iTunes Music Store apply to the iBookstore for the iPad
Column talked a lot about how the music model for the iTunes Music Store might apply to the iBookstore for the iPad, last week’s. I said in the column that Apple does not publish independent musician’s music, only material that comes through publishers they have deals with. As it turns out, Apple does, indeed, offer to publish indie music on its own. There is a system in place for it.
On the other hand, they are very picky and choosy about who they bring in, and almost actively deter people from trying it, say the musicians through CDBaby or any other third party publisher to enter the iTunes store. And, truth be told, that’s not a bad way to do it. Third parties generally have a low share of time and then a small cut of the profits of the final sale of music on the iTunes Store.
Apple does act as publisher in some ways to some tiny fraction of the music recording population, and generally only with popular up and comers. It is there, but it is not automatic, nor easy.
The closest parallel in comics is that Diamond might not accept your comic if you print it under your own label, but will happily distribute it if you get picked up by Image. The analogy is imperfect, even if the image has higher standards in what is going to publish what some of these publishers iTunes third party. But it is the closest I could come.
The moral of this story is the same: Just because you ave made a comic book by yourself, that does not mean you have guaranteed entry into the iPad, either through the iBookstore or even the App Store.
