Napster UK goes live at double the cost in the US

[zulu9812]

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/9749

from May 22

Napster stole a march on its rivals today by launching the UK incarnation of its online music service immediately - rather sooner than the "end of summer" timeframe it had previously provided.Napster UK is online now and ready for business, CEO Chris Gorog said in London this morning."We believe the Internet distribution of music will replace physical distribution in the next decade," he said.

British music fans - well, those with Windows 2000 or XP PCs, at any rate - can fetch Napster's jukebox app. and begin downloading songs for £1.09 ($ 1.94) a go, or in album-length batches for £9.95 ($ 17.74).

Punters can also take out a monthly £9.95 subscription, which provides unlimited downloads. However, they also have to pay £0.99 ($ 1.77) every time they want to burn the song or copy it to a portable music player. Again, batch burn/transfer rights can be acquired for £9.95 an album.

Essentially, that leaves the subscription version as little more than a glorified radio station, and one you pay for, at that. What it does offer is the ability to share playlists with anyone else, though only fellow subscribers can actually download the songs listed.

The company will also provide Track Packs - bundled songs for a fixed fee. £43.99 ($ 78.43) buys 50 tracks, £ 29.99 ($ 53.47) 25 songs and £14.25 ($ 25.41) 15.

Napster's time-limited pre-pay cards are also available, offering 15 songs for £14.85 ($ 26.48).

My response (also on the link):

This is outrageous. When the US legal music download services started at 99 cents a song, I remember thinking "I bet when they introduce this into the UK it'll be 99 pence a song - same numerical value, but vastly inflated economic value". And I was right. This basically means that, with exchange rates, we brits pay double what the yanks pay (99c = 55.3p). Bloody outrageous. Well, **** that. I always said that the only way for the music business to get back in my good books was on my (i.e. the customer's) terms, and if I got a whiff of being ripped off I would be off running like a shot. No Napster For Me, thank you very much. Greedy bastards...

 

[Dell19]

Its not really suprising as its the same number just a different symbol... And its still cheap.

 

[zulu9812]

Cheap? Really. Let's think about it:

Monthly fee = £9.99
16 tracks = £15.84
Rights to burn to 1 CD = £9.99

Total cost for 16-track CD d/l from Napster = £35.82

 

[Dell19]

If you downloaded alot of tracks in one month and then signed off the service and accidentally forgot to buy the rights to burn a CD then it would be cheap...

 

[stormbind]

Why should UK customers pay more? It's not costing Napster a penny more to serve them.

 

[Dell19]

Perhaps its easier to charge all their customers the same value and then just note which country they are downloading from for the currency sign...

 

[Zwelgje]

If this is what they mean with legal alternatives for p2p mp3 sharing then I'll skip this one. This sucks...

 

[stormbind]

Perhaps its easier to charge all their customers the same value and then just note which country they are downloading from for the currency sign...

Nope. It's easier to charge $ and let the banks sort it out.

 

[stormbind]

Total cost for 16-track CD d/l from Napster = £35.82

$60 + CD + VAT?

 

[Plexus]

I don't touch Napster as it is... they sold out.

 

[zulu9812]

If you downloaded alot of tracks in one month and then signed off the service and accidentally forgot to buy the rights to burn a CD then it would be cheap...

You wouldn't be able to burn the tracks onto a CD - you would need the license even if you were no longer a member (i.e. you would still need to pay that £9.99 charge)

 

[Dell19]

Ah okay well I guess the only alternative is to download them for free...

 

[TrailblazingScot]

You wouldn't be able to burn the tracks onto a CD - you would need the license even if you were no longer a member (i.e. you would still need to pay that £9.99 charge)

Considering there is no box, no CD, no booklet, no need for shipping CDs to shop or to employ as much staff why is the cost the same and if not slightly more than buying albums would be normally.

Rubbish.

 

[Iggy]

Another company trying to play the UK for suckers. Bah.