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Downloading Music Gets More Expensive

In a movement 180 degrees opposite to what we've been reporting in Europe and Australia, five of the major music companies are discussing hiking the price of digital downloads on new releases — to anywhere from $1.25 to as much as $2.49.  According to this article yesterday on the WSJ several hot new-release albums already sell on Apple iTunes for more than Amazon.com CD.

For months, digital-music services have been touting albums for $9.99 to entice more people to buy online. But Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store has been charging $16.99 for "Fly or Die," while Roxio Inc.'s Napster service sells the 12-song collection for $13.99. Both prices are higher than the $13.49 that Amazon.com charges for the CD itself. The same pricing shifts are showing up on albums by a growing slate of artists, from Shakira to Bob Dylan.

In case you don't have access to the WSJ here's a NPD group chart showing some titles that are cheaper on CD than when purchased in digital form.

Artist/Title
Publisher
iTunes
Napster
Musicmatch
Retail Stores*
Amazon.com
Anastacia,
Freak of Nature
Sony
$13.99
$13.99
$11.99
$11.98
$14.99
Beyonce,
Dangerously in Love
Sony
9.99
15.842
9.99
13.87
13.49
Chingy,
Jackpot
EMI
13.99
13.99
11.99
12.78
13.99
Fountains of Wayne,
Welcome Interstate Managers
EMI
13.99
9.95
11.99
13.88
13.49
Jewel,
0304
Warner Music
11.99
12.88**
9.99
13.25
13.99
Korn,
Korn
Sony
11.99
9.95
9.99
13.85
13.98
Liz Phair,
Liz Phair
EMI
13.86
13.99
11.99
12.46
13.49
Norah Jones,
Come Away With Me
EMI
13.86
13.99
12.49
13.74
13.49
Norah Jones,
Feels Like Home
EMI
12.87
13.99
11.99
12.58
13.49
OutKast,
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

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