Apple to standardise iTunes prices in Europe

comment: The reason that Apple charges different retail prices in each market is due to the differences in wholesale prices charged in each market by the major labels. Apple could use this as leverage against the labels to lower their prices in all major EU markets

Apple today announced that within six months it will lower the prices it charges for music on its UK iTunes Store to match the already standardised pricing on iTunes across Europe in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain. Apple currently must pay some record labels more to distribute their music in the UK than it pays them to distribute the same music elsewhere in Europe. Apple will reconsider its continuing relationship in the UK with any record label that does not lower its wholesale prices in the UK to the pan-European level within six months.

source: http://www.apple.com/uk/pr/2008/01/080109_itunespricing.html

UK album retail sales dip 11% for 2007

Album unbundling, copyright theft and difficult retail conditions contributed to a drop in album sales of 10.8% in 2007 say the British Phonographic Industry.

The continued growth of download sales helped the singles market grow by 29.3% during 2007, which became the third biggest year on record for the format.

Singles

 

2006 = 67.0m

2007 = 86.6m

Change = +29.3%

 

Albums

 

2006 = 154.7m

2007 = 138.1m

Change = -10.8% Source: BPI website