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Amazon Launches Public Beta of DRM-Free Music Store

Price Mistake?

HOLY MOLEY.... Pink Floyd's the Wall for less than nine bucks? I'm all over that. It's 17 bucks on iTunes, and usually even more expensive on physical media.

Competition is fine. Death to DRM.
 
Anazon will interface to iTunes

The user interface is pretty simple. The "Amazon MP3 Downloader" automatically places the tracks inside iTunes. Makes it pretty darn easy.

I just found some stuff Apple doesn't even have but Amazon has in 256K MP3 for $0.89

I think the way to go now is to check Amazon first, see if they have it. Then only buy from iTunes if Amazon does not have it.

I also notice that if Amazon caries the CD they will link to it from their MP3 store. In one case I was able to follow links from the MP3 store to a reseller who had a used copy of the CD that is even less then the 89 cent download although shipping killed the price advantage.

Apple needs to worry.
 
termite said:
HOLY MOLEY.... Pink Floyd's the Wall for less than nine bucks? I'm all over that. It's 17 bucks on iTunes, and usually even more expensive on physical media.

Competition is fine. Death to DRM.
Click to expand...

I saw that too (and clicked the buy button). I wonder if it is a mistake. Double album for $8.99 seems too good to be true.
 
Ted Witcher said:
I have to say, I don't really care about DRM-free. I have an iPod, like most of the developed world, iTunes... DRM restricts nothing for me. Selling music DRM-free really will hasten the recod companies' demise, so somebody needs to explain to me why they would do it. If they really wanted to provide competition, how about DRM-free and full CD quality? Now that's something I'd be interested in...
Click to expand...

I used to think that until I was doing a slideshow for my cousin's wedding reception using FotoMagico. I found out that DRMed music purchased from iTunes could not be exported out to iDVD. So I had to burn it and re-rip it as unprotected music.
 
sanford said:
This is kind of sell-out bizarre for Radiohead, though. It's always been presented as sort of a, Radiohead says, No way on digital distribution of any kind for some recordings. And then they pop up on Amazon's store after again recently refusing to put all their music on iTunes.

I like Radiohead, but I think their integrity marker just dropped a bit for me.
Click to expand...

Oh brother, get over yourself.:rolleyes:

This has NOTHING to do with Radiohead "selling-out". Radiohead opposed the notion of buying individual tracks off albums; that's why they never offered their library to iTunes or other music download services. The would only offer their music as a whole album.
 
sanford said:
This is kind of sell-out bizarre for Radiohead, though. It's always been presented as sort of a, Radiohead says, No way on digital distribution of any kind for some recordings. And then they pop up on Amazon's store after again recently refusing to put all their music on iTunes.

I like Radiohead, but I think their integrity marker just dropped a bit for me.
Click to expand...

Yes, because they chose to go with a service that allows them to decide how their music is sold, rather than vice versa.
 
chrisgeleven said:
I saw that too (and clicked the buy button). I wonder if it is a mistake. Double album for $8.99 seems too good to be true.
Click to expand...

Just wait. Within a couple of months, double disc prices (and other album prices) will come down on iTMS to match or get close to Amazon's prices. The labels have long ago covered the costs on these discs, and digital distribution of a double CD is essentially the same as a single CD, so why not put the price lower and sell more copies? It's virtually free for the labels at this point anyway. Free money.

This makes me think that Apple has been the one keeping the music prices so high (and TV episodes, too) by demanding their usual 40-60% net profit on everything they sell.

Amazon is happy with 10% or less if they can get the volume to justify it. And with prices like these, and easy itunes integration like this, and a huge library of high-quality releases and hard-to-find things as well, they will get big volume indeed.

I've been disappointed by every "iTMS-killer" to date. This is the first one that can really compete...and competition is a good thing for us. Maybe not for all you Apple stockholders out there used to irrationally good stock performance and profit numbers, but for consumers, this is a good, good day.

I've already purchased more music from Amazon MP3 than I ever did from the iTMS...and I've been using iTunes since it was called SoundJam.
 
I also am impressed. I just bought my first song off of Amazon too. It was "Stronger" by Kanye West.

89 cents for a 256kbps DRM-free MP3 vs 99 cents for a 128kbps DRM AAC?

I think the choice was easy. I'll definitely be checking Amazon for random singles before I buy on iTunes. As for full albums, I still stick with CDs 95% of the time. But I definitely foresee that changing over time as more things go DRM-free...

Someone asked if there is an ID tag of any kind. The only thing I can see is that in the Comments section of the MP3 I bought it says "Amazon.com Song ID: 202628965" Otherwise, I don't see any blatant tags.
 
Let's see here…

Ben Harper - Live from Mars

iTunes Plus = $19.99
Amazon = $18.06

iTunes = $1.29 per song (21 of 25)
Amazon = $.99 per song (21 of 25)

iTunes = 4 songs are 'Album Only' presumably because they are over 8 minutes in length.
Amazon = Same 4 songs are $1.94 each.

Yeah, iTunes will now be my second choice.
 
Looks really nice. Selection is very uneven, though. (But hey, they have Sol Seppy! Woohoo!)
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
"As required by our Digital Content providers, Digital Content will, unless otherwise designated, be available only to customers located in the United States."

When will we see it in Europe ?
 
benpatient said:
This makes me think that Apple has been the one keeping the music prices so high (and TV episodes, too) by demanding their usual 40-60% net profit on everything they sell.
Click to expand...

I quote from Vivendi :

"At present, UMG, the world's largest record company, gets 0.70 euro ($0.99) out of the 0.99 euro retail price charged by iTunes, Vivendi said."

Thats $.99 of the $1.40 Apple charges.
Apple gets 30%.
 
Lol. Why the hell am I ever going to buy from iTunes again when I can get cheaper DRM-free MP3s at a decent bitrate that I can put on any device INCLUDING my iPod. Apple better start stepping up their game, they've been pitiful lately and the backlash is starting to come from all angles. And there's increased competition.
 
Phil A. said:
Voted negative, but only because it's not available in the UK :(
Click to expand...
Really? I'm in the UK but didn't notice that and I have just bought an OMD album from the Amazon MP3 store, it was very quick and easy and the sound quality is great too.

Matt
 
I just tried it and I LOVE IT. Amazon has come out with a Mac software and the download is super simple. The audio quality is GREAT, it comes with album artwork already and they don't charge taxes on the songs you purchase. I paid only $0.89.

The only CON I have found is that there isn't a large variety of songs like iTunes has. For example Rihanna-Umbrella is not available.

Hopefully they will get that fixed soon.
 
Apple has one option. Kill off DRM ENTIRELY on the iTunes music store and higher the bitrate of their music, otherwise they ain't getting a cent more of my money. Face the frickin competition or go home.
 
maberga29 said:
Seems weird that NBC moves away from apple due to cheap prices, then finds their way into the arms of an even cheaper audio/video vendor. I do wonder how this will play out with prices on both iTMS and the Amazon store... specifically how it will affect the horrid Unbox "purchases expire" scene
Click to expand...
Probably not at all. Unbox is not the Mp3 store :)
If non-uniform price means some things are cheaper than 99c I'm all for it :D
 
Excellent News!

I did subscribe to emusic for a while.. but to be honest, I don't like the subscription model, sometimes I want to get a lot of new music, sometimes a little.

I rarely purchase music from itunes.. ( maybe a couple of impulse purchases) I just don't like not having the freedom to do what I want with it, so its mostly *still* CD purchases for me.. the original non-DRM solution, however having a *legal/reputable* source to purchase MP3s will almost certainly get me away from that habit..
 
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