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Apple denies iTunes LP charges
11:22 | Tuesday October 13, 2009
Apple said today that it does not charge a production fee for iTunes LP, after an independent label in the US claimed that it was being priced out of the market for the new format.
Brian McKinney, who runs Chicago’s Chocolate Lab Records, claimed at the weekend that iTunes charges a $10,000 production fee for iTunes LP, a new digital format that pairs additional content such as lyrics and videos with album downloads.
In a follow up email, Mckinney adds, “I should note that it is currently possible to design an iTunes LP independently. I've tested a couple designs on iTunes and they work great. The problem is that Apple won't let you sell them through their store. So, the $10,000 production fee isn't the barrier, it's the exclusion of indie labels and artists by Apple. We love iTunes, hate exclusion. Hopefully that will change. Hopefully we will speed up the process.”
However, an iTunes spokesman says the fee is fiction. “There is no production fee charged by Apple,” he says. "We're releasing the open specs for iTunes LP soon, allowing both major and indie labels to create their own.”
To date, only a handful of albums are available as iTunes LPs, the vast majority of then catalogue titles.
Readers' comments
I wonder what prompted Brian McKinney to bring up this $10,000 production fee.
Some indie bands have been releasing their own LP's. You can grab them for free from their site, Kierononononon have one for free at http://brutaltechnopunk.com
It must be possible to put these things together - There are already indie bands that've got LPs floating around. Sum band called tuesday spoils has one I saw yesterday
"In a follow up email, Mckinney adds, “I should note that it is currently possible to design an iTunes LP independently." Brian is correct in saying this. Check out the Tuesday Spoils iTunes LP that is floating around for a good example of how easily they can be made with a little HTML nous.
Sounds like Mr. McKinney needs to check his facts before he spouts off, or maybe he likes to let his mouth overload his rear end.
I contacted my distribution company and that's the word they gave me based on the information they had. I was told $10,000 production fee and no indie labels. Why wouldn't I try to stand up for myself and my more successful peers? “I’m not going to stop yelling because that would mean, I lost the fight!”
Maybe you should have contacted, oh, I don't know... Apple?
I have been waiting for this sort of thing since the first itunes release back in 2001 im an artist who things an album is more than just the music its an experience which includes the artwork (not just front) i have a direct contract with apple (which is rare) and i have a big cataloge which i could have released by now but im still waiting for a download experience that is more than just one song on an album..this might be what i need to get my catalogue online at last as i know there has been a consistant demand at itunes for it but i dont like their current model strictly underground records uk
You guys want some examples of independent Itune LP offerings then go here http://ituneslp.net/ I highly recommend the artist Tryad. They did a very nice job with their art work plus the music isn't half bad either. Its also a free download. I downloaded a couple of the other artists there but I wasn't very impressed, of coarse that's just my personal decision and I leave it to others to decide what they like. The Tryad offering though is top notch in my opinion. @ mark ryder Theres an online tutorial there for how to create your own ITunes LP and the site even offers to host the finished product for you. I dunno maybe it might be what your looking for.