U2 and Apple planned the gesture for maximum publicity - a concert by the Irish megastars at the tech giant's latest product launch, with the surprise that their new album had just been released for free to the world's half-billion iTunes customers. As physical copies of the album, "Songs of Innocence," go on sale Monday, the band that earned global critical acclaim three decades ago has faced a backlash with some accusing U2 of turning music into spam.
The September 9 free release will still pay off handsomely for the already-wealthy rockers, with several reports saying that Apple has committed $100 million to distribute the album as part of its promotion campaign for the iPhone 6. But few predict that U2 has created a new model, with lesser-known bands unlikely to survive by giving away their music. So many people found it presumptuous that the entire world would want U2's album that Apple offered special advice on its website on how to delete it.
"I don't think it was very good marketing. I think that's been proven out by the commentary and the backlash. It was very heavy-handed and inappropriate," said Eric Levin, owner of the independent store Criminal Records in Atlanta. Levin, who co-founded the annual Record Store Day aimed at promoting local shops, expected little effect from the iTunes giveaway on his sales of "Songs of Innocence." Collectors who seek physical albums, he said, were distinct from casual digital listeners who can easily find free music through streaming services. "The first major artist that makes a mistake as grand as not providing a physical artifact will be the laughing stock that, in some circles, U2 is today," he said.
The Entertainment Retailers Association, which represents Britain's music sellers, said U2 devalued music and hurt the industry's future. "U2 have had their career, but if one of the biggest rock bands in the world are prepared to give away their new album for free, how can we really expect the public to spend 10 pounds (16 dollars) on an album by a newcomer?" the group's chairman, Paul Quirk, said in a statement.