Filed under: iTS, Rumors, iTunes
Apple to drop price of iTunes Plus?
Infinite Loop is reporting that Apple will be altering the iTunes Plus program in iTunes this week. iTunes Plus, as you might recall, is what Apple calls the DRM free higher quality tracks that are currently available on iTunes for a premium ($1.29 vs. $.99 for DRMed tracks). It would seem that Apple, possibly responding to Amazon MP3, plans on lowering the price of iTunes Plus tracks to $.99 and will expand it to include some indie labels.Here's hoping that DRM free digital downloads reign supreme.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
itsmeee said 9:41PM on 10-15-2007
I bought "Poor Aim: Love Songs - EP" the other night on my touch and noticed the price was $.99 a song though it was a plus song. I figured it was a glitch and I would get charged $1.29, guess I was wrong! :)
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Galley said 9:48PM on 10-15-2007
I am waiting for more labels to go DRM-free. I'm happy with the 99 cent price.
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a ham sandwich said 9:48PM on 10-15-2007
i really hate to bring this up (like really really hate to even mention it) but what say you on 30 cent refunds for those already bought. my guess is no chance in hell. they'll never go the iphone route again i don't think.
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Alex said 9:57PM on 10-15-2007
The new Sub Pop releases, Iron & Wine and Band of Horses, are available in 99c iTunes Plus.
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jas said 9:59PM on 10-15-2007
well i guess here in Australia, we wont be getting any discounts as the Amazon store is only for US customers (as the world ceases to exist beyond that blue watery thing) So its just Itunes for us. Every other online music seller here is Windows Windows Windows
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jas said 10:11PM on 10-15-2007
Also Itunes plus songs here in OZ are currently $2.19au ($1.99 for non plus tracks) which converts to $1.96us So now US store is charging $0.99??
Were used to paying a bit more for everything here but NOT DOUBLE! come on Apple.
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Kevin said 10:30PM on 10-15-2007
The iTunes Store is totally screwed up. I was looking at an album and it said it was iTunes Plus. I went to see it again to purchase it and it changed back to a iTunes AAC 128kbps song. This also happened with Iron and Wine's the Shepherd's Dog. I have the protected version and the non-DRM is the same price only days later. I asked for a refund and they said they will be refunding me for the Iron and Wine CD. I suggest if you do not have to buy on the iTS this week, I wouldn't. This same thing is happening with ringtones. Sometimes ringtones are there and other times they are not.
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Steve Pan said 10:35PM on 10-15-2007
I want a 30 cent subsidy from Apple for all the plus songs I downloaded. I am outraded >:-(
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clifyt said 10:48PM on 10-15-2007
There are a few albums in Plus format out today...I went to download a friends incredible new album and do a test between eMusic and iTunes and was pleasantly surprised to see it was in Plus Format for $0.99.
If you are interested check out Monsdrum -- Folktronic at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=258599532&s=143441
It sounds incredible.
Sadly, none of my other friends albums have been converted up yet. (Though I did notice Flight of the Concord's first album is now upgradeable and it is on Subpop -- as well as Seu George's Cru is as well -- both selling tracks for $0.99 -- neither of these are independent or an EMI subsidiary for all I know).
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Bobnease said 11:21PM on 10-15-2007
Should we expect to see lower prices on DRMed songs as well?
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codeman38 said 11:54PM on 10-15-2007
Another interesting observation... note some of the tracks on the iTunes Plus Dance charts:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTop?id=18&popId=19
Not all these tracks are currently iTunes Plus. Even more bizarrely, there's one Universal Music artist (Sister Sledge) on the list. Hmmm...
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codeman38 said 12:00AM on 10-16-2007
Er, oops, strike the above comment, I got two groups' labels swapped in my mind. Sister Sledge is on Atlantic Records (i.e., Warner Music Group). It's Eiffel 65 that's on Universal.
Does this mean both of those labels will be added to iTunes Plus? Yeah, I'm doubting it too, but it does seem awfully strange...
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Eric said 6:28AM on 10-16-2007
Will I be able to upgrade my songs for free now, if I bought non-Plus songs for $.99 that are now only $.99?
Barnaked Ladies Are Me and Barenaked Ladies Are Men, as in the picture, specificially.
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