Ted Schadler Music Quotations

Music labels would much rather have variable price, so they can charge more for hits and perhaps less for older tracks. Apple likes the $0.99 price because it is simple, uniform, not too high to discourage buyers, and very easy to administer and merchandise.

While a high-definition video format does bring benefits over today's standard-definition discs, in movies as in music consumers are moving beyond shiny discs.

To really boost legal music download services, the RIAA has to understand how to master the channel.

Consumers don't really want to carry around more devices than they have to. Everyone has a mobile phone. To get music onto the phone is a big deal for the music industry. Why does Apple care? I think it's because they want to protect their turf. If they can't own the device, they can at least own the relationship. That's a big deal since Apple's the incumbent.

Apple has accomplished this in music because it designs end-to-end and because they entered the market with a digital rights management-protected product (read: iPod) when no one else did. But it was a one-off, not to be repeated in television, personal video, mobile communications or photography.

It's all very complicated, which is just crazy. Unless you're a music lover, maybe you don't bother with it. It's hard to find your way around.