Obviously there's no reason for it to as its very profitable at the moment but one day, what if, for whatever reason, iTunes shut down? What would happen to people's purchases? I buy mer and more on iTunes these days and pretty much rely on it. So it's worrying to think that if they were to close I'd lose everything. Is that right?

People would be shocked, but then would just buy stuff on amazon or google play, buy CDs from a shop, or stream stuff on spotify more often then they do now. So no, we wouldn't lose everything we would just change our buying habits.

There would be a massive increase in illegal downloading.

Thanks for replying. I'm thinking more about what would happen to an individuals purchases though. And not necessarily just for iTunes, but also for Amazon and Google Play, etc, where we've been buying digital items for years and I guess we'd just lose them?

A what?

A shop, it's like this building where you can buy stuff, you actually have to move to get to there though, and even talk to people if you can't find the thing you want, as there is no search bar. I know, it's a frightening prospect! Or if you are asking what a CD is, it's a disc which plays music! Like a digital file, but a disc, and you can't plug into an iPod!

A shop, ah yes, I remember those now. I used to like shops.

HMV, Virgin and Our Price would boom

Then I would be annoyed because I have bought stuff from iTunes

Doesn't it download to your computer to keep?

Not really, you don't actually own it. You just buy the right to listen to it whenever you like.

It's in the terms and conditions...all eight million pages of 'em

But it's downloaded on to your computer, i-phone/i-pod, you can back it up on CD etc. You don't stream the files they are located to your computer. It's not like they are going to take all the files off your computer... If itunes shut down, you just wouldn't be able to buy anymore songs.

I know what you mean...but as far as I know, you don't 'own' the music in an iTunes download. Seems it's the same for CD's really.

It's a legal thing...

I have thought about this if all downloading sites shut, it would making people think I reckon... it would increase the physical market but simultaneously would increase illegal downloads so I'm not sure it'd be better.

The last CD I bought was from a shop! HMV to be precise!

I bought a CD from HMV 2 days ago! Woo! lol

You do realise that iTunes isn't the only legal place to download music don't you? In fact it's probably the most expensive so I don't know why people use it.

I was given an iTunes gift card once, but I've never even so much as been on their website

It's true that with iTunes there are files downloaded on to your device, so it would just be that you couldn't buy any more music, vids etc. Bruce Willis highlighted this problem about passing on your music collection to your children and there is a rumour that Apple is patenting software to allow transfer of content between users.

If they shut down over night and you were relying on their cloud players, then yes, you'd lose them.

If you already have local copies then no, they won't stop working, as music on all 3 is provided DRM-free now.

(I have been burnt in the early days, buying music with DRM from such music giants such as Virgin Digital; they close down, music no longer playable)


Of course, in practice, what's far more likely is that they would give customers a decent amount of notice to re-download their stuff before shutting up shop; particularly the 3 names you mention.

For me i buy albums on hard copy from HMV or amazon so for the most part no biggy but in terms of stand alone songs and singles it would be a moment of panic then i'd find some otherway like Youtube rip or some other site that sells MP3/4

I doubt iTunes will be shut down some how.

Yes we know it is all hypothetical

Hence why the topic question is 'what would happen?' rather than 'omgz itoones shutin dwn wotz gona apen?!?!'.

I backed all mine up onto a memory block when I changed computers. They're useless if you don't have the ITunes player I suppose, but if you double click on the ITunes icon, even if the ITunes Shop didn't connect to anything anymore, you just add the files you've saved to your library and they would play. And also synch to your IPod. I assume?