iTunes samples will be upped to 90 seconds

APPLE HITS A TRIPLE: Apple—or more specifically “The iTunes Store Team”—sent emails to the labels yesterday notifying them that music previews in the U.S.will be extended from 30 seconds to 90 seconds, AppleInsider reported. The letter explains that by continuing to make content available on the iTunes Store, the recipient is agreeing to the new terms. The 90-second previews only affect songs that are longer than 2:30, with shorter tracks keeping the original 30-second preview length. The news substantiates a CNET report in late August that Apple was in the process of extending samples but was meeting resistance from the NMPA. No time frame was given for when the extended previews will appear. (11/3a)