The iPod juggernaut continues to roll. According to data from analyst firm NPD, Apple’s mini music box accounted for over 70 percent of MP3 sales in 2007 and, if you factor in the out-of-control sales of the recently launched iPhone 3G, Steve Jobs and company look to rule the roost for another year. Unfortunately, many iPod owners fall into the trap of thinking that the iTunes Store is end-all, be-all of digital music stores — uh-uh.
Smart music fans who want to save significant dollars should mosey over to Amazon MP3. Launched in Fall 2007, Amazon MP3 is the LifeStyler staff’s music store of choice for five reasons that we’ll detail in full. So before you make an iTunes purchase, we recommend that you check out Amazon MP3. Here’s why
Cheaper Individual Songs and Albums
The typical Amazon MP3 song is $.89; the typical iTunes track is a dime more. That may not sound like much of a difference, but you’ll save $1.00 for every ten regularly-priced songs that you purchase. The prices of complete albums vary, but there are still some big savings. For example, Steve Wonder’s 21-track double-album Songs In The Key of Life sells for $19.99 on iTunes, but $14.97 on Amazon – a savings of $5.02.
Amazon MP3 Daily Deal
Never let it be said that Amazon doesn’t listen to music fans’ demands. The Amazon MP3 Daily Deal is a heavy discounted album picked by you, the listener. Want to contribute to the cause? Simply sign into this Facebook thread, and respond with the name of the album you’d like Amazon MP3 to give the cheapie treatment. How cheap are we talking? At the time of this writing, Steely Dan’s $6.93 Aja album was sliced down to just $.99.
Friday 5: Five Albums for $5 Each
Every Friday, Amazon MP3 offers five albums for only a Lincoln. This past weekend saw The Beastie Boys’ 1989 classic Paul’s Boutique go for just five dollars. Five dollars. That’s awesomeness that’s hard to beat. To be fair, iTunes has albums under $7, but the majority of them are at the $6 mark. Amazon MP3, FTW.
Lots of Free Tracks
Right now until the end of August, Amazon MP3 will let users download the Six Degrees sampler (a mish-mash of eclectic global tunes) at no cost. There are only six songs, but with the average track lasting well over five minutes, it’s like downloading a full-length album.
No DRM
Amazon MP3′s catalog isn’t laced with hideous DRM (Digital Rights Management), an annoying technology that prevents music purchased for the iTunes Store from playing in anything but an iPod. In other words, if you decide to purchase an Archos, Creative, Microsoft, or SanDisk player, all of your music would be worthless, unless you opted to burn your entire library to CD and rip them as MP3s – - a total waste of time and/or money. Amazon’s music, however, will play in any MP3 player under the sun.
When you crunch the numbers, there’s truly no reason to load your MP3 player with music anywhere other than Amazon MP3. There are weekly freebies, daily discounts, and solid savings to be had all around. And in these financially-tight times every little bit counts, right?
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Do you get any data to see if really Apple and itunes are in danger with amazon? There’s a lot of great points on both sides.
I’ve spoken with analysts about Amazon’s place in the digital music space, and it seems that iTunes doesn’t have anything to fear in the near future–especially with Apple ditching DRM. With the ipod’s tight integration with the iTune music store, most users , I suspect, will simply shop there.