Despite Accord With Apple, Music Labels Still Fret

It's been a decade since Napster entered the scene and changed the shape of music culture. Controversy followed Napster through it's short run on top of the music downloading world. Major conflicts with artists and record labels caused this free music downloading interface to alter its business to provide compensation to this disgruntled artists and labels.

iTunes has stumbled into its own Napster-esque predicament. iTunes has quickly become the forerunner amongst music downloading programs today just as Napster did ten years ago. iTunes is a major leader and determinate in what is popular music. Although Apple's iTunes isn't one-hundred percent a monopoly, it has become a strong enough force in the industry and holds major influence and power. iTunes has well beyond dominated over its competition since it's release onto the downloading interface scene.

That being said, iTunes has accumulated some Resistance from record labels. These labels are angry because they feel that Apple holds all the necessary control over pricing and timing. Sony is a major contributor in Apple products but is currently at odds with Apple iTunes. iTunes is such a dominating force that it holds almost all control over companies like Sony in many different matters. Apple has reluctantly decided to change the way they price the items sold through the iTunes store but disputes have been made as to when that price change will occur.

Interest has shifted however from computers and mp3 players to cell phones. The newest concern is for music downloaded over cell phones. It could be that in the future monthly subscriptions to music downloading sites could provide access to a wide array of music instead of buying each song or album individually. Apple has a fast hold on the market for music via cell phones with the introduction of the iPhone. new media interfaces will soon play a much larger role in cell phones.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/business/media/02apple.html?_r=1&ref=technology