Lala + iTunes will yield Apple’s web only music service, say sources
There are a lot of takes on why the digital music market leader bought this steaming wanna be. However, Apple’s ongoing experiments with a browser-based store tip the company’s hand on why it bought Lala’s engineers and technology.
The Wall Street Journal (WJS) adds to the growing canon of insight and rumors surrounding Apple’s acquisition of Lala.com. Quoting the inevitable “people familiar with the matter,” their write up states that Steve Jobs and company paid $85 million for the music-streaming service and that it will be the core of a revamped iTunes experience.
Where Apple’s iTunes requires users to download music onto a specific computer, Lala.com lets users buy and listen to music through a Web browser, meaning its customers can access purchases from anywhere, as long as they are connected to the Internet … Apple is considering adopting that same model for songs sold on iTunes, a change that would give consumers more ways to access and manage their iTunes purchases—and wouldn’t require them to download Apple’s software or their purchases.”
However, as Mac Blorge and others have noted, Lala’s music licenses purportedly are not transferable, which calls into question any plans Apple might have for the smaller company’s technology and/or business methods.
Thereupon, WJS states that Lala founder Bill Nguyen Apple iTunes boss Eddy Cue made joint calls to business partners, including the labels, to discuss the possibilities.
iTunes über alles?
iTunes + Lala is beautiful and potentially revolutionary idea that could fundamentally change the meaning of ownership vis-a-vis digital goods. It could also mean that Apple has the tools to suck what little free oxygen there is out of the online music business.
Color me cynical, but I’m having a hard time imagining a scenario under which the major music labels would consent this—i.e. their final dismemberment…
What’s your take?
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