The new iTunes pricing scheme is set for an April 7 launch, says the Los Angeles Times. They do good work over there. Apple hasn’t revealed this date publicly, but April 7 is supposedly what Cupertino is telling record labels. Remember: prices now top out at $1.29 for popular songs. Think Britney Spears—she’s still popular, right?—Lady Gaga, anything with Auto Tune, etc. This country, I swear. (Although, let the record show, I do like Taylor Swift, which makes me a complete hypocrite and a half-idiot. And I’m not even talking about, “Wow, she’s hot,” (blondes do nothing for me) I actually mean I enjoy her music. Sue me.)
Most songs, it should be noted, will remain at the comfortable $0.99 price point, it’s just that the record labels are so incredibly greedy that they’re willing to alienate their audience (again) by raising prices. You know, during a proper recession. That’s smart business. The record industry could use some Mad Good PR.
That really cannot be overstated, the utter stupidity of the record labels to demand an extra 30 cents from the music-buying public. Even putting the recession aside, on what planet is it a good idea to raise prices on a customer base that is just getting the hang of buying digital music? Ninety-nine cents is an impulse buy; $1.29, what is that?
Whatever, good luck to the labels, I guess. And kudos to Apple to buckling to the pressure.
I dare you to listen to this and not tap your toe; it’s impossible.
Yes! I knew being hopelessly out of touch with modern music would pay off, and it looks like April 7th is the day! Never before has my pop culture ignorance felt like such a shrewd financial move.
(Lady Gaga? There’s a performer called Lady Gaga? Seriously?)
I’m w/u! I’ve never purchased any songs over a buck. I guess my delayed awareness of trendy songs pays off — at least by $0.30 : )
It’s because with the ever increasing cost of transportation, the record companies are being forced to pay more to deliver the music to you.. Wait, that’s not right.. maybe they’re just greedy bastages.
this whole article revolves around two largely inferred ideas. 1. “the utter stupidity of the record labels to demand an extra 30 cents from the music-buying.. ” how do you know its not Apple being greedy and wanting more…
2.that itunes is the only way that consumers pay for music, which is absurd. 80% of record sales are physical from the stores. “
Taylor Swift is cute but I agree: She is a great songwriter and a good singer. She really has a great feel for what makes a good song.
*Her professional, highly-paid, corporate-meeting-attending songwriters* have a great feel for what makes a good song.
Fixed that for you.
Taylor Swift writes and performs her own songs.
Fixed that for you.
Just check the song-writing credits in the CD liner notes.
Taylor Swift wrote all her songs. She’s the real deal.
Do you think professional song-writers would give up their song-writing royalties just to make an artist look good?
Its okay, I like Taylor Swift too.
it’s a moral imperative for whitey to like country music, don’t feel bad about it.
Does this mean that guilt for pirating those songs will increase by 30%.
haha I bet it will
Awww. that sucks. I only buy my songs on impulse, so I wonder how that is going to affect my purchases….
I do love “Love Story” by Taylor Swift though ^^
Great song :)
Talk about giving people even more of a reason to steal music.
Does that include good music as well? Or only popular music?
Okay so let’s see….the labels are failing, and the country is in a recession. The only way to make more money…Raise the price! WHAT? All this is going to do is cause people to think twice before buying Britney’s latest single. This is NOT a smart move.
I have a feeling the guys at Rhapsody will be ECSTATIC if such a move like this is executed.
How many times do I have to politely email you to point out the huge errors in your stories on music before you stop letting your writers just post whatever they want?
I’ll stick with my Zune Pass thank you!
I buy music from Amazon anyway.
So April 7 is the new download like a pirate day you say?
Buy music, and pay more for music that sucks? Another reason I turn on Pandora.
You know, this story and the comments are completely written out of ignorance of the business. The fact that so many of you endorse the act of “stealing” is just wrong.
I’m an artist manager and while I’m in battle with labels many days, they have a right to charge whatever the hell they want for their products. It’s based on basic supply and demand. If people demand the product and are willing to pay the price, then they will pay it. If they aren’t then they don’t have to.
Why shouldn’t every Coke I buy be just $0.49 instead of $0.79 or $1.29 or $1.49. Aren’t convenience stores, fast food restaurants and everyone else just greedy and ripping me off.
Why shouldn’t all software (OS X included) be just $9.99. Look, I’m a huge Apple fan, typing on a Mac right now, but while the government is busy getting involved in business, what would good old Steve Jobs think if they stepped in and said “you know Steve, you sure seem to be making a lot of margin on these here ipods and such. We’re going to take control of your distribution channel and for you to sell them for $99.99. We know you’ll make a lot less money, but the PEOPLE will love it and you won’t be viewed as such a F#&%”.
Does that make any sense? What other distribution channel in this country – hell in the world has a flat price imposed on it. Gas? Cable? Software? Movie Rentals? iPhone Apps? Cold Drinks? Any other consumables?
The issue is that you all think music should somehow be free because you hear it all around you and you want it. Water is all around you too – but you freakin’ pay $1.49 for a bottle of it. FOR A FREAKIN’ BOTTLE OF WATER. Who is greedy with that?
You are NOT entitled to free music. These record companies do NOT owe you anything. They take risk like all other companies, and deserve their reward when they can get it. In this digital age you can preview almost any piece of music out there, so there is far less “buyer beware” than there was with cassettes, LPs and CDs. You can actually hear it before you buy it.
Throw down the sticks and torches against the music industry. YOU ARE WRONG.
TL;DR
thus your ignorance
You’re absolutely right. But I’m afraid the music industry is fighting a losing battle. Your business model is changing and there’s nothing you can do about it.
I remember someone once saying the era of musicians getting rich off their music is ending. Perhaps this is true. I suppose they’ll become more like painters and sculptors who do it but none of them get rich from it.
Ha. Less than 1% of artists have ever gotten rich off making music. And even fewer got rich of record sales. The biggies make it off radio airplay (publishing), touring and merchandising.
So many contradictions. So if artists make their money through airplay, touring and merchandising then why are you raising prices for songs reducing the amount of people who will buy and listen to the music? The cheaper the music is, the more people hear it, the more people that hear the music the higher the chance someone likes it, if someone grows to like the music enough then they go to the local shows and by stuff supporting the artist. Prices for music do not go up for the artist’s benefit, it goes up so the middlemen can continue to line their pockets from an artist’s hard work.
sidenote: If you haven’t noticed, demand has gone DOWN for OVERPRICED music in the last 5 years. Supply and demand, the digital age has limitless supply– LOL.
I think that’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s like charging extra for a train ticket when it’s on peak (I live in New York so I take the Long Island Railroad). Since so many people are going to the city early in the morning and going back to Long Island at night there are certain hours where they charge extra just because there are more people going on the train during that time frame. Since some songs are more popular than others they think they could charge extra just because more people like the song. I hate how all the prices of everything are going up and there are already 5.5 million people who got laid off from work.
So what will the price increase do to the cost of an album?
To buy Taylor Swift’s album on iTunes in the UK costs £7.99. To get the CD version delivered from Amazon (and there are cheaper online retailers than Amazon) costs £8.98. That’s only a 99 pence difference between the two and that’s before any price increase gets factored in.
It seems ridiculous that a low quality MP3 with no physical distribution costs can cost nearly the same as the CD version.
6 months in, it will be interesting to take a look back and see what the statistics look like…..if there is a significant drop in sales @ 1.29.
This is ridiculous and just another good example of another way to push people towards downloading music illegally. Screw iTunes for making this change, it sucks!!