“In a bid to out-cool Apple, Microsoft approached the ultra-snarky Pitchfork blog (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/) about supplying content to its Zune digital music player – but was rebuffed by the music hipster haven,” Peter Lauria reports for The New York Post.
“The talks with Pitchfork – a blog that has arguably supplanted Rolling Stone and Blender as the go-to place to learn about new music – were aimed at both giving Microsoft some indie credibility and taking advantage of the Zune’s wi-fi capabilities by allowing users to zap reviews and other site content to each other, sources said,” Lauria reports. “Unfortunately for Microsoft, Pitchfork didn’t bite.”
Full article here.
Looks like Microsoft will have to focus even harder on their extensive and ridiculous astroturfing effort to push Zune upon the ignorant.
Related articles:
More Microsoft Zune myths explored – October 20, 2006
Five more Microsoft Zune myths – October 18, 2006
Microsoft Zune intensifies chaos in Apple iPod+iTunes also-ran market – October 16, 2006
Newsweek Q&A: Apple CEO Steve Jobs discusses iPod’s impact, Microsoft’s Zune, and more – October 15, 2006
Microsoft’s Ballmer: Zune device not money loser, wishes Apple’s 30GB iPod was $299 instead of $249 – October 11, 2006
Microsoft’s consumer electronics track record: long string of failures – October 11, 2006
MP3.com founder: ‘Zune will be an expensive failure for Microsoft because consumers aren’t stupid’ – October 06, 2006
Microsoft fails to secure key Zune domains – October 04, 2006
Microsoft rigs Zune with tricky pricing and proprietary money schemes – October 03, 2006
Why Microsoft’s Zune won’t kill Apple’s iPod – October 03, 2006
10 Apple iPod vs. Microsoft Zune myths – October 02, 2006
Analyst: Zune could lead to ‘civil war’ between Microsoft and Windows Media partners – September 29, 2006
Thurrott on Microsoft’s Zune: ‘The makings of a disaster, what the heck are these people thinking?’ – September 29, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune’s as good as dead on arrival – September 28, 2006
Microsoft sets 30GB Zune price at $249.99 – September 28, 2006
How Microsoft’s Zune can kill Apple’s iPod – September 21, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune insanity – September 21, 2006
The Microsoft Zune 1.0 dud – September 20, 2006
Microsoft’s underwhelming Zune a ‘viral DRM’ device – September 18, 2006
SanDisk teams with RealNetworks against new common foe: Microsoft Zune – September 18, 2006
Creative does Apple’s dirty work by immediately attacking Microsoft’s Zune – September 17, 2006
Motley Fool’s Jayson: Microsoft’s ‘just plain ugly’ Zune a meager offering, not an iPod killer – September 15, 2006
What’s in a name? ‘Zune’ a French-Canadian euphemism for penis or vagina – September 15, 2006
Crave at CNET: ‘Microsoft Zune, all the excitement that brown can bring’ – September 15, 2006
Microsoft’s Zune underwhelms – September 15, 2006
Enderle: Microsoft Zune ‘a design mistake’ – September 15, 2006
Microsoft hypocrisy exposed with Zune: What ever happened to ‘choice?’ – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune with fake scroll wheel ‘hardly an Apple iPod killer’ – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft Zune won’t spoil Apple’s biggest iPod Christmas ever – September 14, 2006
Microsoft unveils Zune 30GB player, Zune Marketplace; declines to disclose prices – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft’s Zune an ‘underwhelming’ repackaged Toshiba Gigabeat; no threat to Apple iPod – August 30, 2006
Microsoft confirms brick-like Zune to be made by Toshiba – August 25, 2006
Microsoft Zune is chunky brick made by Toshiba – August 25, 2006
Microsoft to spend hundreds of millions, several years on Zune trying to catch Apple iPod+iTunes – July 27, 2006
Zune: Apple cannot lose. Microsoft cannot win. – July 26, 2006
tfosorcim ,,, over and over again !
Enough about Zune. It is pretty much common knowledge that it will be an expensive failure.
Any Mac news today?
the zune just got p-forked!
Pitchfork have always been anti apple anything… they had the ‘iDon’t Adverts’ (http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/22/sandisk-wants-you-to-say-idont-to-ipod/) all over the site when it was cool to HATE iPods due to there lack of battery life in the 3rd Gen Models… they do sometimes have good album reviews, as a whole though they talk alot of bollocks and are haters…
Well you can’t blame them for trying:)
I’ve been seeing Zune banner ads at the top of Pitchfork for the past few weeks, though. They’re still on there today, so they aren’t totally opposed to taking Microsuck’s money, I guess.
pitchfork? Here is what they said about Radiohead’s “Kid A”:
The experience and emotions tied to listening to Kid A are like witnessing the stillborn birth of a child while simultaneously having the opportunity to see her play in the afterlife on Imax.
draw your own conclusions about their über-hip status …
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Big money goes around the world
Big money underground
Big money got a mighty voice
Big money make no sound
Big money pull a million strings
Big money hold the prize
Big money weave a mighty web
Big money draw the flies
Sometimes pushing people around
Sometimes pulling out the rug
Sometimes pushing all the buttons
Sometimes pulling out the plug
Its the power and the glory
Its a war in paradise
Its a cinderella story
On a tumble of the dice
Big money goes around the world
Big money take a cruise
Big money leave a mighty wake
Big money leave a bruise
Big money make a million dreams
Big money spin big deals
Big money make a mighty head
Big money spin big wheels
Sometimes building ivory towers
Sometimes knocking castles down
Sometimes building you a stairway —
Lock you underground
Its that old-time religion
Its the kingdom they would rule
Its the fool on television
Getting paid to play the fool
Big money goes around the world
Big money give and take
Big money done a power of good
Big money make mistakes
Big money got a heavy hand
Big money take control
Big money got a mean streak
Big money got no soul…
Guess they didn’t want to get squirted.
I guess they didn’t want to get ‘Played Fer Sure’©™.
…and taking advantage of the Zune’s wi-fi capabilities by allowing users to <u>zap</u> reviews and other site content to each other…
That’s squirt to you!!
The picture that goes with the article is great. Now if only Ballmer could get involved in an east coast-west coast turf war, maybe we could finally be rid of him.
Actually, this is the quote that surprised me the most in the article:
WTF! I thought all the Big 5 had already signed licensing agreements with Microsoft?
Cool? I couldn’t find the Worzels anywhere on their site.
Good on them. At least they weren’t as easy to buy as Engadget.
So what is the best resource for new music?
From: allgood2 Oct 23, 06 – 11:55 am:
WTF! I thought all the Big 5 had already signed licensing agreements with Microsoft?
——–
The sticking point seems to be the issue of squirting. The Big 5 don’t want their content squirted all over the place.
LOL. What is going on up there in Redmond?
The head of artist development “was not aware of any talks with Pitchfork specifically” and “no licensing deals yet in place with the four major record labels.”
What is this guy doing all day? I’m thinking that someone from IT needs to remove Solitaire and Pinball from his computer.
Bet you “squirt” was monkey boy’s idea. So enthusiastic was he that nobody said it was a silly idea.
<3 for Pitchfork, whether or not they are pro or anti apple, they are a wonderful place to read about music that doesn’t suck.
I thought I read that “squirt” was a real tech term. It just sounds silly coming from Monkey Boy.
Brian D,
Can you provide a link to verify what you’re saying about the labels not wanting to cooperate with Microsoft over a 3x play then die song sharing feature?
As dumb and greedy as the major labels are I can’t see that as being something they’d get all hung up about.