December 27, 2004 11:12 AM
$10 for a Plain CD or $32 With the Extras
Excerpt: While the major record companies continue to discount new releases or even slash prices to try to counter file-sharing and widespread CD-burning, some music executives are quietly trying to expand the top end of the market. The average retail price of an album slid 4 percent in the third quarter to $12.95 - a new low, according to NPD Group, a research company. Yet some labels are pushing tricked-out versions of big titles that carry their highest prices ever.
Shoppers heading into music retailers this holiday season have been confronting the same issue they face at the car dealership: the product now comes either stripped-down or fully loaded.
Interscope Records, for example, released three different versions of U2's hit "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." The first, from $10 or less, is the basic 11-track CD. But for roughly $32, you can buy the "collector's edition," which is packaged with a DVD and a 50-page hardcover book of the bands' sketches and photos. (A medium-priced version had the DVD but no book.) "Miracle," Celine Dion's new album about motherhood on Epic Records can be had for $14, but there's also an edition for devotees that includes the CD, a 60-page book featuring pictures of Ms. Dion with sleeping newborns by photographer Anne Geddes, and a price tag of $27.
While the major record companies continue to discount new releases or even slash prices to try to counter file-sharing and widespread CD-burning, some music executives are quietly trying to expand the top end of the market. The average retail price of an album slid 4 percent in the third quarter to $12.95 - a new low, according to NPD Group, a research company. Yet some labels are pushing tricked-out versions of big titles that carry their highest prices ever.
There's a basic business logic behind the move to test the upper limit, executives say. If labels must cut prices and sacrifice profits on the mass market, they must try to cover the difference by targeting niches of hard-core fans who are willing to shoulder higher prices for their favorite acts.
READ FULL STORY ...
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'Simplified' Ticketing Is Not So Simple For All Fliers - Feb 07, 2005
Blockbuster With a Joystick - Feb 07, 2005
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FCC: Cable TV Rates Rose 5.4% In 2003 - Feb 06, 2005
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Apple Changes Course With Low-Priced Mac - Jan 15, 2005
How To Tip Well - Jan 14, 2005
A Little Retail Hustle Paid Off in Holiday Sales - Jan 07, 2005
Delta Fare Plan Turns Industry on Its Head - Jan 07, 2005
Before Christmas, Wal-Mart Was Stirring - Jan 07, 2005
Delta Plans to Streamline Fare System - Jan 07, 2005
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What You Wanted, What You Got - Jan 01, 2005
How To Handle Charity Solicitations - Dec 29, 2004
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Charged Today, Tapped Out Tomorrow? - Dec 28, 2004
Be Prepared When Returning Gifts - Dec 27, 2004
10 Ways To Save Money When Cruising - Dec 27, 2004
New Nigerian Scam Suckers Online Sellers - Dec 27, 2004
Stop Shopping; Give Cash As A Gift - Dec 27, 2004
Last-Minute Shopping Made Easier - Dec 26, 2004
Phone-Network Leasing Rules Eased - Dec 26, 2004
How To Minimize Holiday Debt - Dec 24, 2004
Holiday Shoppers Should Rethink How They Pay - Dec 22, 2004
Lower Living Costs, Keep More Money - Dec 22, 2004
Blockbuster Cuts Online Prices - Dec 22, 2004
Making Your Generosity Pay - Dec 21, 2004
Price Cuts Get Deeper - Dec 21, 2004
Charitable Giving: The Right Match - Dec 21, 2004
In the Bay Area, TiVo Supplies DVR's at a Terrific Price: Nothing - Dec 19, 2004
Cell Phone Calls In Flight? - Dec 09, 2004
Holiday Tipping - Dec 09, 2004
Tunes Coming To Callers? - Dec 08, 2004
Electronic Ways to Pay Eclipse Checks in Number - Dec 07, 2004
The Trouble With Rebates - Dec 07, 2004
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'Phishing' Attacks Surge In 2004 - Dec 06, 2004
Bush Signs Internet Tax, Special Ed Bills - Dec 05, 2004
The Wide World Of Online Shopping - Dec 04, 2004
Shopbots: Your Own Automated Shopping Assistant On The Web - Dec 04, 2004
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Worried Merchants Throw Discounts at Shoppers - Dec 04, 2004
Regifting 101 - Dec 02, 2004
Health Costs Up 7.5% - Dec 02, 2004
5 Popular Holiday Shopping Scams - Nov 30, 2004
Slick Tips for Holiday Shopping - Nov 28, 2004
Give Gifts That Give Back - Nov 28, 2004
Tips For Stretching Your Holiday Budget - Nov 26, 2004
Meet The Bargain Hunters: Three Everyday Experts Share Their Tips - Nov 26, 2004
Smart Holiday Shopping - Nov 25, 2004
Some Shoppers Find Fewer Happy Returns - Nov 07, 2004
Best Rock For Your Buck - Feb 13, 2005
'Simplified' Ticketing Is Not So Simple For All Fliers - Feb 07, 2005
Blockbuster With a Joystick - Feb 07, 2005
Picking Rewards Deals? Seek Loyalty - Feb 07, 2005
FCC: Cable TV Rates Rose 5.4% In 2003 - Feb 06, 2005
Powell to Step Down at F.C.C. After Pushing for Deregulation - Jan 25, 2005
Apple Changes Course With Low-Priced Mac - Jan 15, 2005
How To Tip Well - Jan 14, 2005
A Little Retail Hustle Paid Off in Holiday Sales - Jan 07, 2005
Delta Fare Plan Turns Industry on Its Head - Jan 07, 2005
Before Christmas, Wal-Mart Was Stirring - Jan 07, 2005
Delta Plans to Streamline Fare System - Jan 07, 2005
TiVo Upgrade Puts TV Shows On Laptops - Jan 04, 2005
What You Wanted, What You Got - Jan 01, 2005
How To Handle Charity Solicitations - Dec 29, 2004
Be Careful When Donating To Charity - Dec 29, 2004
Charged Today, Tapped Out Tomorrow? - Dec 28, 2004
Be Prepared When Returning Gifts - Dec 27, 2004
10 Ways To Save Money When Cruising - Dec 27, 2004
New Nigerian Scam Suckers Online Sellers - Dec 27, 2004
Stop Shopping; Give Cash As A Gift - Dec 27, 2004
Last-Minute Shopping Made Easier - Dec 26, 2004
Phone-Network Leasing Rules Eased - Dec 26, 2004
How To Minimize Holiday Debt - Dec 24, 2004
Holiday Shoppers Should Rethink How They Pay - Dec 22, 2004
Lower Living Costs, Keep More Money - Dec 22, 2004
Blockbuster Cuts Online Prices - Dec 22, 2004
Making Your Generosity Pay - Dec 21, 2004
Price Cuts Get Deeper - Dec 21, 2004
Charitable Giving: The Right Match - Dec 21, 2004
In the Bay Area, TiVo Supplies DVR's at a Terrific Price: Nothing - Dec 19, 2004
Cell Phone Calls In Flight? - Dec 09, 2004
Holiday Tipping - Dec 09, 2004
Tunes Coming To Callers? - Dec 08, 2004
Electronic Ways to Pay Eclipse Checks in Number - Dec 07, 2004
The Trouble With Rebates - Dec 07, 2004
Customers Tire of Excuses for Rebates That Never Arrive - Dec 07, 2004
'Phishing' Attacks Surge In 2004 - Dec 06, 2004
Bush Signs Internet Tax, Special Ed Bills - Dec 05, 2004
The Wide World Of Online Shopping - Dec 04, 2004
Shopbots: Your Own Automated Shopping Assistant On The Web - Dec 04, 2004
Traveler: Know Your Options - Dec 04, 2004
Worried Merchants Throw Discounts at Shoppers - Dec 04, 2004
Regifting 101 - Dec 02, 2004
Health Costs Up 7.5% - Dec 02, 2004
5 Popular Holiday Shopping Scams - Nov 30, 2004
Slick Tips for Holiday Shopping - Nov 28, 2004
Give Gifts That Give Back - Nov 28, 2004
Tips For Stretching Your Holiday Budget - Nov 26, 2004
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