It has been a widely accepted indie (especially mindie) strategy to 'sell digital albums' on the cheap for a pricepoint between $0.99 to $4.99 upon debut. It can help a buzzband pick up more sales 2 cool dads who just want to legally purchase an album at a chill price. Now it seems like Billboard, the 'Chartkeeping company' will no longer include sales of albums that cost less than $3.49 in their chart numbers.
Lady Gaga and Amazon Cloud basically ruined the game because they teamed up and sold her last album for 99 cents. Although I would rather purchase a burrito / taco / gordita crunch wrap at Taco Bell, many lamestreamers will jump at the chance to get a 'sweet ass deal' on some mp3s.
Starting next week, the publication (which tracks album sales via Nielsen SoundScan) will overhaul their sales rules. There are a handful of new rules, but the juiciest one is the fact that albums priced below $3.49 will not be included in sales tallies.
Should they have raised the pricepoint? 4.99? 6.49? 9.99? How much is an album worth, yall?
You have to think that many indie record labels are 'pissed' at this development, hoping to 'chart big' by selling albums on the cheap. Mainstream indie buzzbands who are looking to debut at #1 could be put at a disadvantage with this new development. Some indie purists are at peace with the new rule, hoping that the cost of music is priced at its critical value, not its production value.
Is Amazon being a good competitor so we don't have to buy albums off iTunes for $9.99?
Do indie bands 'cheat' by selling their albums on the cheap, or is it a good way to encourage 'mp3 window shoppers' to impulse buy their album?
Is this bad news 4 indie bands who were hoping 2 chart?
IS all music overpriced?
Should all mp3s be free?
How much would u sell ur buzz album 4?
How much is music worth 2 society/an individual consumer?
Do u miss the days when a CD cost $17.99?
Should we all just 'support our local record stores' or chill on iTunes?