iTunes 69-Cent Bargain Bin to Debut April 7

March 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm PT

April 7. That’s when the 99-cent-per-song rate that iTunes first set in 2003 will finally end, says the LA Times. On that day–and not April 1 as Apple originally claimed–the company will introduce a new tiered-pricing plan that will see it peddling songs for 69 cents, 99 cents, and $1.29, according to popularity.

In the past, Apple (AAPL) has said that many more songs will be priced at 69 cents than at $1.29. But that 69-cent bargain bin is viewed as little consolation to some who question the wisdom of introducing what amounts to a 30 percent price increase with the economy in recession and online piracy an easy option.

Said Nine Inch Nails manager Jim Guerinot, “Wouldn’t it make sense to try to price it cheaper instead of squeezing the handful of people who are still willing to pay for music?”

Perhaps. But when has the recording industry ever done anything that made sense?

Tagged with: AAPL, Apple, entertainment, Internet, iTunes, Jim Guerinot, John Paczkowski, LA Times, music, Nine Inch Nails, popularity, pricing plan, rate, recording industry, song, tiered pricing, variable pricing

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http://www.torontosmalldogs.com Teru Matano

I always wondered if each song had the same value.Music is an art, then a song should have a different value. It’s like selling a copy of an art picture(photo) at the same price, regardless of what kind of a picture and who took it.

Now we’ll have 3 different prices(at least if you buy them through Apple).
But I also wonder if it is a good thing to devide the prices according to “popularity”.
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Teru
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