Music

Should Apple Cull the iPod Line?

I won’t bore you with any more iPhone 5 rumours.  Instead, though, I’d like to pose a question:  should Apple pare down its line of iPods?

If you read the tea leaves a certain way, it appears that they may be thinking this way.  In years past, Apple’s fall event has been all about music and iPods.  Whatever is going to happen on Tuesday has been signaled as being focussed on a new iPhone and iOS 5.  No one has mentioned anything about iPods.  No new models.  No new features.  No new nothing.

I’m not suggesting for a moment that Apple is going to stop selling iPods–at least not the Touch.  But with iPod sales tracking down 6% year over year, someone inside the company must be thinking hard about the future of the iPod Classic, the nano and the Shuffle.  Consider:

1.  As streaming services take off, the market for a device that can hold 30,000 songs must be shrinking. Unless you’re a DJ or someone who absolutely must have every single song in their library with them at all times, this kind of storage is looking more and more like overkill.  And when was the last time there was a meaningful update to the Classic?

2.  Speaking of streaming services, Apple’s iCloud is coming.  While the iTunes music store won’t be going anywhere soon, it’s in Apple’s long-term interests to wean people off possession of music and steer them towards the benefits of access.  That’s how they’ll sell more iPhones and Touches.

3.  I’ve always found the Shuffle more trouble than it’s worth.  Yes, it’s great for workouts, but it takes too long to set up the playlist.  I like predicatability and control over what I’m listening to.  And besides, the thing has gotten so small that it’s a choking hazard.

4.  With the exception of Apple’s insistence that its name not be capitalized, I like the nano.  That’s a good workout device and the perfect secondary iPod.  It’s also a great gateway drug to all of Apple’s products. (I speak from experience; my first Apple product was a first generation 4G nano.)  But how much more can it be improved?  And how necessary/effective is it a introductory product now that the iPhone is so damned popular and profitable?

5.  What are the margins on the various iPods?  Apple’s mantra has always been to be a high-margain hardware manufacturer.  How many models of iPod does the company need to support going forward? The last I heard, iPods make up just 8% of Apple’s total revenue.  Wouldn’t it be smarter to focus energy on the iPhone and the iPad?

The tenth anniversary of the introduction of the iPod is coming up on October 24.  It’s had an excellent run.  More than that, though, it’s changed so much about the way we consume music.  Is it time to move on?

I guess we’ll find out on Tuesday.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38040 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

5 thoughts on “Should Apple Cull the iPod Line?

  • I wasn't aware the classic was even still available, I thought it was replaced by the touch.

    That being said, part of me would love Apple to continue pissing its money away on products that don't sell well (that part of me wants someone to knock Apple off its pedestal).. The common sense side of me thinks they should kill at least the classic.

    Reply
  • I can't imagine never not having full possession of my own music at all times. Have a 160GB ipod full of my record collection is no different to me than having a bookshelf full of CDs on vinyl.

    Reply
  • The classic still affords storage that even copycat manufacturers haven't been able to touch. Yes there's a lean towards the clouds. But there are still those of us out there that refuse to pay (especially in Canada) the ridiculous rates for data plans.

    Add to that situations that are personally most important to me: having portable music for the cottage or camping. Data connections are nowhere near good enough to stream music in the middle of the Bruce Peninsula or on a campsite in Algonquin Park. I think a device that can still hold most people's entire libraries in one place is still a highly marketable one.

    Reply
  • I agree, to an extent. I'd say keep the classic, and maybe the touch. The rest can go. How many people already have an iPhone or other smart device that will hold a bunch of music? I love my classic, I have everything I can think of in it, and its still only 70/120 gigs full. I plan to get an iPhone 5, and I'll put some music in it. I've never wanted a shuffle or nano because they dont hold enough. The touch just looked like the kids version of an iPhone, and that I could wait. 2 devices. One for everyday use, and one to carry your life in music on.

    Reply
  • It's unfortunate that the move to the phone as the main source of music storage/playback has come at the expensive of sound quality. The iPhone sound sucks. Hopefully it will improve but not one of their current devices compares to early generation iPods, my 2007 video slays my iPhone 4 when it comes to quality.

    Reply

Let us know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.