With dwindling music sales and an increase in music piracy online, retail giant Amazon.com and other online merchants have taken drastic measures that can potentially put power back into the hands of the music industry. What if you could purchase your favorite artist’s album for the price of what you would pay your local bootlegger? Right now, Amazon.com is making that possible with ridiculously low prices on MP3 downloads, including new releases. Here are a few of the deals you should take advantage of immediately:
Rihanna – Loud $4.99
Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager $4.99
Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer $7.99
John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up! $1.99
Qunicy Jones – Q: Soul Bossa Nostra $4.99
With prices this low, consumers can legally purchase music and support artists the right way. This move can increase record sales exponentially if other digital media stores follow suit, and hard copies might become obsolete within 5–10 years.
Online retail is definitely becoming the primary way of purchasing music. Music bootleggers will now have to figure out ways to compete with the low prices and the convenience of online shopping. If compact discs become obsolete and crack downs on music piracy continue, bootleggers may actually have to consider other career options. –steve simpson
