iTunes Adds Indie Spotlight
iTunes has added an Indie Spotlight page that provides a home for bands and fans who prefer music created outside of the major label machine. The unofficial soft launch includes an indie podcast, playlists and label samplers alongside featured artists, though more features may be in the pipeline.
Indie trade group A2IM applauded the move. "With independent music making major strides in the digital market place, on the charts, and winning over 50% of this year's Grammy Awards it's great to see iTunes recognizing the opportunities that independent music offers," says A2IM VP Jim Mahoney.
More: How iTunes Chooses Feature Artists
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I wonder if there will be a way to get feature status there and if so, how that can be accomplished.
Great question. Does anyone know who is running this arm of itunes?
I agree, great question:
My understanding is that while some special placement on iTunes is because they know it will be a big seller or some labels made a deal to offer exclusive content, most of the decisions are made by site/genre editors who have a free hand to pick what they find interesting. That’s a vast improvement from the pay for positioning in brick and mortar music retail.
But who those Editors are and how to reach them is not something I know. I’ll try to find out more, but maybe other Hypebot readers know how to contact iTunes about placement and the new indie pages?
Yes, a huge % of music sales are now indie. Check out CD Baby
iTunes payments:
2008: $20.9 million
2007: $14.9 million
Payments from all other digital partners:
2008: $3.3 million
2007: $2.2 million
Download sales on cdbaby.com (albums only):
2008: $1.3 million
2007: $365,000
I have never been able to get an answer from iTunes on anything. I wanted to buy advertising on the itunes site and got no reply.I think it’s still just about iPhone/iPod sales.
Only the majors seem to get action. Obviously to do with their clout they have re: licensing of their content with Steve Jobs.
Sites like Spotify will soon change that.