The German Bertelsmann Music Group BMG has announced plans to lower CD prices in August. There will be three price categories. A stripped-down version of the CD without an inlay, featuring titles printed directly on the disc, will cost 9.99 euros. The standard version with an inlay will be 3 euros more, at 12.99. For 17.99 euros, which is one euro more than the current standard price, there will be a luxury version that is supposed to come with a bonus DVD or other extras.
So far, this is a step in the right direction; finally, a major music corporation has recognized that merely criminalizing potential customers is not effective, and that attractive offers must invigorate the market. Unfortunately, the announced prices are still not pocket money compatible enough to make piracy completely uninteresting. The reason why an additional three euros are charged for an inlay is not disclosed. One can only hope that the competition will soon follow suit and that offers like the one from T-Mobile, which sells song snippets between 90 and 120 seconds for 1.50 euros (see "Distorted Music Downloads at Horrendous Prices at T-Mobile"), will soon disappear into obscurity again.
So far, this is a step in the right direction; finally, a major music corporation has recognized that merely criminalizing potential customers is not effective, and that attractive offers must invigorate the market. Unfortunately, the announced prices are still not pocket money compatible enough to make piracy completely uninteresting. The reason why an additional three euros are charged for an inlay is not disclosed. One can only hope that the competition will soon follow suit and that offers like the one from T-Mobile, which sells song snippets between 90 and 120 seconds for 1.50 euros (see "Distorted Music Downloads at Horrendous Prices at T-Mobile"), will soon disappear into obscurity again.
