James Delahunty
6 Nov 2008 18:01
One of the most recognizable names in music entertainment has maintained a "No Downloads" policy ever since Apple's iTunes revolutionized purchasing music on the Internet. AC/DC does not support the download format, and definitely not Apple's iTunes service. In Australia however, BigPond has added 16 AC/DC albums to its line-up, available in MP3 and WMA formats (some sell as WMA only).
"Since iTunes came into existence, we've actually increased our back catalogue sales without being on the site. We were sternly warned by our management team and our record label that the complete opposite would be the case," Angus Young said in a recent interview.
"Maybe I'm just being old-fashioned, but this iTunes, God bless 'em, it's going to kill music if they're not careful," Brian Johnson told Reuters. "It's a...monster, this thing. It just worries me. And I'm sure they're just doing it all in the interest of making as much...cash as possible. Let's put it this way, it's certainly not for the...love, let's get that out of the way, right away."
According to AC/DC representatives, the "No Downloads" policy does not just apply to Apple, but to all other companies selling music on the Internet. BigPond music is selling 16 AC/DC albums at $16.50 a piece, but the new album will not be available on the service and no single tracks are available to download. "AC/DC Live" is the number 17 album for BigPond this week.