Apple Is Being Baked Over Downloadable Music Prices

Red Herring is reporting that Apple will eventually change its pricing structure for songs sold via iTunes its online music store.

If the major labels feel that their content justifies a higher price, then raising the prices will provide a worldwide moment of truth for music creators and lovers alike.

I personally believe that a variable pricing structure will possibly provide more incentive for people to actively search for, buy, and download music from independent artists and labels than currently exists.  So I am all for the variable pricing structure.

There is a ton of really great music that the world has not been oversaturated with since the current music industry food chain is clearly filled with corruption, payola, and other devices with politically correct names that mean the same down and dirty deeds often shown within the gangster era of years gone by as demonstrated within the ability to legally sell and consume alcohol.

Music is indeed the new drug of mankind and clearly older than the world's supposed oldest profession since music provided the mood catalyst for many romantic and physical encounters worldwide.

Scarcity is driving the music industry's preference for a variable pricing structure and they have overlooked the value that Apple and other companies have created through the creation, manufacture, and distribution of devices such the Apple iPod and other digital music devices.

I would normally include Sony within this same breath but since Sony already had its own music division, it was simply doing what it needed to do to sell more music.

But other music labels have not taken Sony's route.

As far as Sony BMG's efforts with the rootkit, I say that they deserve everything that comes their way as a result of attempting to micromanage their customers.

I am just ecstatic that Apple's innovation has introduced to the worldwide music market the hardware devices and distribution system that was sorely needed within the internet age.

Apple's creation of the video iPod is more significant not from the perspective of the physical device, but the fact that the same programming can be acquired via desktop and laptop computers.

Go Apple and even if you raise the prices on some music, the music industry overall will benefit.

Peace!