Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason Puts Spotlight On Apple’s Shortcomings, Looks To Spotify To Raise The Bar
In an interview with GQ, Pink Floyd's Nick Mason talks about Apple's failed release of U2's latest album "Songs of Innocence" and the implications it imposed. He was quick to clarify where he stood on the issue telling GQ, "Let me be completely clear about my position: if Apple had come to me and said, 'Nick, we want to release your album in exchange for £50m', I couldn't have thought of a better idea.' but Mason still believes Apple's execution of the release left much to be desired and raised some red flags for the music industry.
"It's made everyone think again about how they want their music delivered, given or sold. […]it highlights a vital aspect to the whole idea of music in the 21st century.' While Apple was resposible for the abum's release and how it was distributed, Mason is one of the few calling the tech giant to task for their role. 'What's also interesting is that Apple seem to have got off scot-free. No-one's blaming them. Apple has done great things, but it has also contributed to the devaluation process."
In a struggling industry where streaming is becoming king, Mason, rather dismissive of Apple's iTunes, looks to Spotify to up their game. "iTunes is already beginning to look rather passé, and instead it's Spotify that looks like the future. What we need is another two or three billion people using it, then it would make more sense for musicians. At the moment, the pay-out, particularly for unknowns and only slightly-knowns is… pathetic."
