RSSWarner to add catalog to Amazon's MP3 store
By Ed Oswald | Published December 27, 2007, 1:53 PM
The label has announced a deal that allows Amazon to sell DRM-free tracks through its online music store.
The addition of Warner brings the number of DRM-free tracks on Amazon MP3 to 2.9 million, more than any other online music service. Amazon already has deals with many independent labels, as well as majors EMI and Universal.
In an effort to supplant iTunes, it also priced many of its tracks at 89 cents, 10 cents cheaper than its bigger rival. So far, exact numbers of downloads have not been reported, although the service has generally received positive reviews.
Albums on the service range from $5.99 to $9.99, and in an effort to spur use, the top 100 tracks are typically priced at 89 cents, with albums generally available for $8.99 or less. Tracks are encoded at 256kbps.
"As DRM-free music, which does not come with all the annoying and ineffectual restrictions of copyright-protected tunes, becomes more popular, you can expect the labels to use their acquiescence as a bargaining chip with Apple," Erick Shonfeld wrote for TechCrunch.
In addition to the tracks and albums, Warner also announced that it will make available special bundles such as albums with exclusive tracks. No pricing structure for those offers was announced.
I was a long time iTunes Store user...I am no longer.
The interface is fine. "Mp3 Downloads" type in your music search, done.
256kbs sound great, NO DRM, and one click album or track buying. Plus Amazon keeps an online library of all your purchases. So you can organize them, email to friends or research your collection. NIFTY!
It's awesome. No longer do I have to de-DRM my tracks. I am totally addicted to Amazon mp3 music now.
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|I've said it before and I'll say it again, again and again!!..AMAZON IS GREAT!!!...iTunes is a piece of mierda!
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|Too bad the Amazon store interface is horrible. I would rather spend the 10 cents extra and use iTunes. iTunes has by far, the best interface for a music store.
Plus it seamlessly syncs your iPod and Apple TV. Nothing on the market comes close.
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|Should be using the strong tag anyway. b tag is for suckers.:)
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|^This^
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|Does Ed not know he forgot to turn off the bold correctly? Guess not.
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|"[./b]"
Lovely.
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|Alright.
Step in the right direction.
Only like three or four to go.
Lord knows Sony will be the last one, though.
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|Wow... did hell just freeze over?
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|This whole game that the labels are playing with Apple are just stupid. Why would you sell your music with one company for 89 cents and not another for 99 cents? If I was an artist I'd sue the record company for playing games like this. The record companies job is to sell as many copies of a song as they can. Not doing DRM free with Apple is not doing that.
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|Anybody know the details of the cut these labels get? Maybe they get more from Amazon even though Amazon charges less.
Here I go again with the Best Buy analogy... It's like those slightly cheaper CD prices at Best Buy vs. the regular prices at the old Tower Records. It gets people in the door of BB so they can buy high margin junk like Bose speakers, cables, and extended warranties... Or the virtual doors of Amazon.
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