Taking another look at this, as I wait for my dinner guests to let me know when they’re coming, I don’t see the price benefit (since the tracks show cost more that the $1.29 on iTunes: right now £.79 converts US$1.55) and don’t come in a universally recognized format (like mp3) or even a ubiquitous and cross-platform one (like AAC/mp4). It’s not like some (the majority of) players don’t understand both or that transcoding is a huge issue.
And what’s with the tracks costing £1.33/US$2.62 if you buy the album vs just buying the tracks? I realize the Floyd offers longer tracks and fewer of them than some artists but I think I would keep that information out of sight.
7digital – Pink Floyd – Meddle:
And if you look closely (or not so closely) those tracks are encoded in WMA, not ubiquitous mp3. I don’t know if I get more options once I commit to buying a track or album but it would useful to spell that out. I know WMA, mp3, and AAC are offered: why not all up front, I have no idea.
I’m sure it’s a great service but less hype would be less annoying and a cursory fact-check would be helpful. I’m going to keep an eye on it and see how it compares.