“There may be some relevance for the still musically dark Antipodes in the opening last week of iTunes Music Store in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. This extends iTMS’s reach to 19 countries, or 70 per cent of the world music market, but continues to exclude the sixth-largest sector of the business on this scarred and stained planet, namely Australia,” Garry Barker writes for The Sydney Morning Herald.
“While we are ecstatic that sales of Swiss mountain yodelling and Scandinavian herring pickling tunes will undoubtedly soar, we consider it tasteless that Australians now find themselves, musically speaking, in the third world. Australia should have had access to iTMS by now; Slim Dusty and Joan Sutherland should have been up there with the lederhosen slappers and the musical rollmop munchers,” Barker writes.
“Although it is easier to prise a village chook away from a hungry tiger than extract a comment on this from Apple, we understand the launch here was poised for lift-off. Promotions had been booked and the gateway to the iTMS library in the US had been tested… I hesitate to forecast when iTunes may open here; maybe tomorrow, maybe in a week or so,” Barker writes. “The culprit for the delay was a record company that failed to meet the agreed deadline to sign the done deal. Why, we know not – try inefficiency, venality, a holiday in Bali or even a last-gasp attempt to hold on to the old ways.”
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Record company causes Apple to hit ‘pause’ on Australian iTunes Music Store – May 05, 2005
People are already buying tracks from Apple’s Australian iTunes Music Store – April 27, 2005
Russell Crowe spills the beans: Apple to launch Australian iTunes Music Store on April 28 – April 25, 2005
Report: Apple to launch Australian iTunes Music Store by mid-June – April 10, 2005
RUMOR: Apple to launch Australian iTunes Music Store by ‘end of April’ – March 29, 2005
Report: Apple to debut Australian iTunes Music Store tomorrow – January 10, 2005
Apple Computer to launch Australian iTunes Music Store on January 12? – December 27, 2004
should come down under soon – hang in there…
CDN guy,
Is the opening of the Apple Store being promoted enough over there?
More like the one record company wanted to hike the prices but Apple isn’t letting them, so the music company is holding out and saying they don’t agree. Apple is probably just sitting back right now letting the other record companies go after the one that held out screaming that they could be making money right now but can’t since they are holding out. That one company will soon come around, or iTunes will take off without them, leaving them out of the downloading market. Simple guess really.
Why is the record company’s name kept secret?
Fear of boycotts??
Wankers.
Shanaynay, the iTMS store has been open here for a while – but the opening was done quietly – no big PR splash like in other stores. Mind you we don’t have an official Apple store up here yet either – besides the country is big enough that a store opening in Toronto means that those of us on one end of the country won’t visit it any time soon. It is like if Perth gets an Apple store – those in Melbourne would say “and so…?”
“lederhosen slappers and the musical rollmop munchers” you sheep shaggers will get yours in time!
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Reminds me of a joke. Canadian goes to Oz and sees bruce banging a sheep. Canadian says “You shouldn’t be doing that, you should shear her”
Bruce says in a thick Ozzie accent “Shear her, She’s mine mate, and I ain’t shearing her with noone.
Dirty deeds done with sheep
Uh, ‘Dirty Deeds’, I think you’re confusing us with our neighbours, the Kiwis. They’re friendly bastards – unless you’re holding a rugby ball – but they’re the ones with a sheep-shagging fetish. Here in Oz, we only shag sheilas.
sentinel,
That’s not what they say in St. Kilda.
yeah, nice one Dirty Deeds. that joke tends not to work when said in an aussie accent.
hrm.. is that a news story?
“Windows users await Expose ripoff and Spotlight hack”
Mmmmmm sheep.
Fair dinkum! Are there really blokes out there that don’t have the foggiest clue what a chook is? Strike a light! Well, it’s sweet as, I’m sure we’ll get an IMS in time. ‘struth, if we don’t I’ll be bloody pissed off.
Well, spot ya digger!
has anyone seen the new time magazine, where bill gates is playing the xbox360 with j allard. Both of them are laughing and playing the xbox. If you look carefully on the desk behind them, next to the phone, there is a Apple Powerbook lying right there. No doubt its a powerbook cause u can tell by the look of it. It has the wireless attenna on the side, and the opening lid. Funny stuff. How did he let that thing be in the picture. also it looks like the 12inch powerbook since the slot load drive is on the side. pg 44-45
Well, “…”, this is obvious.
Bill Gates is rich enough to afford the best stuff.
He can’t be bothered using crap equipment or crap software.
Thus, Bill Gates’ laptop of choice is a Powerbook running Tiger.
The reason it’s only the 12″ is for portability. (he can hide it away from media cameras quickly)
Bill might sell a lot of crap, but he’s not dumb, and he know’s a good product when he see’s it. That’s why he gets his staff to try to copy them.
Now, back to the matter at hand!
APPLE, PLEASE ignore the annoying record co and get us ITMS in NZ and Australia!!!
I heard it was Mushroom Records that wouldn’t sign up. Nah only joking, but if we start a rumour it was them, I’m sure the real culprit will soon be dobed in.
MW ‘TIGHT ASS’ as in The record companies are tight ass’s.
Should happen by the time the next Star Wars movie comes out!
(Mr. Burn’s) “Excellent.”
any word on when the Apple Store in Toronto will open?