Who's Getting What Out Of The iTunes/Facebook Deal?
from the not-so-clear dept
Lots of folks are talking about the deal between Apple and Facebook to give away some music to Facebook users — but the details are anything but clear. First off, rather than just giving away individual songs as others have in the past, the plan is to give away music “samplers,” which appear to be playlists of 25 songs at once — each representing a musical genre. At first, this seems like it might just be an egregious giveaway from Facebook, a site whose business model isn’t clear, but who has its fair share of hype. However, some of the other coverage suggests that this is really an Apple promotion, rather than a Facebook one. The only way to get the “samplers” is to be connected to the Apple group page within Facebook, suggesting its like similar other attempts for brands to become “friends” of individuals within social networking offerings. Either way, this seems a bit confusing. If it’s Facebook giving away the songs, it seems like a pretty expensive promotion for a site with a questionable business model — though, it could make Apple some money. If it’s an Apple promotion, then it could be making Facebook some money (as an “ad” deal of sorts), but it’s not clear the benefit for Apple, whose iTunes service hardly needs more attention. Either way, it would be nice to know some more details about what’s going on here.
Comments on “Who's Getting What Out Of The iTunes/Facebook Deal?”
you know
interesting idea. dont know if it’ll help either way.
Anyway to sell more iPods
Well Facebook is full of college students. At least at my school, Apple is advertised pretty well. Give away some iTunes and make them think, “ooh an iPod(and Mac if they dont’ already have one to connect to their player) would go good with his.” Apple actually takes a loss with iTunes, so that would be the viable reason.
Apple has always been on top of Facebook with their advertising, they were actually one of the first Corporations (with a capital “C”) to advertise on Facebook. As much attention as Macs are getting right now, realize that Apple is just (and I don’t mean that in a trivial way) revolutionizing the desktop, which in the realm of Web 2.0 talk, isn’t necessarily all that relevant. On that note, Apple obviously isn’t sitting around doing nothing. Notice how Facebook, when compared to MySpace especially, has been VERY strategic with feature additions. Photo, mobile, and networks beyond strictly one’s university are all things being GRADUALLY added. Facebook has shown an attitude that is more focused on getting it RIGHT rather than being the first one out of the gate with a new feature. Sound like any company you know?
So if Apple were going to move passed revolutionizing “only” the desktop (which they obviously are), what would be their ticket in. Facebook + Total dominance of online music and movie downloads + The Mac and whatever mobile device they end up coming out with = ?&$?$?$?$
The pieces are falling into place folks.
I don't think it works that way
“it’s not clear the benefit for Apple, whose iTunes service hardly needs more attention”
I know what you’re getting at, but I don’t think that’s how corporations think. Coca Cola ‘hardly needs more attention’ but they advertise EVERYWHERE.
Facebook = College = Pre-existing Sharing Networks
Why would either party bother to spend dollars and have free giveaways? Every college, I’m sure of it, have large file sharing networks like Direct Connect where you can download an entire 700mb movie in five minutes.
Everyone I know, even if they were unfamiliar with music and or movie downloading, has had it integrated into their daily lives.
Networks for the win!
PSU???
Hey, up here, we don’t have a nice little p2p network setup on campus so users can download stuff…hell, we firewalled our entire campus, so no servers could be set up, unless approved by ITS, so…awkm….not every college has large file sharing networks.
Re: PSU???
I hope you aren’t the admin at this school. If so, man, are you getting had. I think the original poster was referring to networks between campus machines, not those congestion-causing, *evil* bittorrent and gnutella p2p networks. Itunes can be set up so a whole dorm or even the whole campus can share music freely. Take your draconian, ass-backwards, network security model and go back to whatever pissant technical college your talking about.
re: i don't think it works that way
“I know what you’re getting at, but I don’t think that’s how corporations think. Coca Cola ‘hardly needs more attention’ but they advertise EVERYWHERE.”
SHHH!
if coke figures out that they don’t need to advertise what will the television networks. magazines, and billboard companies do?
All I can say is...
… it’s a good thing this is happening. This will give Metallica more people to sue for illegally distributing their songs.
Beneficial for both
This is an excellent move for both facebook and apple. Facebook has already abruptly swept over the college world and I would guess that over 95% of 4 year college students have a facebook account. This just gives their users another reason to spend time on the network because now they can listen to free music while looking at friends profiles.
For apple, this is their attempt to get college students away from priating music. It is such a large issue at many schools these days with programs such as DC++ that spread files all across universities. If apple can find a way to get free music to college students and their low-budget lifestyle, they won’t have to worry about as much pirating and can potentially use them as a target market.
Not Apple's promotion
At the end of the facebook message you get when you sign up for the sampler, it says “Apple is not a participant or sponsor of this promotion.” So either it’s facebook sponsoring or the individual record companies.
Amazon & Facebook & Microsoft
Recently, Amazon announced it was taking pre-orders for Microsoft’s “who really cares anymore” Operating System, Vista. Amazon is banking on Microsoft actually being ready to deliver it’s product in January of 2007. Strangely, this makes me wish I was playing poker or blackjack with Amazon. You gotta love those odds!
For Micosoft, this really is not much of gamble. I mean really, how much worse could it get for them regarding Vista? If they make the January 2007 timetable, most will say “It’s about time”. If they don’t, most will say “I told you so”. Amazon, on the other hand, is under increasingly more & more pressure from other retailers & service providers. Putting your eggs in the Microsoft basket is definitely a calculated risk.
The same can be said for Facebook. I’m sure Microsoft threw gobs of money at them to secure exclusive ad rights. But long term, what will it cost Facebook by going with a less mature & robust advertising network? Facebook needs to tread carefully regarding ads. The last thing they want to do is diminish their popularity, because of less than well thought out advertising. And we all know how well Microsoft thinks out some of their ideas.
As for Amazon, I hope this doesn’t become one of their un-defining moments. I like Amazon, and am a semi-regular customer, especially around the holidays. Facebook? Well just let’s just say I am DEFINATELY not in their age demographic. I am older, have more disposable income, and am more inclined to spend it. Hmmmmm….disposable income, willing to spend it, online advertising. Never mind.
And then there’s Microsoft. The company that has afforded me a decent living. The maker of average functioning, over-priced software. There was a time I would have cared about them, one way or the other. But those days are gone. Have been for some time. And really, I can’t imagine a time when they will again capture MY mind-share. That would be SO 20th century!
I’m Guessing
http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com
imguessingblog@gmail.com
Amazon & Facebook & Microsoft
Recently, Amazon announced it was taking pre-orders for Microsoft’s “who really cares anymore” Operating System, Vista. Amazon is banking on Microsoft actually being ready to deliver it’s product in January of 2007. Strangely, this makes me wish I was playing poker or blackjack with Amazon. You gotta love those odds!
For Micosoft, this really is not much of gamble. I mean really, how much worse could it get for them regarding Vista? If they make the January 2007 timetable, most will say “It’s about time”. If they don’t, most will say “I told you so”. Amazon, on the other hand, is under increasingly more & more pressure from other retailers & service providers. Putting your eggs in the Microsoft basket is definitely a calculated risk.
The same can be said for Facebook. I’m sure Microsoft threw gobs of money at them to secure exclusive ad rights. But long term, what will it cost Facebook by going with a less mature & robust advertising network? Facebook needs to tread carefully regarding ads. The last thing they want to do is diminish their popularity, because of less than well thought out advertising. And we all know how well Microsoft thinks out some of their ideas.
As for Amazon, I hope this doesn’t become one of their un-defining moments. I like Amazon, and am a semi-regular customer, especially around the holidays. Facebook? Well just let’s just say I am DEFINATELY not in their age demographic. I am older, have more disposable income, and am more inclined to spend it. Hmmmmm….disposable income, willing to spend it, online advertising. Never mind.
And then there’s Microsoft. The company that has afforded me a decent living. The maker of average functioning, over-priced software. There was a time I would have cared about them, one way or the other. But those days are gone. Have been for some time. And really, I can’t imagine a time when they will again capture MY mind-share. That would be SO 20th century!
I’m Guessing
http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com
imguessingblog@gmail.com