Apple lowering DRM-free tracks to $0.99 -- embracing Indies?

The rumors are rampant this morning about an imminent, cross-the-board iTunes Plus (DRM-free) price cut. Previously, all Plus tracks had been listed at $1.29, not the usual $0.99 for DRM "protected" media. That premium delivers 256kbps quality tracks for you to play on any device supporting AAC playback. Of these tracks, nearly all were from EMI or just a handful of Indies. Now, presumably in response to launch of Amazon's MP3 store which prices DRM-free tracks at $0.89 or $0.99, Apple appears ready to cut the price of all Plus tracks to $0.99. As the rumor goes, we should see more Indie's shed their DRM sometime this week, if not today.

[Via MacRumors]

[Paul @ Oct 16th 2007 2:22AM]

less price = better for consumers
thanks apple!

[DXN3585 @ Oct 16th 2007 2:39AM]

and worst for artists

[Al @ Oct 16th 2007 9:37AM]

Re: DXN3585

Set the price high and no-one buys. Reasonable prices, good quality and no DRM - sounds like a winner and the death of DRM laden music is coming closer.

[yoshi @ Oct 16th 2007 4:13AM]

If you are that concerned about the artists, you can write them a check for whatever extra amount you feel you should have paid. And you can comfort yourself with the knowledge that all of that check would then go directly to the artists and not the record companies.

But I somehow think that you won't be doing that.

[David @ Oct 16th 2007 2:46AM]

mmm....Apple taking a stand against RIAA

...drools.....

[Mr. B @ Oct 16th 2007 2:53AM]

LOL, taking a stand... don't the record companies get about 70 of that 99 cents?

[Paul @ Oct 16th 2007 2:54AM]

@DXN
Most of the money from these purchases goes to the record label, not the artist.

[Fruition @ Oct 16th 2007 2:56AM]

You say that you can play the DRM-free tracks on any player that supports AAC, but in truth you can play them on any MP3 player, since without DRM iTunes allows you to convert the song to MP3 or other format of your choosing.

[JJ @ Oct 16th 2007 3:03AM]

Who-Hoo!
I just looked, and my band's album and singles are all now DRM free! This is amazing.
Now only if Apple could get over their iPhone securities, and get back to being quasi rebellious.

This means great things for bands like mine. And all independent artists. The one thing that made me love LL Cool J in the 90s was the mixtape of hip-hop and Rock my older brother made me with Nirvana and a bunch of other artists, and to this day, I will buy LL Cool J albums, and Nirvana boxed sets.

99p will only buy you Kraft Dinner this year only, but building a fanbase can pay your rent for years.

[daveuy88 @ Oct 16th 2007 3:28AM]

i'll stick with emusic.com for the indie guys

[JJ @ Oct 16th 2007 3:36AM]

You guys aren't aware of the way the business works now.
DRM-free is way better for the artist.
In fact, simple online retailing of music makes it so that the label can't ding you for recoupables, and only take a very small percentage for placing the tracks on iTunes.

The INDIE artist gets a larger share from their work, and the tracks can be played and enjoyed by all.

This kind of thing may not be good for Justin or Nelly Furtado, but it works for The Cave Singers.

[JP @ Oct 16th 2007 3:59AM]

Yay! Adam Smith's invisible hand to the rescue! http://flickr.com/photos/yatima/487683764/in/pool-philolsophers/

I really hope their lowering the price around the world though, not just in the US.

[JP @ Oct 16th 2007 4:01AM]

Oops. I meant "they're" not "their". Please don't kill me Grammar Nazis!

[Nick Smith @ Oct 16th 2007 1:20PM]

I bought the new Underworld album for £5 from 7digital.com (EMI's website) yesterday. Tracks encoded at 192kbps, which is more than good enough for me plus no DRM (wmv and acc downloads available as well). The also have a locker where you can download purchased albums for as long as you like. Basically it's a better way to buy music than iTunes.

[daddycool @ Oct 16th 2007 6:39AM]

You want idie songs/albums? Go to emusic.com. You want mainstream? You're a fool if you don't use Amazon MP3.

[frank @ Oct 16th 2007 12:08PM]

Ooooor I can just use itunes because it's already there, it's convenient, and I care about this much:
--->

[Jake @ Oct 16th 2007 7:33AM]

It looks like this is active already. I'm looking at The Shins: Wincing the Night away right now. $9.99 for the album, $0.99 per track, all iTunes Plus.

[DogGunn @ Oct 16th 2007 7:41AM]

Nice, the cheaper the better, and the more money Apple gets in the end. A little ironic, but it's true!

[Hollywood Ron @ Oct 16th 2007 8:31AM]

Now when Europe forces Apple to break the stranglehold relationship between iTunes and the iPod, I'll be able to use them.

[Leonardo DiCrapio @ Oct 16th 2007 11:57AM]

daddycool is spot on. AAC is a waste of money DRM-free or not. EMusic is cheaper (and all their music is DRM-free in MP3 format). Amazon sells in MP3 format (so you can transfer the songs to your phone, play MP3 tracks on your car CD player, etc.). AAC plays on iPods, iPhones, Sony's A-Trac players, and not much else.

Converting AAC to MP3 is a conversion from one lossy format to another lossy format. Just because it can be done with a DRM-free AAC track (converting it to MP3) doesn't mean that you won't lose sound quality in the conversion (which you almost assuredly will lose sound quality as AAC and MP3 use different compression algorithms which take different bits out of each song).

[trvs @ Oct 16th 2007 12:52PM]

annnnd itunes pays their artists/labels a lot more than emusic. emusic is only good for back catalogue stuff -- more and more labels are holding off on new releases since the payoff is less than other digital stores. unless emusic raises prices again, they'll start to lose market share.

plus... i'd rather have a 256 aac file over a 192 vbr mp3.. but whatever. it's all lossy.

[ehisforadam @ Oct 16th 2007 8:40AM]

Barenaked Ladies for the win!

[Timerider @ Oct 16th 2007 11:02AM]

lol I was just about to say that.

[Jake @ Oct 16th 2007 9:04AM]

Thomas: FYI. iTunes+ tracks are indeed $0.99 (been downloading a bunch this morning), but you still have to pay the $0.30 fee to upgrade an existing iTunes track to iTunes+.

[Jon Q @ Oct 16th 2007 9:20AM]

Not all songs are $0.99. I'm looking at Jesse Cook and his iTunes Plus songs are still $1.29

[m @ Oct 16th 2007 12:05PM]

None of the plus songs I have been keeping in my cart has gone down to $.99.

[Tom Boucher @ Oct 16th 2007 9:42AM]

Don't think this is valid, at least if you look at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=262874011&s=143441 which is KT Tunstall's latest release, it's still $1.29 per track for the iTunes Plus content. While maybe some are coming in at a lower price DRM free they've not gone back and dropped the price on existing EMI content.

[SteveJ @ Oct 16th 2007 10:05AM]

Just give me Icky Thump in + form. I would download it from emusic (which I subscribe to and love far more than iTS) but for some reason emusic can not distribute icky thump in the US, or does not, unlike the other White Stripes albums. Why?

[trvs @ Oct 16th 2007 12:43PM]

icky thump is on beggars in the uk and warner brothers in the us -- so uk can download since beggars is on emusic. wb obviously is not on emusic...

no worries though -- give it a few more years and there won't be any labels to worry about and you can get your icky thump anywhere...

[frank @ Oct 16th 2007 11:52AM]

GODDAMNIT! 99 cents!?!?!? But I just bought a bunch of 1.30$ ones since the DRM-free ones were available! This is an OUTRAGE! I'mna send an email to Steve Jobs! I'm insane with rage! I demand a 10 cent Apple store card for each of my purchases!
Lowering prices! Pffft! No one should ever lower the price of ANYTHING that people purchased for full price!

Sarcastic tirade over for now.

[TurboFool @ Oct 16th 2007 1:52PM]

I love the irony of using BNL in the picture, considering you can already buy BNL's music in DRM-free MP3 format direct from their web site, as you've been able to from years. Much rather do it that way.