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AC/DC remain off iTunes
AC/DC have reiterated that they're not going nowhere near that iTunes thing, because it lets customers buy tracks they want without taking any padding:
“We don’t make singles, we make albums,” [Angus Young] told the Telegraph. “We believe the songs on any of our albums belong together. If we were on iTunes, we know a certain percentage of people would only download two or three songs from the album. We don’t think that represents us musically.”
Young added that despite pressure from industry figures to make AC/DC’s songs available on iTunes, he didn’t believe that being part of the site was crucial to success.
“Since iTunes came into existence, we’ve actually increased our back catalogue sales without being on the site,” he said. “We were sternly warned by our management team and our record label that the complete opposite would be the case.”
Young added that despite pressure from industry figures to make AC/DC’s songs available on iTunes, he didn’t believe that being part of the site was crucial to success.
“Since iTunes came into existence, we’ve actually increased our back catalogue sales without being on the site,” he said. “We were sternly warned by our management team and our record label that the complete opposite would be the case.”
Angus misses the point that it's not that you can't sell more records than previously without being on iTunes, but that you won't sell as many tracks as you would otherwise have done without being there. Not being in Tesco doesn't mean that your bread won't sell, but you're going to be missing out on potential customers.
It might make some sense if there was point to be made, but what are AC/DC saying? Why is it more noble to force your fans to buy tracks they don't want on the grounds that you're making albums to fit the arbitrary length of a twelve inch disc rotating at the speed of one hundred turns every three minutes?
16 comments:
He certainly makes the idea of buying music sound depressing. Like being made to eat your sprouts before you're allowed pudding.
“Since iTunes came into existence, we’ve actually increased our back catalogue sales without being on the site,”
Unwittingly, Angus Young has hit the nail on the head. Why do I need to visit iTunes when I can visit, say Play and buy anything decent from their back catalogue for a fiver a throw? But I'm not going to go anywhere near anything they've recorded in the last 20 years because they're, well, tedious. It's a fallacy that Oasis have modeled themselves on The Beatles. Oasis are AC/DC: endlessly rehashing more and more lumpen versions of a couple of decent ideas they had last century.
I can't believe I'm about to jump to AC/DC's defence here. I was going to post about how he was probably being a hypocrite who happily accepted sales from Best Of/Greatest Hits/Singles collections/etc. but I just discovered that they've actually always refused to release anything like that. I'm quite amazed that a band like AC/DC has stuck to that kind of promise for 30 years. Much as I agree with Simon's "Why is it more noble to force your fans to buy tracks they don't want... ?" comment and that Angus Young is missing the point about buying individual tracks, I can't help but think that, at the very least, they can argue that they're not ripping off fans with that "EXCLUSIVE BONUS TRACK" tagged on at the end of the token singles compilation. Still, since I'm not a fan and I only like those couple of singles that everyone knows they're not going to be getting any sales from me any time soon.
which would Angus prefer, i go to itunes and pay 79p for a track or two or i go onto limewire and get all the tracks i want for free.
hmm tricky one that...
Poor excuse, Apple can force entire album purchase.
well he is angus is right i was planning on only buying one song but now insted of paying for it on itunes im just going to get it for free on a torrent...sorry angus..you lose
all this means is i will have to illegaly download it instead of contributing to their band.
I respect their values, not selling out to the record companies, and doing what you want takes guts.
Poor excuse, Apple can force entire album purchase.
no kidding, what do you have to say now, Mr. Angus. IF that is your real name.
They don't need people who likes them only for back in black, they want dedicated fans, not all the people that think they know ac dc because they know the lyrics to highway to hell...AC/DC Isn't only music, it's 35 years of history. buying a cd is waaaay different than buying an album on itunes; on i tunes it's non material all you have is the music sometime those booklets....but it's all non material...With a cd, you get the real thing the real little book and the images...the feeling isn't the same...angus is right not to go on i tunes, he wants real fans not people who think they only made 4 albums.
Of course a rock n roll guru like angus would want not take kindly to s**t like itunes. Hed probably rather his fans steal his music thannpay corperate america for it. Acdc was never about money. If they were, theyd be on itunes with all the other sellouts. Acdc is the real deal. Rock on brothers
I've been a fan for decades & yes I do wear a suit!... Angus makes a great point because with most albums you buy you love a couple of tracks, like a couple more & the rest "tag along". But with a typical ac/dc album it's an experience! More like you love all except two and they grow on you. I saw them at donnigton I think it was in 1982 and can honestly say if you like one track,you'll probably like them all. Rock how it was meant to be, and some things just should not move with the times!
explosions. explains it all.
Utter Bollocks Angus - You want listeners to appreciate an entire album,,,, come off it. AC/DC are rockin, good-time, get up n pretend you're Angus fun, nothing more. Havent you made enough money yet?
my fav rock icon god of lead guitar ..if someone finds joy in 2 min of your album and hates the rest (i love all songs) then make em happy , now im 42 listened acdc since forever ,was about to buy box set package all albums off itunes,now wont take it for free and i dont joke , why dont u go hang with lars , u lost touch with life in general , insane answer , just make people happy , its about all u can do in this world
I rarely buy music, but I was in the mood for some old-school AC/DC tonight, went onto iTunes looking, and saw nothing but cover-band crap...which led me here while looking for an explanation.
Angus, seriously man, I am not going to jump in the car, drive to, say, Wal-Mart (open this late), by a CD, rip it onto my iPod and jump through all these hoops.
Instead, well, you know. I owe you $5, Angus.
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