Hmmm... I was giving this some thought yesterday evening after I'd heard the news about the launch of iTMS in the UK and I've discovered that I'm in two minds regarding the problems Apple are having with the independent labels. I have always been an advocate of the 'little guy' and will usually take their side in disputes with the larger corporations so I'm in a quandary. I have been waiting for iTMS since the beginning and the fact that it's finally within reach is a joy but, and it's a pretty fat but, I have to say that, if my understanding of the situation is correct, I'm with the indie labels on this one. As much as I like Apple they are the big boys in this one and I'm pretty certain they are throwing their weight around.
Aside from this, I'm wondering how much tracks and albums will cost? If they're $0.99 and around $9 respectively in the U.S. then it's safe to assume that they'll be the same here in the U.K. Not that bad if you're buying tracks but if you're buying an album it would seem to be cheaper to get it from Amazon and rip it. That way you have the best of both worlds. Also as Warp Records have their own download site that is quite frankly beautiful, amazingly easy to use and cheaper, ('Louden Up Now!!! is $9.90 on iTMS but only £6.99 on bleep.com), I think it's not a massive leap to think maybe these indie labels may create their own download sites. I for one would welcome that, but as I said, I'd love to see Apple succeed. See my dilemma?