Slash defends U2’s unique deal with Apple

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Photo: Wikipedia CC
Photo: Wikipedia CC

Former Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist Slash has praised U2’s poorly received iTunes album giveaway as a clever marketing strategy.

“There’s a lot less opportunities in the record business to get a deal and get a record out there, and there’s not a lot of radio play for it,” he told Ultimate Classic Rock magazine.

Describing the music business in 2014 as “like the wild, wild west,” he continued that this was “one of those kind of tactics that only U2 could really get away with doing.”

He did, however, note that it’s a move that favors established musical acts over young up-and-comers, who companies like Apple would be less likely to pay an upfront fee to distribute for free via iTunes.

“I’m sure it was a very viable move for [U2] and if you have that luxury of making sure it’s on everybody’s iTunes, that’s great,” Slash said. “But I don’t think that particular model is available for everybody.”

The comments follow Apple’s backfiring publicity stunt of giving away U2’s latest album for free, having paid U2 and its record label a reported $100 million to do so.

In the aftermath, Apple was forced to roll out a tool to remove the album from iTunes accounts, while the move was skewered by comedian Conan O’Brien, who suggested Apple go further and create a tool that can remove U2’s tunes from your mind forever.

However, while Slash makes a valid point about how Apple’s U2 distribution is a move that favors established acts over newcomers (at least in its current incarnation), U2 singer Bono recently noted that the band is working with Apple on a new digital music format they hope will reignite album sales — thereby helping newer artists unable to rake in the kind of money U2 does from live performances.

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