Depeche Mode Offers First iTunes Pass
In March 2006 iTunes implemented something called a Season Pass so that customers could pay a flat rate and download TV shows from the site. Now they are starting something called an iTunes Pass, which will let musicians sell a package for a flat rate, to be delivered over a set period of time.
The first artist to get on this offer will be Depeche Mode, whose $19 iTunes Pass includes two exclusive singles and a pre-order for their new album, Sounds of the Universe. For customers who opt to buy this Pass, the new album will appear in their libraries on the album’s release day, April 21. A number of other new music and video files will also appear there in the weeks between now and the album’s release, as well as a few files after the release.
This album subscription model is not an iTunes original – other artists have offered similar bundles of late, especially musicians with sturdy fan bases, like Metallica. The Dandy Warhols, Kristin Hersh and Josh Rouse have all tried out this model as well.
This subscription thing may be giving hope to the shriveling music economy. Bundle options recently given for the Beastie Boys’ reissue of Paul’s Boutique ranged from $12 for the digital album to $120 for a package that included a box set and download. It turned out that only 16% of sales were from the lowest-priced option, with the average transaction being more than $50, according to Reuters.
I find these figures surprising. The box set downloads must have packed A LOT of value in for the average sales to be over $50. No news on the quantites shifted.
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