Coastie and GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us that the five major recording labels have managed to get Apple to raise the price of some of its songs on iTunes by a whopping 70%. The five big labels have been in negotiations with Apple to raise prices since around April and it seems these negotiations have worked. Apple has now signed agreements with the big five companies Emi, Berelsmann, Sony, Universal and Warner which will see some single songs at 99c rise to around $ 1.25 this increase represents an 26% hike, the music industry wanted to go as far as $ 2.99 a song. Along with single song price raises some album prices will be raised from the usual $ 9.99 to around $ 16.99 which represents a 70% hike in prices. Although Apple agree to rise prices it did avoid signing an agreement which made them sell some artists songs as albums only so can instead sell them as singles songs...
| The world's five biggest music labels have successfully forced Apple to increase the prices it charges for songs on the online iTunes Music Store.As we reported back in April, the major labels have been engaged in negotiations with the Mac maker in a bid to persuade it to put up prices. According to a New York Post report today, citing sources close to the talks, all five have succeeded. The sources claim Apple has now signed agreements with EMI, Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG), Sony, Universal and Warner that will see prices on some songs rise from 99c to $ 1.25, an increase of over 26 per cent. Still, that's better than the $ 2.99 price point some labels had been pushing Apple to introduce. Album prices are going up to. Many are likely to continue to be offered for $ 9.99, but some are appearing in the ITMS for $ 16.99, a rise of 70 per cent. As one music industry source told The Register: "That will really ingratiate the public and discourage piracy, won't it?" Apple does appear to have had it way in other areas, however. The NYP's sources reckon the company did not agree to label demands that some artists' songs only be sold in album batches and not as individual tracks. |
You can read the full story over at The Register. As usual the music
industry tries to rip off the people that wont go out and buy cds, as I see it
they are trying to kill the digital scene with these kind of price hikes.
Digital music is now about the same price as conventional cds even more in some
cases so what is the point in digital downloads at these kinds of prices when
you could get conventional cds at cheaper prices.
Source: The Register
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