If you follow digital music today, you may have noticed that the prices for many songs have gone up to $1.29, or whatever your local equivalent is. They're now switching to a "variable" pricing model of $0.69, $0.99, $1.29, but the reality here is that there is almost no music selling at the $0.69 price so this is nothing but a price hike by the big labels right in the middle of a major recession.

http://i.gizmodo.com/5201633/itunes-tiered-pricing-goes-live-we-get-gently-screwed#c

http://i.gizmodo.com/5203077/variable-song-pricing-hits-amazons-and-walmarts-digital-music-stores

Record labels are fighting a losing battle.  IMO, any recording artist worth listening to isn't making a living from sales anyway.
::)

This price hike is done by Apple and Amazon, not the RIAA.  They are simply chasing profits, charging more for more popular songs.

However, at the same time they are reducing the price for a lot of older songs.  So if you are into the current pop, you will pay more.  If you listen to older music, you will actually pay less.

However, I would never buy anything from Apple.  Not just because I hate the company, but because they only sell music with DRM.  When I buy music online, I go to Amazon or WalMart, which is DRM free.

I've said it before, but I think record execs and music industry people are always always stuck in the previous era (i.e. the old ways of doing things) and oblivious to what the public wants or what sells.

I've heard so much about how they resisted MTV in the early-mid 80s since they figured videos would destroy people's personal interpretation of the song, and it wouldn't work to sell albums (which of course, it did). ;) They were stuck in the 50s-70s back then.

Now they're still stuck in the '80s and 90s...probably assuming people will to go to the mall and buy a full cd (or tape, lol), so they're afraid of downloading and digital tech.

I'm guessing alot of these corporate execs aren't necesarilly music fans themselves who keep up with what fans what or whatever is going on in the industry, so they're somewhat clueless about it.

Well, as long as they don't hike up the prices on older music, which is what I usually download anyway.

Some older songs are higher too, though a smaller amount it seems. A number of Eagles songs for example are now selling for the $1.29 price on iTunes. "Brick House" by the Commodores also $1.29. "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas going for $1.29 as well. Almost none are at the $0.69 price. I was reading that apparently iTunes has a lot more of the expensive songs.