As a result of a new agreement between online music retailers and the recording industry, all three major sellers of music downloads have adjusted their pricing. Whereas before the majority of songs were sold for $.89 or $.99 per track, now iTunes, Amazon, and Wal-Mart are all offering downloads in a range of prices dictated by popularity and other factors. Here’s how the prices run down:
- iTunes Music Store
downloads now cost $.69, $.99, or $1.29 per track. Apple has mitigated the pain a bit here by making every track available as a higher-quality sound file than before and stripping away the five-device limit that was once standard in the iTunes Store. But on the flip side, anecdotal evidence seems to indicate far more tracks priced at $1.29 than $.69.
- Amazon
MP3 downloads now cost $.79, $.99 or $1.29 per song. Amazon’s approach seems to be to apply the lower prices a bit more freely than at iTunes, and Amazon’s songs have never had play restrictions attached.
- And Wal-Mart comes in on the low end here with downloads offered at $.64, $.94, and $1.24. The retail giant also offers specific pages highlighting songs available at the different price points.
Are you able to find what you listen to at the lower price points? Or has this change made buying music more expensive for you?
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