Digital Retail Warfare

DIGITAL WARFARE: Last week’s Amazon MP3 $2.99 special on Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange—which won’t get counted on SoundScan, but will on HITS Album Sales chart today—has industry lips flapping overtime. It is clear that Amazon’s pricing move on July 16 was in retaliation for Ocean’s previous one-week iTunes digital exclusive, the same reason Target offered for not carrying the physical album to date. As noted, Amazon will generate about 15,000 downloads of the Ocean album at $2.99 apiece. This cat-and-mouse game between labels and retailers is obviously escalating. If SoundScan hadn’t implemented what many see as an arbitrary four-week $3.49 limit on counting sales in an attempt to protect “the integrity” of their chart, the Amazon promotion wouldn’t even be an issue. (7/24p)

TOP 20: JUST TRUST US
A second sonic Boom (4/18a)
ON THE COVER:
AARON BAY-SCHUCK
AND TOM CORSON
Bunny's hoppin' again. (4/17a)
NEAR TRUTHS:
PRIMARY NUMBERS
Hats off to Larry (4/17a)
TAY’S FORTHCOMING DEBUT: WE ARE TORTURED BY SPECULATION
So many questions (4/18a)
THE COUNT: COACHELLA, FROM THE COUCH
The coziest way to experience the fest (4/18a)
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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