It was on the cards for ages, but this week one of the big name digital music shops finally opened in the UK. Napster, once the scourge of record labels everywhere, has risen phoenix-like from the litigation fires to beat rival iTunes to the "who will open a UK shop first?" punch.
Still, the prices are rather steep for tracks. 99p/track, if you're a subscriber or £1.09 if you're not. At current exchange rates that equates to a lot more than our American breathren are forced to shell out.
Napster boast a catalogue of over 700 000 tunes, but the safe bet is that tracks diehard fans are looking for - obscure remixes or b-sides - will continue to allude them.
Anyone who reads this will know what I think of these digital abhorations. However, if I can finally aquire Sheps' House Mix of "Always On My Mind" by the Pet Shop Boys for 99p, it might be worth it. The alternative, around £100 for the 3x12" club promo of Introspective.
Now that's a worrying pricing structure.
Links:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,7496,1221151,00.html
http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39120827,00.htm?nl=d20040521
