April 20, 2009

1. The ability to charge different prices for different file formats, such as 25 or 50 cents for mp3 tracks and 99 cents or more for lossless files.

2. "Track Packs" -- special pricing for any three tracks from an album (or any three songs in an artist's catalog).

3. Discounts for subsequent track purchases from the same album -- an idea I proposed in the third installment in my digital pricing conundrum series.

April 16, 2009

What we're optimistic about now is that our base of customers -- it's close to 100,000 who have credit cards on file with us -- they're spending. They buy about one out of every five songs they listen to, and 70 percent of their listening is discovery-driven (as opposed to people listening to songs they uploaded into their Lala lockers). It's pretty compelling.

April 15, 2009

April 14, 2009

We expect variable pricing to be available sometime around mid-year. But our recommendation is to keep pricing at 99 cents, which I think is the right price for an independent download.

Date: Apr 3, 2009 3:11 AM
Subject: All Artists Can Now Upload 10 Songs!

As promised, the 6 song limit has been lifted! As of today, all artists can now upload 10 songs.

Stay tuned, more artist tools are coming.

April 13, 2009

April 09, 2009

They should pull an Amanda Palmer, get off their label. Since the first week's sales were all digital, imagine how much money they'd have made if they were distributed through Tunecore as opposed to Capitol!

Over the years, it has gone after purveyors of monster-branded auto transmissions, slot machines, glue, carpet-cleaning machines and an energy drink, as well as a woman who sells "Junk Food Monster" kids' T-shirts that promote good eating habits. It sued Monster.com over the job-hunting Web site's name and Walt Disney Co. over products tied to the film "Monsters Inc." It opposed the Boston Red Sox trademark applications for seats and hot dogs named for the Green Monster, the legendary left-field wall in Fenway Park.

April 08, 2009

Sony Forces $1.29 On All Stores
The glaring exception is hit product from Sony and its distributed labels which is priced at $1.29 an all retailers including Amazon and Walmart. Unlike all other labels and distributors, Sony offers its music to all download stores using the so-called agency model which enables the label group to control the final sale price.

April 07, 2009

April 02, 2009

We live in an era of MP3 players, streaming internet radio, web apps -- not to mention the iTunes music application and its ability to shuffle your entire digital music collection -- now the cloud and almost-mobile ubiquity, the list goes on; in what part of digital music culture does an album-length piece of work now reside?

I'll answer that question - I believe it has no place in a digital future.