14 DAY TRIAL // An Apple spokesman has confirmed a report by Symphonic Distribution, a digital music distributor, that Apple will be extending the length of song samples on iTunes from 30 seconds to 90 seconds.
The change will occur for songs that are at least two and a half minutes in length, CNet reports. Apple will continue to offer the 30-second sample for songs that are shorter than two and a half minutes.
The Mac makers have already notified the top music labels and other business partners in the music industry about the change, according to the report. The note from Apple, sent via iTunes Connect, has been reproduced below.
Dear Label Representative:
We are pleased to let you know that we are preparing to increase the length of music previews from 30 seconds to 90 seconds on the iTunes Store in the United States. We believe that giving potential customers more time to listen to your music will lead to more purchases.
All you have to do is continue making your contend available on the iTunes Store, which will confirm your acceptance to the following terms.
You agree that this letter modifies our U.S. Digital Music Download Sales Agreement so that “Clips” for songs longer than 2 minutes and 30 seconds may be up to 90 seconds long (“Clips” for shorter songs will stay at 30 seconds); and you agree to license, or pass through to Apple, gratis mechanical rights for 90-second “Clips” embodying the entirety of compositions owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by you or your affiliates. Further, you represent that you have the authority to enter into this letter agreement for 90-second “Clips”.
Thank you,
The iTunes Store Team
Apple Inc.
According to researchers at Robert Morris University, song samples play an important role in the buying process, CNet adds.
The site mentions a report released by the university in 2009 in which professor Min Lu and assistant professor Yanbin Tu reported that consumers were more likely to buy songs if they were allowed to sample the music for about 60 seconds.
Those surveyed also responded more positively to "high-quality" versions of the music samples they were given.