Pete Townshend brands iTunes a 'digital vampire'

I'm afraid ol' Pete has it wrong. iTunes isn't a record label or a booking agent or a promotion manager. It's a record store. Record stores have never done anything for the artists but put up posters promoting the latest releases.

Why can’t music lovers just pay for music rather than steal it?

Pete, I'm pretty sure iTunes has solved that problem. Apple's near-monopoly on personal music players means that people are using iTunes and paying for music.

Love ya, Pete, but you're starting to show signs of becoming an out-of-touch-with-reality curmudgeon.

pfff itunes sucks.

all these rebels turn corporate in the end when you are talking about the "buck"

I'd like to think this has all been taken out of context, because otherwise, John Becker is completely right. Ol' Petey is showing his age (and years of brain-abuse).

Who’s Pete Townshend?

No, Who's on first.

I am surprised that his opinion draws much public attention after his child porn/sex offender registry scandal. Judging by this, it seems it would be for the best if he were left to the annals of history.

There are many artists that are unhappy with iTunes and the raw deal they are getting.

Some of their gripes are mentioned here: http://downhillbattle.org/itunes/

Basically, even with cutting out all the logistics and some of the middle men of 'old time' music business, artists get even less money than before.

In the case of Townshend, I think that he like a few other bands wanted to preserve the right to decide which tracks were released as singles and which were to be released only as part of an album.

In some ways I can sympathize with this, as the artist views the album as a complete set of art. I mean it would not be right to cut out Mona Lisa's smile and sell it separately.

That being said, I do believe that musicians treating music like an art is somewhat of a dying bread, so it however-much I sympathize with Mr Townshend it is probably he ho will need to adjust to the new world.

bread -> breed.

Is it OK, if I try to blame it on FireFox auto correct feature?

So Pete Townshend is upset with ITunes and the raw deal that artists get. Let me see the guy has a net wealth of $75 million and he is complaining about more money. Maybe if bands and record companies didnt charge the insane prices they do then people wouldnt download from ITunes of other methods. Anyway must go my Coldplay download is nearly finished time to burn it to disc (OOPS did l say that out loud ;-) )

@SpidaPig

You are forgetting, that he has expensive habits. Gotta feel sorry for the guy. And even if Pete gets enough money to afford his habits. I still say that iTunes is not the answer to modern distribution of music.

Who’s Pete Townshend?