9 ms·

Why are the Beatles albums cheaper on Amazon than on iTunes?

• deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
• KC8ZKF 16y ago
  "iTunes LP" includes extras, and always cost more on the iTunes store. I don't know why standard versions are not available.
• Quarrelsome 16y ago
  Probably because the old boy distribution networks still hold power and can get discounts even though they make no sense (physical distribution costs). When Statcraft II was released it was at least £10 20 euro or $20 dollars MORE EXPENSIVE to download then it was to buy retail.
• thasmin 16y ago
  The short answer is almost certainly that the record label has placed significant restrictions on the price. It's not just Beatles albums. Lots of albums are cheaper to buy used on Amazon than MP3s on Amazon. It's an imperfect marketplace. A few record labels control the supply of MP3s and Amazon places little control on used album sales. Also, MP3s are a better product for people who want MP3s. They have instant delivery, no need to rip the CD, and physical storage requirements. The advantages of a CD are resale value and collectability and better archival capability, but I don't think most people care to store FLACs.
• piers 16y ago
  Not the most helpful answer in the world, but I've generally found Amazon to be cheaper than iTunes, so I don't think that this is really anything new.