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Why are HD downloads so expensive?

So as we enter the "post physical media" era I am amazed and rather disappointed that the new HD downloads from HDtracks, Linn etc. are so damn expensive.
In most cases these are reissues of old music that has seen the original investments amortized many times over. And now no longer needs to be packaged, shipped warehoused etc.
Yet on average the cost is over $20 per album.
I think this is a huge rip off.
What do you think?
mauidj

Showing 2 responses by drubin

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drubin
3,265 posts
 
I have been told that it's actually more costly for Netflix to distribute video electronically than to send you the red envelopes. If so, then we could have the same situation here. But cutting out the retail middleman would more than make up for that.

Perhaps it's not the download sites that are setting the prices but the labels, who are trying to manage channel conflict and not kill their retail partners too quickly.
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drubin
3,265 posts
 
HD Tracks has done an excellent job of signing up key labels and getting them ro release a lot of good stuff. A newcomer would have to play catch-up on that score.

However, I don't care for the user interface at HD Tracks and as the content grows, it's going to need to change. I hope they are working on it.
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