Sony music publisher slows down Apple's Internet radio
Apple's Internet music radio is delayed because of difficult rights negotiations with music publisher Sony/ATV. Its chief executive, Martin Bandier, told the New York Times over the weekend that he wants to get better compensation for artists.
"We want the service. We just want to be paid fairly." The influential music executive's remarks are also the first confirmation that Apple is even working on such a streaming service. Sony/ATV manages the rights for today's stars like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, as well as songs by old-timers like the Beatles and Beach Boys. The company is owned by Japanese electronics giant Sony and the heirs of Michael Jackson. In the summer, it swallowed the publishing division of the shattered British music company EMI.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Apple's plans for an Internet radio station a few weeks ago, but at the same time qualified that it could still be months before a launch because of rights negotiations. Apple is the world's largest music seller with its online platform iTunes. However, streaming, where music is no longer downloaded but played directly from the Internet, is now gaining ground.
On the one hand, there are subscription services such as Spotify or Rdio, where unlimited music can be listened to for a monthly fee. Apple had also considered such a service, but rejected the idea, the Wall Street Journal wrote.
Another model is free Internet radios such as Pandora, where the
users have to follow a playlist instead of selecting the songs themselves. The Apple service will display advertisements along with the music, just as Pandora does. It will run on Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads, and possibly also on Windows PCs. According to the New York Post, Apple is aiming for a more flexible license with more usage options than Pandora.
Already the first report in the Wall Street Journal had caused Pandora's share price to plummet. (sda)
