Bono and Steve Jobs began the discussion on a new digital music format
Last week, Time reported that U2 and Apple were working on a new digital music format, which they hope will help bring consumers back to buying their music instead of using a streaming service or illegally downloading tracks. Now, U2’s Bono is offering a little bit more information about the secret project.
In a recent Irish radio interview (via TUAW), the U2 frontman said that he and Steve Jobs were discussing a new music format as far back as 2009.
He notes:
So 5 years ago I began a conversation with Steve Jobs at my house in France and I said to Steve: “How is it that for a person who cares about the way things look and feel more than anyone else in the world that iTunes looks like a spreadsheet?” He was not happy. That was before they managed to even get a full screen photograph up. So he made a promise to me that we would work on this together, and with the team at Apple we’ve been doing it for years, and it’s not ready yet for Songs of Innocence, it will be ready for Songs of Experience. And it’s very exciting.
Bono also addressed the negative reaction by some to Apple’s decision to give away free copies of U2’s latest album, “Songs of Innocence.” He noted that the negative reaction was overblown and said that Internet journalism is full of “haters.”
There has been no word on when this new digital music format might be announced.
See also: Record first weekend of sales for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple CEO Tim Cook to take part in The Wall Street Journal’s WSJDLive tech conference, and Tim Cook celebrates the release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
