It turns out iTunes users can live with or without U2 in their accounts. After receiving complaints from customers who can definitely do away with the Irish band's automatically downloaded album, Apple is helping users remove U2 from their iTunes accounts.
The legendary rock act had performed at Apple's event last week, and they capped a night that was highlighted by the announcement of the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, and the Apple Watch. Immediately after the event, free copies of U2's latest album Songs of Innocence were instantly uploaded to the accounts of millions of iTunes users in the world.
It appears that not all iPhone users welcomed the music freebie. Many of the complaints centered around the fact that the free album is taking up precious iPhone storage space, and try as they might to delete it, they could not.
Through a newly created SOI Removal website page, Apple stated that if they want to, users can remove the album from their iTunes music library and iTunes purchases by clicking an on-screen icon. The company further added that once removed, the album can not be downloaded again, that is, free of charge.
U2's album is available for free download to any user who has or is planning to open an iTunes account by October 13 of this year. It is the band's first studio outing since No Line on the Horizon, which was released five years ago in 2009.
U2 has been known for releasing albums that earned critical and commercial success during the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. But apparently, their impressive track record is not immune to some backlash.
Still, it may not be entirely U2's fault, some opine that Apple may have had a hand. It was the company after all who made the album automatically downloadable without asking permission from the iTunes users themselves. As for the users, some have expressed concern that the move, while well-intentioned, was a bit invasive. And with all the celebrity phone hacks going on, the timing was definitely not that good to say the least. Adding to that was the absence of a delete feature, which could have helped calmed people's nerves, or at least not rile them enough to complain about it.
For sure, there is a lesson for Apple and U2 (or any other musical act out there who may be thinking of doing the same thing): make sure to ask politely next time.
