Amazon Invests In Dynamic Pricing Model For MP3s

NittanyTuring writes "Amazon recently closed a Series A financing deal with Amiestreet.com, a startup selling DRM-free MP3s with a demand-based pricing model. All music starts out free, and prices increase for popular tracks. Jeff Blackburn, Senior Vice President for Business Development, Amazon.com: 'The idea of having customers directly influence the price of songs is an interesting and novel approach to selling digital music.' What does this mean for Amazon's own intentions to sell music?"

Comments

Novel idea

[rlp]

A novel new business idea - the recording industry HATES that.

Re:Novel idea

[GeckoX]

Just thought I'd take a moment to supply this poor lonely soul with a brief, though apparently much needed, pre-school level human anatomy lesson, with a bit of English language thrown in for kicks.

The words 'dick' and 'cock' in English are slang terms for the human 'penis', of which only males of our species have one. Further, except in the case of extreme and rare genetic defects, male humans have exactly one penis. Thus using the term 'suck my dick orcock' is illogical as both terms refer to the same male appendage.

Unless of course you have your dick in one hand, and a cock of the avian persuasion in the other...which considering your post may be the smart money ;)

Re:Novel idea

[vuffi_raa]

There's only one supplier for any particular song. If I really like the Eagles' "Hotel California", my choices are "buy it" or "don't buy it". In a "normal" industry, I'd also have the choice "Buy this other one that's practically the same thing but cheaper." that would be cool- if there were cheap Chinese imports of knockoff songs... hoter carifolnia and other great hits-
seriously man- I would pay for that

Finally

[Duffy13]

I for one welcome our DRM free overlords.

Love it

[Quiet_Desperation]

The stuff I like will cost 0.01 while the popular spooge hits the cap. I love you, free market. :)

Re:Love it

[kpainter]

I wonder if they will pay me to download Yoko Ono tracks?

This could actually be nice for some people

[Optic7]

Those who prefer to listen to non-mainstream artists would get cheaper music, while those who prefer to listen to mainstream artists would pay more for it. It almost sounds like a tax on lack of musical taste to subsidize music geeks!

Re:pissed off customers, thats what it means

[omeomi]

more to the point, what is to stop me from "selling" my free versions when the band gets popular?

One could set up an entire MP3 futures trading market! You could invest in MP3's, hoping that their popularity will grow...

Brilliant

[harvey_peterson]

The screw-you pricing of the airline industry and the crappy product of the corporate music industry.

Can't fail.

Re:pissed off customers, thats what it means

[Lord Ender]

Wow. So you are telling me I could short Fergie? Quick! Buy 100 PUTs on "Big Girls Don't Cry!"

Re:SWEET!

[anaesthetica]

Finally! All that non-conformance pays off!!
--
Psychic spies from China cryin to pass deregulation
Little girls from Sweden dream of free speech legislation

Says the guy with a Red Hot Chili Peppers lyric as his sig...