iTunes prices set to rise under label pressure?

[Steve]

The music industry, always the victim, wants to see iTunes prices, along with other music download service prices, go up.

Variable pricing will mean the cost of some, less popular songs, will come down. Apple unilaterally imposed the 99 cents per song fee by refusing - according to popular legend - to sign the terms offered by the major labels. Then it went ahead and launched the iTunes Music Store anyway, riding a Shock and Awe publicity campaign, and effectively daring the labels to pull out.

(We've been able to confirm or deny this version of events, but it's an oft-told story).

The labels and the download sites have been at loggerheads ever since. Microsoft was reported to have pulled out of negotiations entirely with the Big Four labels.

Last month a top music business lawyer called for the labels to withdraw their support from iTunes altogether.

[The Register]

[Jonny M]

Well this certainly isn't going to make those college girls go straight back to Limewire!

Someone needs to royally beat sense into these record labels, preferably with something sharp and carrying an infectious disease.

[directhex]

i wholeheartedly support this.

the more stupid the record industry behaves, the faster it'll speed towards death.

[Funkstar]

the faster iTunes dissappears the better. I know a lot of people like it (and other services) but i just can't stand the thought of music downloads taking over.

[Jonny M]

i wholeheartedly support this.

the more stupid the record industry behaves, the faster it'll speed towards death.

At least the major labels will. I can't remember the last time I liked a band/act which was signed to a major label.

[specofdust]

i wholeheartedly support this.

the more stupid the record industry behaves, the faster it'll speed towards death.

Thats exactly the way I feel. Its obselete and outdated, and the sooner its gone the better, and I do think its gonna go down, eventually, even if sales have been progressively increasing every single year for ages.

[directhex]

the faster iTunes dissappears the better. I know a lot of people like it (and other services) but i just can't stand the thought of music downloads taking over.

downloads are fine. i buy from bleep.com

what i mind is DRM

[specofdust]

I think you'll find many people object directhex, due to the quality, obviously on a pair of computer speakers and an audigy 2, most of us are happy with a 192 or above mp3, but someone whos spent tens of thousands of pounds on their system, is going to want the highest quality possible, so CD's, SACD's and Vinyl only.

[TheAnimus]

The problem the record companies have is they've no wear to go. DRM cd's are having a hard time.

Bluray, HD-DVD are divergent technologies, but provide DRM.

They've no platform which they want to use. They will make the switch to one of the technologies mentioned above (SACD hasn't taken off, because people can't hear the difference on 99% of consumer's stero's).

What they are doing is wanting to prolong their hudge CD revenue for as long as possible, until they can think of a solution.

Think of the pressure Virgin, HMV etc must of been putting on them, we've already seen the double standards for mail order verses in store.

But now, they've decided that 99cents isn't enough for the popular music.......... This is the bit i REALLY don't understand, basic supply + demand, linear programming 101. With increased supply, (lets assume thats infinate), then its only the demand which is the problem, when the demand is high, you up the price, when the demand is low, you lower the price. I kind of get that. But when you look at it from a music fan's perspective, this album cost x to produce, why, if there is so many sales, do you need to charge more for it. Surely you've re-coped it. But for me, this sliding scale will really save me money, can't think the last time i bought a CD that was considered popular by UK chart standards.

[TheAnimus]

I think you'll find many people object directhex, due to the quality, obviously on a pair of computer speakers and an audigy 2, most of us are happy with a 192 or above mp3, but someone whos spent tens of thousands of pounds on their system, is going to want the highest quality possible, so CD's, SACD's and Vinyl only.

or flac, or ape, or WMA lossless.

All of which are small, and provided by download sites, for instance them lucky russians have
www.allofmp3.com which has much of its catalogue available in flac...... lucky gits to have such inspired royalty rates.

[Swafe]

What another load of rubbish.

79p a track or whatever it is, is enough, for a typical 12 track CD thats 9.48, about the same price as a CD, but you dont even get the CD!

So why the hell do they think people will pay even more? People will stop buying them in favour of CDs again, or even worse, just not pay for them at all

[Flibb]

just looking at allofmp3. Would be a bit worried about using them with a credit card, but low and behold you can buy from the UK using a mobile and sms. Works out a £2 an album Might have to dig out an old sim card with a few quid on it.

[Jonny M]

People will stop buying them in favour of CDs again

I'd buy CDs if they were actually CDs, the problem is they are corrupted pieces of crap.

AllOfMp3 is no more legal than getting the album off BitTorrent.

[5lab]

thing is, if itunes went off-line, because no mp3s available, it would simply encourage people to download illegally.

i dont think it'll happen. they will try to throw their weight, but i think apple are firmly in the driving seat.. it'd be like them all pulling out of the cd market because of a row with philips.

[autopilot]

I'd buy CDs if they were actually CDs, the problem is they are corrupted pieces of crap.

AllOfMp3 is no more legal than getting the album off BitTorrent.

79p is still too much in my opinion. There are three main factors here; Quality is much lower with WMA, MP3 etc. There is no production costs as opposed to pressing CD's and packaging and the distribution costs can be lower. Restricted use of DRM files also bothers me when i can buy a CD and use it anywhere or rip it to any device. How they can justify a price increase is beyond me. I don't use Itunes and this will make me even more unlikely to start. It's still chearper to buy the CD from Play etc in most cases anyway.

I would rather buy the CD and be able to rip it to format of my choice - full quality FLAC for my Squeezebox and Hi-Fi and 128 MP3 for my phone. No DRM means i can listen to the music i have paid for in the way and where i want to. Plus i get the original full quality CD to keep for when my hard drive goes down.

As for AllOfMP3 being illegal and just like using P2P, well i have read all sorts of well respected sites who all say that while it may be a grey area, it's not be proven to be illegal. They have been raided by the authorities on request of the US FBI and record industry twice and both times been found to be operating within Russian law. The question is, would people outside of Russia be braking the law? It would seem that it's no more illegal than ordering a PSP from Japan. If you buy something legally in one country, why can't you export/bring it home?

[directhex]

thing is, if itunes went off-line, because no mp3s available, it would simply encourage people to download illegally.

copy-protected dolby aac

let's not pretend we're dealing with mp3