Amazon MP3 vs. Apple iTunes: Where Should You Shop?

Amazon MP3 vs. Apple iTunes: Where Should You Shop? This story has been submitted to Stirrdup.

Your support can help it become hot. [ ] labels, all of them in DRM-free MP3 format. Songs are digitized at 256 kilobits per second and cost between 89 cents and 99 cents per track a bit less than their iTunes Plus dopplegangers, which Apple has been peddling for $1.

29 [ ] I m confused. The record companies have been consistently saying that they want the power to charge more for certain releases and thay they are concerned about piracy (see Vivendi/Universal). So, here we have another service that seems to be customer friendly but would seem to not address the record companies issues.

This store is in BETA - but lets say its becomes a giant success what s stopping the labels from jacking the prices or creating restrictions like they are doing/ attempting to do with iTunes? Everyone seems so quick to hate on iTunes but the issues people have with iTunes stem from the record labels who want to squeeze every last penny out of us. After all, just 2 days ago vivendi whined that the 70% plus cut it got from Apple was way too low.

So, if Amazon charges less, then the labels are sure to make less (unless you think they will make up the differential in volume). So I fail to see how this is the remedy we ve been seeking. The labels are using Amazon as leverage against iTunes.

Don t forget that Universal has threatened to pull its catalog from iTunes if it cannot charge more for certain tracks. (99c) So, if they are not happy at 99c then I doubt they ll be satisfied at less than that. So, the reality is that this Amazon price scale is a teaser rate desgined to pull you in and erode itunes supposed dominance (although if you really beleive iTunes is dominant than you must enjoy drinking record label kool aid).

Once the teaser has done its job, Amazon will roll immedately over and jack the prices to whatever the labels want. That is the reality of the situation. What are the downsides for iTunes customers going with Amazon?

Does album art work? Perhaps Apple will at some point in the future let customers re-download all of their music in better quality? It looks like a no-brainer.

However, if Apple even made some tiny promises about things it might offer existing customers in the future, it would completely short-circuit the Amazon offering. So let me get this straight .Amazon is actually charging LESS for the top 100 and more for the less popular songs?

Isn t that exactly the opposite of what the record labels have been running around whining and crying that Apple wouldn t let them do? This is the big plan to try and break Apple s hold on the digital music biz? Steve Job s HAS to be laughing his a$$ of at them today!