Music Labels add extras on iTunes

Record companies are trying to dressup and redesign their most profitable instrument-- the album-- to encourage music fans on Apple Inc.'s, iTunes. As the trend continues to a "cherry picking" of music as a song by song basis, there are extra add-in's such as videos, behind-the-scene access and extra music that, "lets the fan in." Album sales are a slowing and dying breed, mainly caused by the illegal file sharing through programs such as Napster and LimeWire, but also by the single song download phenomenon, created by iTunes. However, the trend to pitch these "extras" as a $17 "pass" will attempt to curb the dying sales of whole albums. This won't be the one idea that will save the record industry, but hopefully it will take a big chunk from the negative.

-Will Hackett

currently listening to "The Funeral" by Band of Horses