Apple Cutting Cost Of iTunes January 10, 2008

Read more Apple , Digital Audio , Gizmodo UK , MP3 , Music , iPod

Apple has said it will cut the cost of iTunes for UK users in order to bring them into line with standardised prices across other European countries.

Within the next six months, the cost of an iTunes track will fall from 79p to around 74p [thanks Dan], which is all good news for UK iPod owners who have been paying noticeably more than other European countries for some time.

Apple’s decision comes in the wake of an investigation by the EU into the iTunes pricing structure. According to Apple, the prices will match those already in place in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain. Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, said:

“This is an important step towards a pan-European marketplace for music,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We hope every major record label will take a pan-European view of pricing.”

Apple claimed the higher price here is down to the higher prices it is charged by some record labels to distribute music in the UK. It also laid out the subtle threat of dumping difficult labels by stating:

"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."

Fighting talk indeed. Whatever goes on behind closed doors though, cheaper tunes are good for everyone.-Martin Lynch