Warner Music Group CEO Makes Kissy Faces In Apple’s Direction
Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman has long been critical of iTunes’ pricing for digital tracks, but now that his stock is in the tank and people are gleefully reeling off the screwups he’s presided over during his tenure at the top, he’s singing a new tune. (OK, maybe he got a free iPhone from someone, since he seems so ready to sing the praises of that device.)
“You need to look no further than Apple’s iPhone to see how fast brilliantly written software presented on a beautifully designed device with a spectacular user interface will throw all the accepted notions about pricing, billing platforms and brand loyalty right out the window. And let me remind you, the genesis of the iPhone is the iPod and iTunes – a music device and music service that consumers love,” he said.
“For years now, Warner Music has been offering a choice to consumers at Apple’s iTunes store the option to purchase something more than just single tracks, which constitute the mainstay of that store’s sales. By packaging a full album into a bundle of music with ringtones, videos and other combinations and variation we found products that consumers demonstrably valued and were willing to purchase at premium prices. And guess what? We’ve sold tons of them. And with Apple’s co-operation to make discovering, accessing and purchasing these products even more seamless and intuitive, we’ll be offering many, many more of these products going forward.”
The chairman also issued a warning to mobile operators, and offered advice to those aspiring companies hoping to cash in on that underdeveloped market, according to MacUser.
“The sad truth is that most of what consumers are being offered today on the mobile platform is boring, banal and basic,” Bronfman said. “People want a more interesting form of mobile music content. They want it to be easy to buy with a single click – yes, a single click, not a dozen. And they want access to it, quickly and easily, wherever they are. 24/7. Any player in the mobile value chain who thinks they can provide less than a great experience for consumers and remain competitive is fooling themselves.”
A single click! Information architect-friendly rhetoric like this from people running music companies is nearly revolutionary. Although I guess this means that Edgar isn’t all that high on the ringle.
Warner reverses stance, praises iTunes [MacNN; ht Chris Molanphy]
