Let’s not chastise Apple too harshly for introducing variable pricing for music to the iTunes Store. Why, a quick search on some of the other big online music stores reveals that they, too, charge one price for some songs, and a different price for others. Case in point: Amazon, Rhapsody and Beatport.
So Apple started variable pricing on Tuesday—big deal. Over at the Amazon music store you’ll also find songs at different price points.
Yup, that’s Britney Spears’ “Circus” available for $1.29, the same price that some songs go for on iTunes now.
And there’s Flo Rida’s new album R.O.O.T.S, each song available individually for $1.29 from Rhapsody.
Meanwhile, here’s a Melleefresh & Deadmau5 song on Beatport (they specialize in house music and related genres—my favorite for the record). It’s $2.50! Other Deadmau5 songs cost less: “I Remember” costs only $1.49.
So, really, it’s not like Apple is alone here vis-à-vis implementing a variable pricing scheme. Granted, the iTunes Store may much more popular than the other examples given here, but let’s not unfairly single out Apple.