AfterDawn: News

Amazon MP3 to go international in 2008

Amazon has announced that in 2008 the company will begin to expand Amazon MP3, its popular DRM-free digital music store to the international stage. The service, which is seen as a strong competitor to Apple's iTunes platform, sells all its songs DRM-free and in MP3 format meaning it is playable on most, if not all digital music-capable devices including the Zune, iPod Touch and mobile phones.

Thanks to deals with big labels and tons of independent labels, Amazon MP3 boasts of 3.3 million songs from 270,000 artists.



"We have received thousands of e-mails from Amazon customers around the world asking us when we will make Amazon MP3 available outside of the U.S. They can't wait to choose from the biggest selection of high-quality, low-priced DRM-free MP3 music downloads which play on virtually any music device they own today or will own in the future," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President of Digital Music. "We are excited to tell those customers today that Amazon MP3 is going international this year."

Songs on Amazon MP3 are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents and albums range from $5.99 to $9.99 USD. The company has not however disclosed a timeline for any of the individual Amazon MP3 international websites.

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Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 27 Jan 2008 18:24

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• 3 comments

• nobrainer

  so is the riaa/ifpi going to fix prices with amazon, just as they have forced on apple's itunes store around the globe i wonder?
  
  seems digital distribution costs very little should we expect a single mp3 in the uk to cost the equivalent of the dollar price $0.99 = £0.49 and $5.99 = £3.02, but i think not as its rip off the global regions again, and the RIAA wonder why they are hated so much!
  

  The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

  27.1.2008 18:38 #1

• atomicxl

  I'm more interested in knowing when they'll make international artist available in the states. I'm sure its not the majority, but there are alot of people in the US who are also interested in music from places other than the US.
  
  notrainer@ Prices will probably be what feels like $1 and not such a literal price exchange. In Japan, CDs sale for about $24+ USD. Obviously their per download price will be more than a straight conversion of $1 because the market is used to prices like that. Thats not the RIAA being satan, its basic business practices.

  28.1.2008 08:59 #2

• borhan9

  Quote:Songs on Amazon MP3 are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents and albums range from $5.99 to $9.99 USD. The company has not however disclosed a timeline for any of the individual Amazon MP3 international websites.If this is what amazon is giving to consumers or is ready to give to consumers then apple itunes will have a decent competitor very soon that will give them a run for their money :)

  19.2.2008 22:43 #3