$14.99 for O.A.R.? No thanks!





O.A.R.'s new disc Stories Of A Stranger hit stores today. Arguably this is the most powerful release from the Maryland by way of Columbus outfit yet. Amazon.com says Stories puts the listener "center seat, a few rows back" at an O.A.R. show. But fans will pay a premium for this experience if they buy from iTunes - $14.99 in fact.

This is the most expensive single-disc new release I can remember being released on the iTunes Music Store. Apple touts the release as the "Bonus Video Version," offering a "making of" video, a digital booklet and two useless dub versions of "Program Director" and "One Shot." I will say it again. In fact I will scream it...

$14.99 IS ENTIRELY TOO MUCH TO PAY FOR AN ALBUM DOWNLOAD ON iTUNES OR ANY OTHER DOWNLOAD STORE.

There. I said it. And I will keep saying it as long as record labels continue to put pressure on Apple other digital retailers to pump up the price of album downloads.

I can buy Stories on CD for $9.99 at a variety of brick-and-mortar retailers this week. A video and two throwaway remixes do not make it worth $5 extra. Sorry O.A.R. Sorry Apple. Sorry big record labels. Music For Life will be skipping this new release in protest.

If you wish to purchase the disc, skip iTunes this time around and grab the real CD at Amazon.com.

Posted: Tue - October 4, 2005 at 11:29 PM      

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