Starbucks?
Greetings Shawn,
I love the new iPod lineup, it really makes sense, but I am sorry that you and Lesa had to pay such a big "early adopter Tax"! Although, I am glad for me, I really know what I am getting for Christmas now. I saw one last week and it certainly is everything that is said about it. The refurbished route is the way to go as well.
So why is it such a big deal to be able to buy songs while sitting in Starbucks? Are they "emergency songs"? Coffee songs? Maybe Juan Valdez will perform them for you while you drink. As if the coffee isn't expensive enough already. The head of Starbucks acted like it is a major undertaking that is really groundbreaking. What am I missing? I was in the music business in Nashville & I only understand it from a sales perspective, but has there really been a huge groundswell of requests to buy a song with your Mocha? There will probably be songs on the menu now, and maybe songs will be available in De-Caf versions too. I am sure people will choose Starbucks over other places because, "Hey, we can buy songs at Starbucks, so let's go there instead"!
I do usually have my laptop with me at Starbucks, the 5 times I have ever been there, so I can get a bit of work done, and I just assumed that I could already buy a song on my Mac while there. I never really wanted to. I know that I will sleep better when I get my iPhone just knowing that I can go someplace else to shop for music!
What are your thoughts?
Martin Simmons
(Shawn's Comment: What a great post and an interesting question. Anyone want to weigh in on this?)
A rebuttal
Firstly, about Starbucks in general...
Yes, those poor souls who frequent Starbucks on a regular basis, having to pay marginally elevated prices for coffee now have the added humiliation of being conned into purchasing the song currently being played. And all those people who already buy music in Starbucks, must be just uninformed common fools who just don't know better. Don't they know they're just propping up an evil corporation.
Of course Starbucks only became popular because of advertising and it's corporate domination policy, and this new deal is just another attempt to get one over on "the man". I mean, starbucks couldn't possibly offer anything that people really want, they've just been tricked by the advertising.
Oh wait, I forgot, I actually Love Starbucks. Yes, I know, Im being contrite and sarchastic, but the starbucks bashing annoys me sometimes.
Actually, I'm from Ireland and we have only just had Starbucks arrive in this country recently. And of course it was greeted with similar commentary. Oh, they're going to destroy the local cafe's or "who would want to pay so much for coffee". I often hear from people "oh I'd never go near starbucks, it's such a rip off" or "it's just an evil corporation." And yet, Starbucks is always busy. It's often packed out and the atmosphere is better than any other coffee house, at least here in Ireland, and my experience of Starbucks from my trips to New-York were similar. Perhaps Im just one of the common folk who don't know better, but then there are an awful lot of us who enjoy Seattle's best. People used to question why anyone would pay more for a mac or for an iPod, and yet they do. I think sometimes people feel that bashing a popular icon elevates them above the masses in life somehow. If you don't like something that's fine, but don't assume that your opinion is the absolute truth and those of us who disagree are just in denial. The same was said about the macintosh over and over.
As for the ability to purchase music, I think you're missing the point. The technology to do what they are doing alone is impressive. It's not just about having access to a music store, it's about being able to see what song is playing, and what songs have just played. This is pretty damn slick. I have often been somewhere and wondered what song was that, and gone home and tried to search for it. It's not about needing "emergency music", It's about technology reacting with your environment and giving you the option to get the song your listening to there and then. You don't have to listen to it there and then but it saves you figuring out what the song was, making a note of it and then going to look for it later. You may not like the idea, but I guarantee you hundreds of thousands will. It's not a con or way to pull one over on the customer, it's a valid and valuable service.
I applaud Apple and Starbucks for doing this. But then perhaps because I love starbucks Im just one of those common folks who just don't know any better.
I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but I hate wehen people assume everyone hates something that clearly very large masses of people don't.
It's about Impulse buying
The whole Starbucks deal isn't setting the mac community on fire. But then again, it isn't supposed to.
What Starbucks is doing with this and their other music based ventures is making the opportunity for impulse buying. So when people are getting their coffee, and the music they are hearing in the shop gets their attention they will consider picking up the song.
It's the musical equivelant of having a rack of candy bars and gum at a checkout.
They've been selling CD's at Starbucks for quite a while now. This just makes sure that they can get people who prefer digital downloads as well, using the most popular digital music store there is.
Basically adding the Starbucks deal to the announcement this week was simply to let everyone know that it was there.
It also gives them and additional revenue stream for their locations and makes their investment in WiFi even more profitable.
I'm just wondering how much profit is going to Starbucks, as I'd always thought that the 99¢ downloads left little profit for Apple to begin with. I wonder if this may just be the beginning of similar deals where digital content is made available by local wi-fi based on something going on in that store or other environment.
Barnes & Noble or Borders doing something similar with music and/or audiobooks? Wi-fi opened up to allow access to the online store if a book can't be found?
Shawn Levasseur
Rockland ME
http://ComicsPundit.com
It is another thought the record industry didn't have.
I never use Starbucks and being in the UK who knows when it will arrive over here, but, to me this is another poke in the eye for the record industry. They don't like Apple having all this power and yet all Apple wants to do is make it easier to sell music to people.
This is another idea and sales medium that the record industry didn't have. Apple did it for them. I know Apple wants to sell iPods, but they seem to be trying very hard to help an industry that doesn't seem to want any!
I certainly could impulse buy songs. I have listened to friends collections and then gone and bought that artist. I may walk past Starbucks now just to listen to what is playing pop in and buy it. Might have my first Starbucks coffee to :-) It could work both ways round.
Best wishes
Michael