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iTunes DRM-Free Tracks Now Same Price As DRM Tracks
jawtheshark writes "Apple has made the decision to revise the pricing of Plus songs on the iTunes Music store. Whereas previously the DRM-less tracks were more expensive than the 'normal' option (at $1.29 vs. $0.99), DRM-less tracks bought via ITMS will now be priced on the same level as DRM'd tracks. 'Apple plans to expand iTunes Plus to include certain indie music labels starting Wednesday, October 17 (or sometime this week, at least) ... This expansion won't include all independent music labels just yet, although we're optimistic that more will be included in the future. While we have no information on whether the iTunes Plus songs are selling well, we assume that the decision to drop the price is a response to the Amazon MP3 store. Amazon sells individual tracks for between 89 and 99 apiece, all without any DRM restrictions. With that in mind, it's kind of hard for Apple to compete at $1.29.'"
Why are they selling DRM and non-DRM for the same price? Is that sort of like:
"If you want to ride the roller coster you have to get corn holed first, or you can just get on the ride."
I smoked pot once. But I DID NOT inhale. Will you hire me?
They're dropping the prices of DRM-free music? But what about us early adopters who've already bought music from them? Are they going to give us a refund since they clearly scammed us of our hard-earned money? Maybe I'll just sue Apple...
I might say something like "Apple has been forced to reduce pricing to compete with other online music stores after losing a major contract with Universal. Combined with the relatively closed nature of the iPod, and negative publicity about the iPhone, Apple looks like it will have to do some major adjusting in order to continue to remain dominant in a market that they helped create."
But I'm not a pundit.
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
Yea man, its too hard to import mp3s into itunes</sarcasm>
Oh my God Apple dropped another price! It's just like the iPhone all over again. SUE!! SUE!!
"I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain
I agree with you, but you must be new here. Slashdotters will tell you that ripping a CD causes irreparable file damage rendering the song unlistenable and DRM exists solely to lock consumers into having to buy iPods. I mean, nobody buys iPods because they are the best player on the market, they only buy them because they have to because of all their iTunes songs. And iTunes sucks so hard too, makes you wonder why people need iPods in the first place, since no true slashdotter would ever use such a debilitating business model like iTunes. Yeah, that's my take on it in my first full year of slashdotting, but I'm still here, so I must like the punishment.