Dave Matthews BandNow called Dad Rock released their new album last month! Hooray! And I like it! Hooray! I previewed it extensively by streaming it through Amazon Music and said, “Hey, Kim. BUY THAT ALBUM.” The iTunes store has the album for $11.99.
Here’s Amazon’s price listing:
- $0 if I continue to stream it on my computer, or phone, or Amazon device via Amazon Music. I can take this music anywhere I want for free.
- $11.99 for the MP3s, which is right on par with iTunes.
- $9.35 for the actual CD, which has to be manufactured, plucked out of a warehouse, put in a package, put in someone’s car or truck and driven to my house. But the shipping is free.
- $4.69+ if I buy it from some other GenX Old, who bought it just to rip it onto their player of choice and is smartly trying to recoup some money. But I’ll have to pay shipping, which brings it above Amazon’s price.
- $18.96 if I buy it on vinyl, where I can only listen to it in the room that has the turntable, while praying that a dog doesn’t slam into the bookcase and cause it to scratch/skip because while vinyl sounds great, it is neither portable nor durable. I know this because I grew up with vinyl. Ask me about my scratched-up Make it Big album because when they sang “Jitterbug” on Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, they should have said “but not while listening to vinyl because your jumping will TEAR IT UP.
But DMB put the whole album on Youtube, so even if I didn’t have the Amazon Music subscription, I could listen to it for free.
(breaks out the TABLE tags)
| The environment: | My wallet: | If I cared about literally owning the music: | If it was still 1978: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listen for free Buy the MP3s | Listen for free Buy a CD | Buy a CD | Buy vinyl |
Sooo… I’ll continue to listen for free until the music disappears from there and then if I still love the album, I’ll buy a CD.
I don’t understand commerce anymore. Feel free to commerce-splain to me below.
