LUST APPLE LOVE
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By Moses Avalon

What is it about Apple? When it comes to Apple, we, as an industry, cannot seem to think straight.

Is it love or lust?

When we're in love we can't see faults in the objects of our desire.  They seem perfect.  Lust is different.  In lust, we see the faults and ignore them. The tactile pleasure created by our proximity outweighs the fact that this person is completely inappropriate.  No mater how much they embarrass us, we go home with them anyway, leaving via the back door.

So what up with Apple?  This company is single-handedly steamrollering over our industry like a scorched earth campaign. Yet, we continue to patronize them.  Even I own several iPods and Apple TV.  It's embarrassing.  Is it because we can't help but love their gadgets?  Is it the basic black or white design?  The cool ads where they try to make PC users look "old fashioned?"

All the above?

Do we see the herpes on their lip but make out with them anyway?  Or do we really not, even after all this time, see why this company is music business unfriendly.

Case in point: while just about every mobile company and web service has conformed to the option of a subscription model--  which many experts (including this one) agree will rejuvenate the retail sales part of the business, Apple refuses to adapt their devices to be subscription complainant.  And since they service 85% of the player market, this is a very big deal in the US.

Across the pond things are quite different.  UK and European content companies are partnering with Mobile companies to deliver music "free," bundled into your phone bill.  You pay for it but you don't feel it.  It's already put billions into their music business coffers.  Plus, over in the old country, iPods are sooo expensive that I observed many people who used their cell phone as a music player.

http://tdc.com/publish.php?id=16212

But in the US, Apple seems to get bigger and bigger by the day.  Better stuff, cooler interfaces and cheaper prices than ever before.

Are we just the Ugly American when it comes to Apple?

I'm scared, folks.  Truly. If we allow our lust with this company to continue, we may find that someday soon labels will be meeting with Apple execs to ask THEM how WE should be making music.

EMI is there.  They are practically Apple's bitch already.  But, true to lust, they are too embarrassed to say it publicly.  BMG may follow and with them, Warner.  Sony and Universal will hold out for a good while. But in the end attrition might win out  If so, we may see two music business in the making: the Apple side and the "everyone else" side. 

Interesting.

Like any good mistress, we know they are bad for us, but we just can't keep away.

--Written (but not proofed) and sent from a Apple store in Glendale California.