Clueless retail analysts, Part 2

Can Apple Play Europe's Tune?

Ah, no, Mr Mulligan of Jupiter 'Research'. The selection in a Virgin Megastore is dependent upon a wide variety of things, including the quality of its local competitiors, the state of Virgin's love affair with the DVD (still waning, it seems...), their interest in computer games and, most prosaically, the size of the actual store.

Online, however... music services should have everything. Within reason of course, which for the sake of argument I'll define as more than 95% of the music that has been released since, hmm, 1982 (i.e. the birth of the CD market) and say 80% of releases between then and 1960, which should cover the vast majority of what music is still in copyright.

And if the music's still copyrighted by the music industry, it should be available to buy online in whatever format suits me/you. If it's not, then the industry shouldn't bleat about people stealing/illegally downloading it.

And if it's not online, then the music industry should be rather leery of artists' whose royalties are being (virtually) witheld.

PS. remember that Hooverphonic album that I couldn't find in Edinburgh? Couldn't find it in Glasgow either, but did get it through an Amazon.co.uk reseller. Total VAT paid to HM Treasury: £0. Even Gordon Brown should be concerned that not enough music's for sale online...