Happy birthday iTunes movies, TV, music video

There’s a certain romanticism to watching the leaves turn from green, or new buds appear on those trees as we head to different seasons, albeit in different time zones. A time to reflect, and remember - so spare a thought today to October 12, 2005, when Apple introduced iTunes 6, confirming months of speculation with the introduction of short movies from Pixar, TV shows from Disney and a hand-picked selection of 2,000 music videos.

It happened today four years ago, and now of course Apple’s media management and acquisition software is an industry leader in most markets in which it operates, and alternatives including the BBC’s iPlayer and NBC’s Hulu are prevalent. Indeed, so part of life has online video now become that YouTube last week confirmed it’s showing one billion clips each and every day.

Think back, won’t you, to Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ 2005 statement that, “We’re doing for video what we’ve done for music—we’re making it easy and affordable to purchase and download, play on your computer, and take with you on your iPod.”

“Apple is giving music fans a great way to own their favorite music videos,” said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M. “The people at Apple fully understand the interaction between musicians and their audience.”

It took a while for Apple to negotiate rights and expand its available movie catalogue, indeed, video services are still being introduced in some iTunes territories.

And, like the impact of digital on the music industry, the evolution of digital content is beginning to impact Hollywood, as movie studios attempt to evolve a suitable business plan for the digital age.

“In the space of a few weeks, Disney has shown the door to its respected and long-serving chairman Dick Cook while Universal wielded the axe on co-chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde on Monday,” reports AFP.

The movie industry has reached a transition point between old business models and future-focused attempts designed to create sustainable opportunity in the new media age.

And, meanwhile, DVD sales fell 13.5 percent in the first six months of 2009. With its existing relationships with TV and movie studios worldwide, can it be long until Apple evolves its Apple TV to take a slot in the emerging new media and TV paradigm?