if even $1,000, and there's no technical barrier. Apple CAN charge fees like this, sure, but I don't see why they should.
10/08/09
So lame that it can encode MP3s?
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What. The. Crap.
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-lossless backup
-no drm (yes, itunes still has drm in the form of a proprietary codec)
-a physical product.
edit: I HAVE A RED BOX!!!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!!!!
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Aside from iTunes LP being a terrible idea, I like most of the album except, oddly enough, I cannot stand the title track.
10/08/09
10/08/09
When I was listen to an iTunes LP on the subway last weekend, it sounded awesome. Much better than anything anyone else has. Even on a loud subway train with Apple's incomparable white buds.
Apple is THE BEST!!!!
10/08/09
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(Sarcasm detector explodes)
10/08/09
You make me sick. Sick and afraid for the rest of the humanity that might catch this Maclust virus that seems to be spreading.
10/08/09
Someone call Ballmer. Let him know we lost another one..
10/08/09