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Mainstream iTunes tracks to raise in price April 7th

updated 03:40 pm EDT, Thu March 26, 2009

iTunes cost hike on Apr. 7

Apple's plans to enact variable music pricing at the iTunes Store will take effect April 7th, says the LA Times. Although Apple has yet to publicly announce a firm date, the information is said to be circulating in the music industry, as a result of Apple telling record labels in preparation. Many mainstream hits, including both new and old songs, will be raised in price from 99 cents to $1.29.

As previously announced, a number of older tracks should simultaneously be reduced in cost to 69 cents, in a bid to encourage back-catalog sales. The changes are generally acknowledged to be a result of pressure from major labels, which have been unhappy with digital sales as CD-based distribution continues to decline. Apple's concession may have allowed the simultaneous removal of DRM, which was initially put in place to appease concerns over piracy; the technology is now increasingly rare though, missing from prominent sites such as Amazon and eMusic.

 
Previous Comments

Woohoo!

03/26, 04:00pm reply

Older music is better music. And older music will now be cheaper music!

Although in an interesting turn (and who saw the RIAA doing this???), apparently it isn't just 'new' music costing more, it's "mainstream hits, including both new and old songs,"

So I guess no hope of getting "Afternoon Delight" for .69.

testudo

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

+1

And it begins

03/26, 04:25pm reply

And begins the s******* over of the customers. Add a little more here, a little more there. Thanks RIAA.

lamewing

Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2004

+5

Old school

03/26, 04:27pm reply

I'm old school music so I probably won't feel this at all. New music, for the most part, is just not my cup of tea.

But you have to laugh at how the music moguls are still playing with the k**** in their ongoing efforts in finding a way to return to music sales' greedy days.

(Somewhere, Roger Waters is laughing...Ha, ha, charade you are!)

/

doctor9

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

+6

And it begins

03/26, 04:29pm reply

And begins the s******* over of the customers. Add a little more here, a little more there. Thanks RIAA.

At least the RIAA cannot do anything about secondhand sales of CDs and imports...yet.

At least we will have more jobs soon as I can just see the RIAA, the record labels, and the broadband internet providers sending a individual to your home to keep tabs on your usage on a daily basis. Of course they will raise your rates to pay for this new "feature"...but you will suck it up and LIKE it!!! :P

lamewing

Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2004

+2

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