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iTunes Album Downloads Doing Brisk Business
The iTunes Music Store's single sales gets most of the news for download totals. Last July, the 500 millionth download was sold...the countdown for the one-billionth download sale will happen sometime this late winter/early spring. Almost 4 million videos have been downloaded from iTunes since the release of the Video iPod in mid-October. All amazing news for download sales and depressing news for brock-and-mortar retailers.
There's another new trend to watch from iTunes. While physical album sales continue to slump at retail outlets (blamed on digital music downloading), Apple is doing brisk business in online album downloads. Its iTunes is offering exclusive songs, digital booklets and added tracks as bonuses for consumers who buy iTunes albums, marking them with a special “iTunes Version” tag.
“While the record labels whine about losing album sales, Apple is selling albums. Apple is proving albums are popular -- they’re just not popular at stores,” said analyst Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group.
By adding in special features and content, iTunes is proving customers will buy albums -- and not just singles -- if the CONTENT is there, if the CONVENIENCE is there, if they can CONTROL when they want to consume and use, if the product can increase their CONNECTION through entertainment. THAT's the New Entertainment Economy in action.
--Chris Kennedy
referenced AdAge story
posted by Unknown @ Friday, December 30, 2005,
