U2

Apple says U2 ‘Songs of Innocence’ album has been downloaded 26 million times

The controversial U2 album 'Songs of Innocence' has been downloaded nearly 30 million times since Apple announced it would be available to iTunes users for free last month. In a statement to Billboard on Thursday, senior VP Eddy Cue said that the album had racked up 26 million 'complete downloads' since its September 9 debut.

Cue adds that over 81 million Apple customers have experienced Songs of Innocence within the last month—a number that includes Beats Music, iTunes, and iTunes Radio streams. "To help put this into perspective," Cue says, "prior to this, a total of 14 million customers had purchased music from U2 since iTunes opened in 2003."

U2’s Bono says Apple has 885 million iTunes accounts, talks new music format

Paul David Hewson aka Bono Vox (also known by his stage name Bono), the frontman of the Dublin-based rock band U2, revealed that Apple now has an astounding 885 million iTunes accounts in an interview Monday with Dave Fanning on the Irish radio station 2FM.

Moreover, he shed more light on the rumored new music format designed to revitalize stagnant digital downloads. The 54-year-old rocker also said he complained to Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs five years ago that the iTunes application “looks like a spreadsheet” and more.

Apple and U2 working on secret project to tempt fans into buying music again

Apple has been working with the popular Irish rock band U2 on a secret project that should result in birth of a brand new music format designed to tempt music lovers again into buying both whole albums and individual tracks, according to TIME Thursday.

As a longtime partner of Apple, the Irish band helped the Cupertino firm push the iPod music player into the mainstream by producing a special edition U2 iPod in 2008.

Apple is also one of the biggest proponents of U2 lead singer Bono's Product(RED) initiative to fight AIDS. And earlier this month, U2 played at Apple's iPhone 6 event and is currently giving away its latest album, “Songs of Innocence”, for free on iTunes.

Apple: new U2 album accessed by 33 million users thus far

Apple issued a statement this afternoon from Senior Vice President Eddy Cue regarding its new U2 album promotion. Cue says that over 33 million iTunes account holders have accessed "Songs of Innocence" since the promo launched last week.

Mr. Cue called the number "record-breaking," but didn't elaborate. He did, however, note that the figure includes customers who downloaded the album from their iCloud account, streamed it, or listened to it in iTunes Radio's First Play channel.

Apple creates tool to remove U2’s free album from both your iTunes music library and purchase history

After taking some heat over its decision to force the free U2 album, “Songs of Innocence”, onto users' devices last Tuesday, Apple today published a support document and released a tool which removes the album from users' iTunes music library, as well as from their iCloud purchase history.

The decision to give away the Irish rock band's latest album has backfired because having added it to purchase history has automatically downloaded the album for folks with automatic music downloads enabled in Settings.

U2’s “free” album download cost Apple $100 million, other projects with U2 on the way

As people continue to freak out over Apple’s forced iTunes download of U2’s new album titled “Songs of Innocence,” the New York Times newspaper has learned from sources that the value of the arrangement between the iPhone maker and the aging Irish rock band is in the ballpark of $100 million.

“To release U2’s album free, Apple paid the band and Universal an unspecified fee as a blanket royalty and committed to a marketing campaign for the band worth up to $100 million, according to several people briefed on the deal,” writes NYT.

And according to the band’s manager Guy Oseary, the Cupertino firm has other U2-backed music related projects in the works.

How to grab your free copy of the new U2 album

Apple wrapped up yesterday's presentation by inviting U2 to perform onstage and announce that it will be giving away the band's latest album, titled “Songs of Innocence”, to iTunes users completely free of charge, no strings attached.

During the exclusivity window which closes October 13, iTunes user 13 or older can grab their free copy of the aging rock band's album.

Company CEO Tim Cook called the deal “the largest album release of all time” and here's how you can grab your free copy right now.

U2 closes Apple event, gives latest album away for free in iTunes

As rumored, Apple brought up U2 on stage to perform at the close of today's event. Bono and the band played a single off of their new record "Songs of Innocence," and following the set, Tim Cook announced that Apple will be giving a free copy of the album away to iTunes users over the next month.

Irish newspaper claims U2 won’t be involved in iPhone 6 launch, retracts itself minutes later

There's been a flurry of speculation by fans and watchers alike that the popular Irish rock band U2 will be performing live at Apple's media event next Tuesday and even preload its new album on the forthcoming iPhone 6. Thursday morning, an Irish newspaper added to the confusion.

The band's spokesperson purportedly quashed the rumor in a statement released to Independent [Google Cache]. The story got pulled minutes later without an explanation, casting doubt on its veracity.

As Cody told you last night, The Sunday Times newspaper first started this rumor based on vague hearsay among fans and shady photographic evidence in the form of images depicting U2's secret video shoot in Dublin last week, which music promotor Stephen Browne shared on Twitter.

U2 rumored to be on hand for Apple’s iPhone 6 event

Some interesting rumors began bouncing around the tech world earlier today regarding popular Irish rock band U2 and Apple's big media event next week. The chatter has ranged from the iPhone 6 coming preloaded with the band's new album, to it performing live after the keynote.

Much of the speculation seems to stem from U2's secret video shoot in Dublin last week. According to The Sunday Times, the group closed down Samuel Beckett Bridge for the recording and placed black sheets around the set to prevent the public from seeing what they were shooting.

Apple’s design guru Jony Ive and U2’s Bono to talk (RED) charity partnership at Cannes Lions festival

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity said today that Jonathan Ive, Apple's SVP of Design, will be in attendance of the Cannes Lions festival, due later this month in Cannes, France.

In addition, the rock band U2's lead singer Bono will be honored with his first ever LionHeart Award. The two men are scheduled to sit down for an interesting 45-minute chat to talk working together on (RED) campaigns that raise funds to help fight AIDS.

Apple recently donated a cool $500,000 to a San Francisco anti-poverty charity. Besides, a charitable auction for a lunch with CEO Tim Cook has raised over $330,000...

Bank of America and U2 team up for Product (RED) iTunes free song promo

U2, the famous Irish rock band from Dublin, has teamed up with Bank of America in a new promotion where the latter donates $1 for every free iTunes download of U2's new single titled Invisible to (Product) RED's charity which fights against AIDS.

The promotion was announced via a Super Bowl ad and was designed to help end mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Product (RED) was founded in 2006 by U2 frontman Bono, together with Bobby Shriver of the ONE/DATA, as a way of raising awareness and funds to help eliminate AIDS in Africa...