iTunes Store now infected with variable pricing, Amazon still $0.99
By Thomas Ricker 
posted April 7th 2009 4:34AM
posted April 7th 2009 4:34AM
in April, based on what the music labels charge Apple, songs on iTunes will be available at one of three price points-69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29-with many more songs priced at 69 cents than $1.29.Regardless, we know where we'll be purchasing our Miley Cyrus from now on.
[Thanks, Jesse]
Read -- January "Changes Coming to the iTunes Store" press release
Read -- iTunes top songs [Warning: iTunes App link]
Read -- Amazon top songs
I never thought to buy music on Amazon until I got my G1 since it has a client built right in and it's super easy to use. Now I have even more reason to stick with them.
Amazon FTW. Although I have, and use daily, several iPods in my home, I haven't used iTunes in over a year. I do all my music shopping on Amazon's music download store. Plenty of $.99 full album deals quite frequently. Amazon has sales everyday. No iTunes for me. Variable prices, yeah right. That's an excuse for higher prices.
What is wrong with you people? Amazon has had variable pricing since DAY ONE. That's why all the popular albums on Amazon cost more, and popular tracks are all $1.29 each. Amazon has been doing everything you claim to hate about the iTunes store since the very first day it went online.
I’ve been buying my MP3s from both iTunes and Amazon for quite some time now. Obviously, I’ll be buying the vast majority of my music from Amazon from hereon (unless they follow suit with increases). Amazon is a breeze to use, the Downloader smoothly transfers my downloads into my iTunes library. Another reason I started using Amazon is that I noticed I could frequently find tracks by certain artists that weren’t available on iTunes.
If you find the UI at iTunes easier and more convenient to navigate, use it to do your browsing and sampling and then head on over to Amazon when you’re ready to buy.
That’s what I’ll be doing from now on.
No you won't (if you think that'll save money). Amazon now has three tier pricing too.
Correction, Amazon has had tiered pricing since day one. Yes, Amazon MP3s have ALWAYS had tiered pricing. Why do you think they were allowed to sell MP3s without DRM and Apple wasn't? I can't believe how ignorant you people are.
The labels are pathetic and they wonder why people still feel totally comfortable stealing their product. Remember how all this played out. The labels wanted to be able to charge more for popular songs. Apple felt that .99 was the right price point and now, with the battle against piracy, was not the time to raise prices. Apple also lobbied the labels hard for DRM free music, arguing that anyone can rip a CD, in a much publicized open letter from Steve Jobs.
So what to the labels do? They give DRM free music to everyone but Apple and use that as leverage to force Apple to agree to tiered pricing. Forget the .69 song crap. That's just smoke to disguise what they really want which is selling the top tracks for $1.29 or more.
Why do this to Apple and let Amazon continue to sell them at .99? Because at the moment iTunes sells the overwhelming majority of digital music. As soon as that shifts, which the labels desperately want to remove any power from Apple, you can bet your life that Amazon's pricing will follow Apple's. The labels basically blackmailed Apple in order to screw over its customers. And they wonder why people steal music...
Well, considering this is only going to affect the "popular" songs (meaning: The crappy top-40, hip-hop, pop, and other lame music) I don't really care. Nothing on that list up there appeals to me in even the slightest fashion. It's terrible music. I wouldn't give you a dime for it, much less a dollar.
Hi there- Amazon had variable pricing from the get go. Also, I'm a big fan of lala.com with consistent $.89, full preview rights, and a fantastic library. In speaking of variable pricing, I'd also point to the steep discounts on Amazon albums, with full albums going for under $5. Furthermore, since Amazon uses a widely supported codec, I'd say it's Amazon and lala FTW.
On the plus side, it appears "explicit" songs are always $0.99*
*based on sample of two tracks in Engadget image.
I hope Apple puts a 69-cent feature section of the itunes store, just to mess with the record labels.
Amazon is really going to move up in the market share thanks to what iTunes is doing. Amazon understands the benefits of having affordable songs and great specials. I usually just follow amazon's mp3 album daily deal to get a great bargain. i can get a complete album for sometimes less than the price of one track on iTunes (sometimes). I usually use the following page and gadget to make sure i never miss their deal:
http://www.frugalgadgets.com/amazon-mp3-daily-deal.php
How can Amazon leave their prices at $.99 if this is being mandated by the record labels? Is it really the labels ploy to take away Apple's dominance? If that's the case, it doesn't really seem fair. Apple and iTunes pretty much rescued digital media. To punish them for being dominant and good at what they do almost seems illegal.
Zune Marketplace is also DRM free 99¢ a song.
They also work with iPods.
That's why Amazon just brought in their own three tier pricing...... That differential lasted a whole 12 hours.
No. Amazon did not "just" bring in tiered pricing.
Amazon has ALWAYS had variable pricing. ALWAYS. Ever since the first day they went online. And yes, variable pricing does, in fact, mean that a lot of albums and tracks are more expensive than $10/album or $.99/track.
It's been like this since DAY ONE, people.
Did my other comment work? http:www.evilucius.com PAY FOR MUSIC WAS THE GUIST OF IN WITH PLASTIC ME. hope that makes sense? MikeSence with a "c"
£rd Time lucky. www.evilucius.com PAY YOUR WAY. ME PLASTIC! MikeSence with a "c"
OR blip.fm or Spofify then BUY!
http://www.dijnr.com
http://animatable.com
http://p33coo.com
Careless Whisper?!? Are you trying to tell us something, Thomas?
The price have gone up so much.
What would all the music loves do :(
Check some latest updates on itunes here:
http://techunits.com/content/list_all/83/itunes
Itunes is really starting to get annoying. Almost more trouble than its worth! Good thing for LimeWire!
RT
www.anon-tools.cz.tc
iTunes will always be on top. this will not affect their success.
Remainder of headline: Amazon's library still microscopic compared to iTunes
Add to that NY sales tax 8.375% I bought the MLB app for my iphone for $9.99 plus tax total came up to $10.83
anyone want to buy my iPod touch? 16g first gen....
1) there is no specific evidence that the record companies are charging apple more than others ( like amazon) - or show me prove. And overwhelming historical evidence that Apple always has a high markup than other tech company's - so who should you blame based on the evidence at hand
Did people want this for some reason?
Well LimeWire Sounds Better Still To Me, It's Not Illegal. ITS SHARING!!
Geez, would it have killed Endgadget to update the story with the fact that all the online MP3 distributors updated their prices inline with iTunes? I know, it would change the story from being "Apple is evil" to "The record companies are evil", and that wasn't the main intent when it was published, but come on.
Best place to get music