
Canadian iTunes half the price of the UK...
By Ina Fried
Published: 3 December 2004 09:20 GMT
Although Canadians had to wait awhile to get access to the iTunes Music Store, they are getting a comparative bargain.
Apple, which opened the virtual doors on the Canadian store late on Wednesday, is selling songs for 99 Canadian cents, which translates to about 83 US cents, 16 per cent less than those in the United States pay for their iTunes.
It's an even bigger bargain when compared with Apple's European store, where most tracks cost 99 euro cents, which these days translates to $1.31 US and a whopping $1.56 Canadian. Those in Britain pay even more, 79 pence ($1.52, or $1.81 Canadian).
Eddie Cue, Apple's vice-president of applications, said: "It's all relatively close." Cue added that the pricing environments are different in various countries, as are the taxes and the amount Apple must pay for the music. "The costs do vary by region for Apple."
Americans looking for a bargain will have to do more than just profess their love of hockey or their distaste for President Bush. Because the Canadian store requires a local billing address, Americans will have to get a home in Saskatoon or Thunder Bay to get in on the lower pricing.
Although Apple's pricing varies from country to country, the company has tried hard to stick to offering all songs in the store at the same price.
That posed a bit of a challenge recently in Britain as Band Aid released a charity single that was selling for £1.49, nearly double Apple's standard price. After a bit of a delay, the track made its debut on iTunes on Wednesday.
"Apple is pleased to offer the Band Aid 20 single on the iTunes Music Store to raise funds for the plight of hunger and poverty in Africa," Apple said in a statement. "Since all songs on iTunes are [79 pence], we've decided to sell it for [79 pence], and Apple will donate an additional [70 pence] for each downloaded song to the Band Aid Charitable Trust."
Ina Fried writes for CNET News.com.
And what the heck does this story have to do about...
Anonymous
Sorry to dispel any myths... however being Canadia...
Anonymous
So where's the part about a Mountie?
The guy who ...
Ro
Mountie, Canuck, Friendly Neighbour from Up North....
Anonymous
gawd, lighten up, fellow "mounties"! :-) we'll nev...
Geoff D
Web Manager, Music / Radio / Television - London If you like Music and are looking for a Fun, Funky, Friendly environment then this is the place for ...
Based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, the Callagenix group of companies are growing annually at a rate in excess of 30% and are seeking additional staff ...
OBJECTIVE: To work as part of the management team to improve the commercial performance of the store, assisting both the deputy and store manager, to ...
Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.
Stories from the web...
Copyright © 2008 CBS Interactive Limited. All rights reserved. Top of page
Natasha Lomas Exclusive: Jimmy Wales on what's next for Wikipedia Why Wikipedia needs geeks and why a life unplugged is unthinkable
Peter Cochrane Peter Cochrane's Blog: United breaks guitars? Customer service has changed forever