We probably let this little debate go on a little too long... Back in January (yes, almost six months ago), we started questioning the price of digital singles and whether you thought $2.19 was a little too expensive for a digital file.We'd said at the time, "Cast your mind back to just a few years ago and pop lovers in Australia were paying as little as $1.99 for a physical CD single with anything from two to five tracks on them. Back then, one had the satisfaction of holding something in one's hand, gazing at the artwork and enjoying all that the disc had to offer. In the days of the CD single, the product had to be manufactured, shipped to stores and priced - all for just $2. These days, a single digital file can cost more. How?"
We threw it over to you to cast your vote on whether a digital track was too expensive at $2.19. And you voted.
Staggeringly, 91% of all respondents (326 people) said that yes, $2.19 was too expensive.
Only 9% (34 people) thought that $2.19 was a fair price.
During a quick survey of the overseas iTunes charts this morning, it seems we may very well be onto something.
In the UK - an iTunes premium single price equates to $1.69 AUD, and in the US, a premium single equates to $1.49 AUD.
It seems we may very well be paying a little too much.
11 comments:
That's why I download through www.tdigital.com, great pricing and range, especially for digital only releases, I still buy physical cd singles from the Uk and Europe.
very true, I always download through itunes & bandit and it's strange how sometimes the physical cd can be cheaper than the online version.
2.19 is a rip off for 1 song. They charge this quite often for big hits. They want people to download legally yet try and push it.
sorry, I was meant to type ealier www.7digital.com not www.tdigital.com
It is possible to create a USA iTunes account with a bit of work and then purchase US iTunes vouchers with an Australian credit card. I did this when PWL released Kylie's back catalogue and it didn't happen in Australia. iTunes and Australian record companies need to realise they are only hurting themselves by not charging appropriately. Before digital we were buying cheaper CDs from overseas stores like Amazon, CDUniverse, etc. and now it we're getting our stuff from overseas digital sources. Why can't they work that out?!?
Hmm, but if you factor in GST, it wouldn't be dramatically different, right?
Also, I think I said this the first time, but where were you getting CD singles for $2, they were always charging $4-8 at my local shop between 1999-2006.
~JimJim
Wow, anonymous. That 7digital site has heaps of the new UK releases that we don't even have yet in Australia. Can you still actually use it from Australia though, or do you have to be a resident of the UK or something?
$2.19 is such a rip-off, how do they expect people to buy!
Does premium single mean the more expensive ones (like $2.19 here) or cheaper ones (like $1.69 here) then converted?
Hey JimJim,
Even without GST, it'd be $1.99 for a digital track locally, still above the overseas rates. And Dick Smith Powerhouse was selling all CD singles for $2 for years before raising them to $3 in the final stages.
And fishpOp,
Yes, the premium singles are the $2.19 ones locally.
The auspOp team
Using exchange rates as an excuse is pointless, because they can fluctuate quite quickly.
We pay more for everything in Australia. Accept it. I can't believe people think 2.19 is expensive. That's not even 10 minutes of work for someone who earns $16 an hour.
I've said it before and I'll say it again; it's not THAT expensive. Consider all the costs that go into recording a song (plus all the other associated costs ie. music video, etc.), $2.19 is actually pretty reasonable.
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