Why is music from iTunes more expensive in the UK?

ben_j_davis · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:16

American's pay 99cents for a track, which equates to 0.53p. So why are we paying 79p? I don't see how there would be a 26p tax?

How they can charge that much for something that physically doesn't actually exist? That cost's nothing to copy (tiny amount of electricity) and minimal amount of money to transmit.

What I see Apple doing is the exact same thing every other foreign company seems to do. 'Live in the UK? Were gonna slap on 20-40% to the price for the privelage'

Red and White · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:16

John Prescotts fault tbh

Beansprout · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:17

VAT + ripoff Britain = higher prices.

Indy500 · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:17

Clerkin said:
John Prescotts fault tbh

Explain?

VAT on that is 26p??? Doesnt sound right. Unless our VAT has increased to 33%

Red and White · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:18

sr4470 said:
Explain?

do i really need to

Indy500 · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:19

Clerkin said:
do i really need to

See my edited post above.

Anyway, since when did Prescott do anything? He just plays croquet and Brown makes the big decisions... :rolleyes:

Trifid · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:19

You are paying the privalige of having a bit more choice than the Americans do. Can we buy Music from the american iTunes? And that is included in my statement.

Chunky · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:19

nope, john prescott's fault is a good enough reason for me.

ben_j_davis · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:20

I know you sometimes have to pay import tax on foreign goods but since when has it included digital music?

Werewolf · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:21

Chances are it's a combination of the price being set when the exchange rates were worse (at the moment it's about £1 = $1.88 which is pretty good for us), probably a case of the BPI being slightly more greedy than the RIAA*, and then the tax on top.

*They also want a bite of the cherry on imported CD's where the RIAA etc have already had a cut for the artists if memory serves.

ben_j_davis · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:22

Trifid said:
You are paying the privalige of having a bit more choice than the Americans do. Can we buy Music from the american iTunes? And that is included in my statement.

Thats always the argument, you pay for the better customer service. ******, unless all American music is crap compared to all the stuff that UK artists produce?

Visage · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:24

ben_j_davis said:
American's pay 99cents for a track, which equates to 0.53p. So why are we paying 79p? I don't see how there would be a 26p tax?

How they can charge that much for something that physically doesn't actually exist? That cost's nothing to copy (tiny amount of electricity) and minimal amount of money to transmit.

What I see Apple doing is the exact same thing every other foreign company seems to do. 'Live in the UK? Were gonna slap on 20-40% to the price for the privelage'

The charge more in the UK because their marketing people have realised that, for one reason or another, that that is the best price point.

Nothing more or less than that - they charge what people are prepared to pay.

LeoWyatt · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:25

You can't buy music from the US iTunes store

Stelly · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:27

Beansprout said:
VAT + ripoff Britain = higher prices.

I hear that

Stelly

ben_j_davis · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:28

LeoWyatt said:
You can't buy music from the US iTunes store

But its the exact same music, just stored in a different a different place.

Kamikaze_Pigeon · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:36

iTunes in Japan costs on average ¥150 a track, which is around 71p, so not that much difference over here.

ben_j_davis · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:40

But the whole point of the internet is that you could communicate with some on the other side of the world for next to nothing. Why should something that technically does not exist in any physical form cost more in one country than it does in another?

If UK songs are generally more expensive then they should still charge 99cents for US songs over here.

Visage · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:42

ben_j_davis said:
But the whole point of the internet is that you could communicate with some on the other side of the world for next to nothing. Why should something that technically does not exist in any physical form cost more in one country than it does in another?

If UK songs are generally more expensive then they should still charge 99cents for US songs over here.

As I said - because they can.

If Apple did a deal with the record companies such that apple got charged, say 10p per download, but Apple new that people were willing to pay 79p per download, then why should they charge any less?

The cost of music downloads is based on the perceived value of the product, NOT the cost of production, so the fact that it costs the same amount to *provide* a track in the states and over here is irrelevant, as its not this cost that determines the end price to the consumer.

HEADRAT · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:44

ben_j_davis said:
But its the exact same music, just stored in a different a different place.

I wonder if they are stored in a different place, I doubt it I bet all the downloads come from the same servers.

Just another rip-off as far as I can see, the internet was supposed to stop such "market forces" and allow consumers to choose where to purchase from dependant on price, luckily the big boys have got into the market and stifled any such competition.

HEADRAT

Baron G · 6 Jun 2006 at 16:47

It could be worse.

Those of us who remember the old days, or who are still a bit old school and actually buy CDs, will know that in the UK, you pay about £12 for a chart CD as oppossed to $12 in the US. Thats almost a 50% difference at today's exchange rates.