Digital Audio Insider -- the economics of music and other digital content

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Digital Audio Insider is David Harrell's blog about the economics of music and other digital content. I write from the perspective of a musican who has self-released four albums with the indie rock band the Layaways.

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October 19, 2007

Amazon.com vs. iTunes
by David Harrell

When doing some research for the fourth installment of my long-neglected Digital Pricing Conundrum series, I did a little comparison of the top sellers in Apple's iTunes store and Amazon.com's new mp3 store.

A few quick tidbits:

Despite differing catalogs (no Warner Music Group and Sony BMG titles yet for Amazon), four of the top five best-selling songs were identical. But the similarities diminish when you look at the top 25 songs -- only nine in common for the two stores.

The top 25 songs at Apple are more current -- it looks like almost every song is from 2007. Over Amazon, you'll see more older material in the top 25: "American Pie" by Don McClean, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by the Verve, "What A Wonderful World" by Louie Armstrong, two George Harrison tracks, and the seasonal "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett.

There's a similar pattern for the album charts, with only two pre-2007 releases in the top 25 at iTunes -- George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" at #14 and a Santana collection at #20. But at Amazon you'll see Pink Floyd's "The Wall" in the number five spot, Radiohead's "OK Computer" (unavailable in iTunes) at #7, and two more catalog albums in the top 25. And in the 26 - 100 spots, you'll see much more older material at Amazon.com.

Amazon.com also provides a chart of its best-selling mp3 artists, with Pink Floyd currently holding down the top spot and plenty of other acts with no recent releases in the top 50, including the Beach Boys at #9!

So is the average Amazon.com mp3 customer older than the typical iTunes customer? Probably, but the limited catalog at Amazon.com might account as much, or more, for the relatively high chart positions for older material at Amazon. That is, if new material from Warner Music Group and Sony BMG was available as mp3s from Amazon.com, it could squeeze some of those older releases out of the top 25.

tags: digital music mp3 iTunes Apple AAPL Amazon.com AMZN

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THE LAYAWAYS

Out Now -- "Maybe Next Year" -- The New Holiday Album:

"This is a sweet treat, deliciously musical without being overbaked for mass media consumption." -- Hyperbolium

"Perfect listening to accompany whatever holiday preparations you may be making today." -- Bag of Songs

O Christmas Tree - free mp3 lyrics and song details
Away In A Manger - free mp3

Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or Bandcamp. Listen to free streams at Last.fm.

"...about as melodic and hooky as indie pop can get." -- Absolute Powerpop

"Their laid-back, '60s era sounds are absolutely delightening." -- 3hive

"...melodic, garage-influenced shoegaze." -- RCRD LBL

Where The Conversation Ends - free mp3
January - free mp3
Keep It To Yourself - free mp3

Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or CD Baby, stream it at Last.fm or Napster.

"The Layaways make fine indie pop. Hushed vocals interweave with understated buzzing guitars. The whole LP is a revelation from the start." -- Lost Music

"Catchy Guided by Voices-like rockers who lay it on sweetly and sincerely, just like Lionel Richie." -- WRUV Radio

Silence - free mp3 lyrics and song details
The Long Night - free mp3

Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.

"These are songs that you want to take home with you, curl up with, hold them close -- and pray that they are still with you when you wake up." -- The Big Takeover

Let Me In - free mp3
Ocean Blue - free mp3

Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.

More Layaways downloads:

the layaways website