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Do the artists still get paid?

Crosbie

Crosbie

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 26, 2010
613
12
Brighton, UK
So, I downloaded an album on iTunes, and it all went fine, except the digital booklet wouldn't open. I contacted Apple support, they tried offering a redownload, and that didn't fix the problem.

So, they refunded the entire cost of the album. Yay! Happy customer, right?

Not me. I made this purchase in the spirit of discovering new music and paying for it, via the Aweditorium app on iPad. So, it bothered me that maybe the artist wouldn't get paid for their album sale, since iTunes were going to refund it.

But I had all their music! And that was all fine! It was only iTunes' digital copy of the booklet that was a problem!

I asked the support person if this would count as a lost sale for the band, or if Apple would cover those costs and they'd still get their share. She was surprisingly evasive on the matter. When I pressed the question, she pointed me to the iTunes Labels and Marketing page, which seemed to offer no illumination at all.

I emailed sjobs@apple.com, but surprisingly, he hasn't got back to me yet.

Can anyone here shed any light on this?
 
mrkramer said:
I don't know if they get paid, but if you are really concerned about it you can mail the artist the 94 cents they would have gotten from your download. Most of the money goes to the labels not the artists.
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Blimesky. That is interesting. Certainly bigs up cdbaby.

But I'm wondering whether this is iTunes giving you back your money, and annulling the sale, or giving the equivalent of a 'credit voucher'.

Anyone else know anything about this?
 
The artists get their share after iTunes, PRS, Record Company(ies) and the Producer(s) have taken a slice.

It will work just like buying music from a store. If you return your product and get refunded during the days in which you have the right to do so, the none of the above will get paid. After the aloud time in which you have the right to return your product with a full refund, the above will have all taken their slice, hence, you don't get you're money back.
 
roadbloc said:
The artists get their share after iTunes, PRS, Record Company(ies) and the Producer(s) have taken a slice.

It will work just like buying music from a store. If you return your product and get refunded during the days in which you have the right to do so, the none of the above will get paid. After the aloud time in which you have the right to return your product with a full refund, the above will have all taken their slice, hence, you don't get you're money back.
Click to expand...

But it's not just like buying music from a store. I have the music and I haven't been required to return it. The equivalent would be if I'd bought a CD and the sleeve was damaged. I'd just want to swap the sleeve for an undamaged one, not return the whole shebang and get my money back.

If all the sleeves were knackered - and in this bizarre analogy-world, the store was responsible for printing the sleeves - they might give me a voucher to the equivalent value to atone for their error. Which doesn't 'undo' the sale. I don't think they'd do a refund... but let me keep the CD and (damaged) packaging?
 
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Truly shocking Steve Jobs didn't reply to you yet :p

The artist most likey didn't get paid in this situation. If it bugs you that you got something for nothing (and good on you if it does), why not donate the money to the artist directly or to a charity?
 
Abyssgh0st said:
Artists make their money on merchandise sale and concerts. Albums are not a huge deal to them.
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I certainly beg to differ. To some like Trent Reznor, yes, they have earned so much money they couldn't care less. To others... albums, more often than not are the winner of the bread. Unless gigging is severally local, the idea of a tour is to try and not make a loss.

Unless your Metallica of course, who just charge ridiculous prices for concerts.
 
Yes, the artist would still get paid.

If they/he/she didn't, then Apple would basically be breaking the law, or forcing you to, which they wouldn't do...
 
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