The 99-cent per song Apple iTunes flat fee will be no more in two weeks. LA Times reports that Apple is raising the price for hit singles and “selected classic tracks,” beginning April 7. What’s more, they will be throwing some songs in the bargain bin for 69 cents. Many songs will remain at their current price, but this move into tiered pricing marks a major shift in the way Apple markets their iTunes Music Store and opens the doors to negotiation with bands like the Beatles who thought Apple’s pricing was too low for their music.
“This will be a PR nightmare,” the former EMI executive Ted Cohen told LA Times. “It is for the music industry what the AIG bonuses are for the insurance industry.”
Jim Guerinot, the manager for Beck, Nine Inch Nails and Social Distortion said, “Wouldn’t it make sense to try to price it cheaper instead of squeezing the handful of people who are still willing to pay for music?”
The specific “hit singles” getting the 30-cent price increase have not been disclosed, but you can probably bet the Jonas Brothers made the list. Get ‘em while their hot, kids!