Labels Demanded iTunes LP As Part Of DRM-free Negotiations?

iTunes LP may not have been Apple's idea; rather, a concession made by the company to get DRM-free songs on the iTunes Store, according to a GigaOM report.

Apple describes iTunes LP as the next evolution of the music album delivering a rich, immersive experience for select albums on the iTunes Store by combining beautiful design with expanded visual features like live performance videos, lyrics, artwork, liner notes, interviews, photos, album credits and more.

The "next evolution of the music album" hasn't taken off. In fact many would consider it a flop. Now sources say iTunes LP wasn't Apple's idea in the first place.


It’s somewhat ironic that the very company that atomized the album in order to sell individual tracks -– one of many causes for the music industry’s decade-long tailspin –- has encouraged the rebundling of songs with iTunes LP. But I’m told by an industry source who preferred to remain anonymous that iTunes LP wasn’t Apple’s idea in the first place. Rather, it’s the result of the same renegotiations between Apple and the major record labels that yielded DRM-free songs and flexible pricing early last year, a concession by Cupertino to make a gesture in favor of album sales as consumers increasingly show a preference for digital singles.

Interestingly, the App Store is actually becoming the place to go for music fans. Artists and labels have excited customers by releasing applications that provide lyrics, videos and other special content.

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