[guardian.co.uk] Sony Music under fire - Whitney Houston album price hike sparks controversy

[Old Quad Guy]

Heard this story while watching CNN a couple of days ago:

Whitney Houston album price hike sparks controversy
Sony Music under fire after cost of greatest hits set on iTunes rises by more than 60% after singer's death

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/feb/13/whitney-houston-album-price?CMP=twt_gu

Sony Music has come under fire after it increased the price of a Whitney Houston album on Apple's iTunes Store hours after the singer was found dead.

The music giant is understood to have lifted the wholesale price of Houston's greatest hits album, The Ultimate Collection, at about 4am California time on Sunday. This meant that the iTunes retail price of the album automatically increased from £4.99 to £7.99.

Houston's The Ultimate Collection, originally released in 1997, was the second top-selling album on iTunes on Monday morning. Apple returned the album to its original price late on Sunday.

Music fans described the move as a cynical attempt to capitalise on Houston's in-demand greatest hits records. The price hike came as tributes flooded in for the singer, whose catalogue includes hits such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You. Houston was found dead in her Los Angeles hotel room on Saturday afternoon, local time, at the age of 48.

The change happened when Sony Music, which owns the rights to much of Houston's back catalogue, increased the wholesale price of The Ultimate Collection. This automatically boosted the retail price of the popular album, although Apple is responsible setting the price paid by music fans.

It is understood that the change occurred after Sony Music reviewed Houston's iTunes catalogue after the singer was pronounced dead.

One insider close to the situation said the price hike was not a "cynical" move – but that the wholesale price of Houston's The Ultimate Collection was wrong. The change in wholesale price boosted the album's retail price on iTunes.

Houston's The Ultimate Collection and Whitney – The Greatest Hits were in the top three albums on iTunes at noon on Monday.

Apple and Sony Music declined to comment.

 

[Neb-Maat-Re]

It always amazes me that people start buying someone's greatest hits as soon as they die, but this price gouging is just appalling.

 

[JonUrban]

Sony, no baloney

 

[rusinurbe]

It always amazes me that people start buying someone's greatest hits as soon as they die, but this price gouging is just appalling.

+1 your comment

as to Sony are you are surprised ?

 

[kap'n krunch]

...which leads to question yourself if her death was "accidental"...worth more dead than alive...I know it's horrible , but nothing surprises me anymore...Jacko anyone???

 

[DKA]

...which leads to question yourself if her death was "accidental"...worth more dead than alive...I know it's horrible , but nothing surprises me anymore...Jacko anyone???

Oof. Not touching that with a ten foot pole.

Folks, it's business. What was once a catalog item will now be a bigger seller. There will probably be a brand new, recompiled, Whitney GH before the end of the year. I'm not seeing anything to go nuts about.

 

[jefe1]

Yes, standard business practice we always see this pattern. Now google Jimi hendrix murdered and read a few of the articles about his managers background and what the coroner said. And shudder.

 

[elmer]

This thread is descending into Nancy Grace territory

 

[kap'n krunch]

Sorry for the (turbulent) derail....it's just that , what Sony is doing is ...evil!
Cashing on the death of a best selling artist??? Bleagh!!!!

 

[elmer]

The death of a celebrity is an economic boom for all media - and has been since the beginning of media. There is nothing new to see here, now move on - the lot of you!

 

[Wagonmaster_91]

"The Ultimate Collection" is an import. Sony's US Whitney releases did not change in cost/price. Isn't it possible the price changed due to a change in currency exchange rates? Did CNN bother to check any other import album prices on the same day or just this one Whitney Houston title? It is not standard practice for record labels to raise the prices on an artist's releases when they die. Sony did not raise the prices on Michael Jackson or Etta James albums, Capitol did not raise the prices on John Lennon or George Harrison, RCA didn't on Elvis Presley, Universal/Decca didn't on Amy Winehouse or the Who (Moon or Entwistle), WEA didn't on Led Zeppelin (Bonham) or Jimi Hendix, etc.

Update: the price change was only on the UK iTunes website and Sony is now saying it was a mistake and the price changed back.

 

[Neb-Maat-Re]

It went up 60% which is unlikely to be due to currency exchange unless the Pound has collapsed. And it was 2 of her albums, not just one.

They've since apologised, saying it was a "mistake". Can't argue with that.

http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/...tunes-price-increase-a-mistake-says-sony.html

 

[0tto]

damn, so much noise for nothing but no one cares about price hike on all those boxes,
DVDAs reissues on SACDs and overpriced files from freaking HDTracks.

oh wait, those artists still alive and doesn't worth any atention for the media outlets.