While Apple's music players can play unprotected music, only Apple's music players can play the songs bought through Apple's iTunes store, and songs purchased from Apple's iTunes store will only work on Apple's digital music players.
Apple sells music, movies, eBooks and TV shows through its iTunes store.
It also allows you to get music from multiple Apple devices. iTunes music libraries are capable of playing music away from the PC and it is simple to use (no pairing, always ready).
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To grow music sales, Apple launched Ping, a social music service that also failed and recently shut down, causing Apple to retrench to its original iTunes offering.
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It was just last week, however, that Apple put the finishing touches on a series of deals with the music industry that will reportedly allow Apple to host its users music on its own service, making it available to them wherever they go.
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Granted, the music industry grouses about digitalization, but the trend was already upon them and Apple enabled the music industry to manage and benefit from digital distribution.
Apple's iTunes music store is central to Apple's strategy to promote its computers as digital entertainment hubs.
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Mr Jobs grumbled that he had been forced to introduce FairPlay by the majors, which would not otherwise have sold their music through Apple's iTunes, the leading online music store.
Users will also be able to use the 'Airplay' feature to wirelessly stream videos and music to Apple TV (2nd generation) and also stream music to AirPlay speakers or receivers, including AirPort Express.
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It's the latest move in what is shaping up to be a challenge by Amazon.com and the major music labels to Apple's grip on the digital music distribution market.
The thinking is that Apple will squeeze music labels to get better terms than Pandora.
Another concern: While Apple's phones and computers are selling well, Apple's music players are losing momentum.
It did become a problem when Apple moved into music: iTunes I think.
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Apple will add music from The Beatles to its digital music catalog Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
For the record, according to Bloomberg, discussions between Apple and the music labels are focusing on to share ad revenue.
Surely if Apple disrupted digital music and smartphones and tablets, then if it wants to do the same with TV, it will.
At that point there was a legal fight over who could use the Apple brand in music and a settlement was reached.
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We think it is about time Apple entered the music streaming business.
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Of course we're talking about the iPhone, Apple's music-playing, Internet-surfing cell phone.
Talks between Apple and the major music labels have intensified, Bloomberg reports, and Apple could debut the radio service as early as 2013.
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Apple's stylish iPod is the most popular digital player, with more than 4.5m sold in the last quarter of 2004 alone, and it links seamlessly with Apple's music-download service, iTunes, which sells more than 1m songs every day.
While Apple legitimized buying music online by making the process simple for consumers, the music industry has railed against its insistence on sticking to a one-size fits all price of 99 cents per song for digital tracks in its iTunes store.
Jobs also introduced the latest edition of Apple's iTunes software, which serves as a storefront for Apple's music and video offerings, and a way for users to manage the media kept on their desktop computers, laptops, digital media players and iPhones.
But lawyers acting on behalf of Apple Computer said "even a moron in a hurry" could see the difference between iTunes and a record label like Apple Corps, and the fact that Apple Computer distributed music didn't make it a record label.
The sticking point seems to be what Apple is willing to pay to the music owners: and Apple seems to be wanting those rights cheap.
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Now, this from Steve Jobs of Apple: free the music, get rid of DRM, he says in a post yesterday at the Apple site.
Apple introduced playlists so that one could organize music together in their own defined categories in which to listen and, later, Apple introduced Genius and Ping to recommend other music one may like.
Apple Corps , the Beatles' music company, said it would appeal a judge's ruling to allow Apple Computer to continue displaying its multi-coloured logo on its iTunes digital music site.
"Apple now faces its arch rival in the retail-music sector where Apple is a juggernaut, " wrote CNET's Greg Sandoval.
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