Comments on: Users Will Pay For Content–And Not Just iTunes http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/ Mon, 21 May 2012 05:21:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Daniel Tunkelang http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2615 Daniel Tunkelang Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:02:00 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2615 A bit of a tangent, but I do like Microsoft's latest recession-appropriate <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/26/new-microsoft-ads-point-out-cough-high-cost-of-macs/" rel="nofollow">ad campaign</a>. Perhaps Apple will shoot back with a "you get what you pay for". Or a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BnLbv6QYcA" rel="nofollow">MacBook Wheel</a>. A bit of a tangent, but I do like Microsoft’s latest recession-appropriate ad campaign. Perhaps Apple will shoot back with a “you get what you pay for”. Or a MacBook Wheel.

]]> By: Dave Johnston http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2614 Dave Johnston Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:54:46 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2614 I agree, for the most part. Apple's has definitely grown well beyond the hobbyist era. They are a definite retail force at this point, and I admire much about their business (mainly, the aesthetic, technology as jewelry). What I'll be interested to see is whether they can keep the mainstream (very fickle) buyers around once it's less hip to own an iPod or iPhone. *Welcome to the club, Daniel. I'll be sure to send you all the info on our secret meeting place and handshake. I agree, for the most part. Apple’s has definitely grown well beyond the hobbyist era. They are a definite retail force at this point, and I admire much about their business (mainly, the aesthetic, technology as jewelry). What I’ll be interested to see is whether they can keep the mainstream (very fickle) buyers around once it’s less hip to own an iPod or iPhone.

*Welcome to the club, Daniel. I’ll be sure to send you all the info on our secret meeting place and handshake.

]]> By: Daniel Tunkelang http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2541 Daniel Tunkelang Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:46:54 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2541 A fair point, although part of Apple's success may be that they've promoted a closed world where paying is easier than not paying. It would take some work for a non-Apple to build such a world. But I don't think Apple users themselves are the outliers--at this point, there are simply too many of them* to think of them as a subculture. *Unless my having a 5G iPod makes me an Apple user. A fair point, although part of Apple’s success may be that they’ve promoted a closed world where paying is easier than not paying. It would take some work for a non-Apple to build such a world. But I don’t think Apple users themselves are the outliers–at this point, there are simply too many of them* to think of them as a subculture.

*Unless my having a 5G iPod makes me an Apple user.

]]> By: Dave Johnston http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2539 Dave Johnston Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:31:24 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2539 There's an outlier involved here... In my estimation Apple users have an amazing willingness to pay for even crap, as long as they can buy it from Apple. This has been true for a long time, with its nexus sometime during the late-early Jobs days post-Macintosh. It has only expanded in the past five years with the growth of Apple during the iPod/iPhone era and the advent of Apple retail stores. It's a cultural thing, and persists even when the product quality fails to match expectations (see: white MacBook, early iPhones). I'm not sure how long they can hold this position, especially post-Jobs. Diagnosing the psychological underpinnings of this issue is way beyond the scope of the comment section of this post, even assuming I could start 1/600th the way down that road if I wanted to. Trying to apply what Apple has learned with $0.99 iPhone apps to other forms of content is, well, rather difficult in the face of this. *I'm a user of Apple products. There’s an outlier involved here…

In my estimation Apple users have an amazing willingness to pay for even crap, as long as they can buy it from Apple.

This has been true for a long time, with its nexus sometime during the late-early Jobs days post-Macintosh. It has only expanded in the past five years with the growth of Apple during the iPod/iPhone era and the advent of Apple retail stores.

It’s a cultural thing, and persists even when the product quality fails to match expectations (see: white MacBook, early iPhones).

I’m not sure how long they can hold this position, especially post-Jobs.

Diagnosing the psychological underpinnings of this issue is way beyond the scope of the comment section of this post, even assuming I could start 1/600th the way down that road if I wanted to.

Trying to apply what Apple has learned with $0.99 iPhone apps to other forms of content is, well, rather difficult in the face of this.

*I’m a user of Apple products.

]]> By: Otis Gospodnetic http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2123 Otis Gospodnetic Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:51:06 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2123 Recipe: - make it easy (few clicks, don't make me enter my info over and over) - make it inexpensive (no guilt) - satisfy my need immediately (no shipping, let me view/listen right after purchase) Back to cooking my chicken broth... Recipe:
- make it easy (few clicks, don’t make me enter my info over and over)
- make it inexpensive (no guilt)
- satisfy my need immediately (no shipping, let me view/listen right after purchase)

Back to cooking my chicken broth…

]]> By: Daniel Tunkelang http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2122 Daniel Tunkelang Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:41:06 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2122 Point taken. And I realize that the most popular iPhone apps are games, which I suppose people are still used to paying for--though I believe a number of them have free, ad-supported web versions. And I see in the app store that at least some people are paying for books--and even news. Point taken. And I realize that the most popular iPhone apps are games, which I suppose people are still used to paying for–though I believe a number of them have free, ad-supported web versions. And I see in the app store that at least some people are paying for books–and even news.

]]> By: Josh Young http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2121 Josh Young Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:28:56 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2121 This is all that Hansell claims: (a) book about iphone is best-selling tech book (b) book about iphone more popular on iphone than on paper or as a pdf The version on the iphone very well could have sold only just over a third of all copies on the iphone. I would never question your sanity for suspecting like there's value around content to be monetized beyond advertising. In fact, I'd question the person who says otherwise. Hansell's argument that people will pay for content because they like how-to references about a thing embedded in the thing for which the thing's maker has set up an especially frictionless market is pretty thin soup, however. This is all that Hansell claims:

(a) book about iphone is best-selling tech book
(b) book about iphone more popular on iphone than on paper or as a pdf

The version on the iphone very well could have sold only just over a third of all copies on the iphone.

I would never question your sanity for suspecting like there’s value around content to be monetized beyond advertising. In fact, I’d question the person who says otherwise.

Hansell’s argument that people will pay for content because they like how-to references about a thing embedded in the thing for which the thing’s maker has set up an especially frictionless market is pretty thin soup, however.

]]> By: Daniel Tunkelang http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2120 Daniel Tunkelang Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:26:50 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2120 Touché. And I concede that one-time fees for apps aren't quite the same as subscription fees for periodic content. I suppose we wait a year and see what the market tells us about the sustainability of paid content models. Touché. And I concede that one-time fees for apps aren’t quite the same as subscription fees for periodic content. I suppose we wait a year and see what the market tells us about the sustainability of paid content models.

]]> By: Steven Hodson http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2119 Steven Hodson Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:23:14 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2119 hmm .. you might want to read this bit from Techdirt then :) http://techdirt.com/articles/20090224/0032093877.shtml hmm .. you might want to read this bit from Techdirt then :)

http://techdirt.com/articles/20090224/0032093877.shtml

]]> By: Hal Danziger http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2114 Hal Danziger Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:00:14 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2114 Daniel, I have to admit...you're right. http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/02/read-for-free-pay-for-print-or-stuff056.html, however, is wrong. I think the big question is what form these content providers take moving forward, which was the core of my post here: http://bit.ly/NOFG2. Most people responded to my timing on the significant drop of print, but I think the predictions that follow are in line with what you're getting at in this post, and that you've been preaching for quite some time now. http://bit.ly/NOFG2 Daniel, I have to admit…you’re right.

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/02/read-for-free-pay-for-print-or-stuff056.html, however, is wrong.

I think the big question is what form these content providers take moving forward, which was the core of my post here: http://bit.ly/NOFG2.

Most people responded to my timing on the significant drop of print, but I think the predictions that follow are in line with what you’re getting at in this post, and that you’ve been preaching for quite some time now.

http://bit.ly/NOFG2

]]> By: Daniel Tunkelang http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2113 Daniel Tunkelang Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:01:51 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2113 So perhaps the solution for all media providers is to make iPhone apps? I'm actually not kidding--this seems like a perfectly defensible conclusion from the evidence. Of course, they need to have content that people would even imagine paying for. Like iFart. So perhaps the solution for all media providers is to make iPhone apps? I’m actually not kidding–this seems like a perfectly defensible conclusion from the evidence. Of course, they need to have content that people would even imagine paying for. Like iFart.

]]> By: Heekyung Kim http://thenoisychannel.com/2009/02/26/users-will-pay-for-content-and-not-just-itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-2112 Heekyung Kim Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:59:37 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1515#comment-2112 Also, Apple makes it really easy for users to pay for content. I think it's the riddance of friction in accessing that content that makes people willing to pay for content. Also, Apple makes it really easy for users to pay for content. I think it’s the riddance of friction in accessing that content that makes people willing to pay for content.

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